feat(commands): make voice commands optional with auto-enable for VOSK (#274)

* feat(commands): make voice commands optional with auto-enable for VOSK

This implements a new voice commands feature that:
- Adds 'voice_commands_enabled' config option (None=auto, True, False)
- Auto-enables voice commands for VOSK engine (which needs them for punctuation)
- Auto-disables for Whisper engines (which handle punctuation natively)
- Adds a toggle in Settings > Recognition tab to override the default

The toggle shows the current auto-detected state and allows users to
enable/disable voice commands regardless of engine choice.

This addresses issue #147 discussion about voice commands utility with
modern Whisper models that handle punctuation well.

Closes #270 (by providing an alternative solution - disabling commands)

* fix(tests): add voice_commands_enabled parameter to test expectations

Update test assertions to include the new voice_commands_enabled
parameter that was added to SpeechRecognitionManager.

* style(tests): fix black formatting in test_speech_recognition.py

* fix(commands): keep voice command mode in sync on reconfigure

src/vocalinux/main.py

@@ -262,6 +262,7 @@ def main():
 
     vad_sensitivity = saved_settings.get("vad_sensitivity", 3)
     silence_timeout = saved_settings.get("silence_timeout", 2.0)
+    voice_commands_enabled = saved_settings.get("voice_commands_enabled")  # None = auto
     audio_device_index = audio_settings.get("device_index", None)
 
     logger.info(f"Final settings: engine={engine}, language={language}, model={model_size}")
@@ -279,6 +280,7 @@ def main():
             language=language,
             vad_sensitivity=vad_sensitivity,
             silence_timeout=silence_timeout,
+            voice_commands_enabled=voice_commands_enabled,
             audio_device_index=audio_device_index,
         )
 

src/vocalinux/speech_recognition/recognition_manager.py

@@ -18,11 +18,7 @@ from typing import Callable, List, Optional
 from ..common_types import RecognitionState
 from ..ui.audio_feedback import play_error_sound, play_start_sound, play_stop_sound
 from ..utils.vosk_model_info import VOSK_MODEL_INFO
-from ..utils.whispercpp_model_info import (
-    WHISPERCPP_MODEL_INFO,
-    get_model_path,
-    is_model_downloaded,
-)
+from ..utils.whispercpp_model_info import WHISPERCPP_MODEL_INFO, get_model_path, is_model_downloaded
 from .command_processor import CommandProcessor
 
 
@@ -461,6 +457,11 @@ class SpeechRecognitionManager:
         self.model = None
         self.recognizer = None  # Added for VOSK
         self.command_processor = CommandProcessor()
+
+        # Voice commands: None=auto (VOSK=yes, Whisper=no), True=always on, False=always off
+        self._voice_commands_preference = kwargs.get("voice_commands_enabled")
+        self._voice_commands_enabled = self._resolve_voice_commands_enabled()
+
         self.text_callbacks: List[Callable[[str], None]] = []
         self.state_callbacks: List[Callable[[RecognitionState], None]] = []
         self.action_callbacks: List[Callable[[str], None]] = []
@@ -516,6 +517,12 @@ class SpeechRecognitionManager:
         else:
             raise ValueError(f"Unsupported speech recognition engine: {engine}")
 
+    def _resolve_voice_commands_enabled(self) -> bool:
+        """Resolve effective voice commands state from preference and engine."""
+        if self._voice_commands_preference is None:
+            return self.engine == "vosk"
+        return bool(self._voice_commands_preference)
+
     def _init_vosk(self):
         """Initialize the VOSK speech recognition engine."""
         # VOSK doesn't support auto-detect, so fall back to en-us for "auto"
@@ -1779,9 +1786,15 @@ class SpeechRecognitionManager:
             logger.error(f"Unknown engine: {self.engine}")
             return
 
-        # Process commands
+        # Process text - either with voice commands or pass through directly
         if text:
-            processed_text, actions = self.command_processor.process_text(text)
+            if self._voice_commands_enabled:
+                # Process with voice commands (original behavior)
+                processed_text, actions = self.command_processor.process_text(text)
+            else:
+                # Voice commands disabled - pass text through directly (Whisper handles punctuation)
+                processed_text = text.strip()
+                actions = []
 
             # Call text callbacks with processed text
             if processed_text:
@@ -1892,6 +1905,11 @@ class SpeechRecognitionManager:
             else:
                 self.audio_device_index = audio_device_index
 
+        if "voice_commands_enabled" in kwargs:
+            self._voice_commands_preference = kwargs.get("voice_commands_enabled")
+
+        self._voice_commands_enabled = self._resolve_voice_commands_enabled()
+
         if restart_needed:
             logger.info("Engine or model changed, re-initializing...")
             # When reconfiguring from UI, allow downloads

src/vocalinux/ui/config_manager.py

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ DEFAULT_CONFIG = {
         "whisper_cpp_model_size": "tiny",  # Default model for whisper.cpp engine
         "vad_sensitivity": 3,  # Voice Activity Detection sensitivity (1-5)
         "silence_timeout": 2.0,  # Seconds of silence before stopping
+        "voice_commands_enabled": None,  # None = auto (enabled for VOSK, disabled for Whisper)
     },
     "audio": {
         "device_index": None,  # Audio input device index (None for system default)
@@ -230,6 +231,24 @@ class ConfigManager:
         self.config["speech_recognition"]["model_size"] = model_size
         logger.info(f"Set {engine} model size to: {model_size}")
 
+    def is_voice_commands_enabled(self) -> bool:
+        """Check if voice commands should be enabled.
+
+        Returns:
+            True if voice commands should be enabled, False otherwise.
+            If voice_commands_enabled is None (auto), returns True for VOSK,
+            False for Whisper engines.
+        """
+        sr_config = self.config.get("speech_recognition", {})
+        enabled = sr_config.get("voice_commands_enabled")
+
+        if enabled is None:
+            # Auto mode: enabled for VOSK, disabled for Whisper engines
+            engine = sr_config.get("engine", "whisper_cpp")
+            return engine == "vosk"
+
+        return enabled
+
     def update_speech_recognition_settings(self, settings: Dict[str, Any]):
         """Update multiple speech recognition settings at once."""
         if "speech_recognition" not in self.config:

src/vocalinux/ui/settings_dialog.py

@@ -1081,11 +1081,25 @@ class SettingsDialog(Gtk.Dialog):
         )
         group.add_row(silence_row)
 
+        # Voice Commands Toggle
+        self.voice_commands_switch = Gtk.Switch()
+        self.voice_commands_switch.set_tooltip_text(
+            "Enable voice commands like 'new line', 'period', 'undo', etc.\n"
+            "Useful for VOSK engine. Whisper engines handle punctuation automatically."
+        )
+        voice_commands_row = PreferenceRow(
+            title="Voice Commands",
+            subtitle="Enable voice commands for punctuation and editing",
+            widget=self.voice_commands_switch,
+        )
+        group.add_row(voice_commands_row)
+
         self.recognition_settings_tab.pack_start(group, False, False, 0)
 
         # Connect signals
         self.vad_spin.connect("value-changed", self._on_vad_changed)
         self.silence_spin.connect("value-changed", self._on_silence_changed)
+        self.voice_commands_switch.connect("state-set", self._on_voice_commands_toggled)
 
     def _build_shortcuts_section(self):
         """Build the Keyboard Shortcuts section."""
@@ -1341,6 +1355,10 @@ class SettingsDialog(Gtk.Dialog):
         self.vad_spin.set_value(self.current_vad)
         self.silence_spin.set_value(self.current_silence)
 
+        # Set voice commands switch based on config
+        voice_commands_enabled = self.config_manager.is_voice_commands_enabled()
+        self.voice_commands_switch.set_active(voice_commands_enabled)
+
     def _get_current_settings(self):
         """Get current settings from config manager."""
         self.config_manager.load_config()
@@ -1468,6 +1486,18 @@ class SettingsDialog(Gtk.Dialog):
         self.language_combo.set_active_id(self.language)
         self._update_engine_specific_ui()
         self._update_model_info()
+        self._update_voice_commands_for_engine()
+
+    def _update_voice_commands_for_engine(self):
+        """Update voice commands switch based on current engine."""
+        sr_config = self.config_manager.get_settings().get("speech_recognition", {})
+        voice_commands_enabled = sr_config.get("voice_commands_enabled")
+
+        if voice_commands_enabled is None:
+            engine_text = self.engine_combo.get_active_text()
+            engine = engine_text.lower() if engine_text else sr_config.get("engine", "whisper_cpp")
+            auto_enabled = engine == "vosk"
+            self.voice_commands_switch.set_active(auto_enabled)
 
     def _on_model_changed(self, widget):
         """Handle changes in the selected model."""
@@ -1485,6 +1515,23 @@ class SettingsDialog(Gtk.Dialog):
         """Handle changes in silence timeout."""
         self._auto_apply_settings()
 
+    def _on_voice_commands_toggled(self, widget, state):
+        """Handle toggle of the voice commands switch."""
+        if self._initializing or self._applying_settings:
+            return False
+
+        enabled = bool(state)
+        logger.info(f"Voice commands toggled: {enabled}")
+
+        self.config_manager.set("speech_recognition", "voice_commands_enabled", enabled)
+        self.config_manager.save_settings()
+        try:
+            self.speech_engine.reconfigure(voice_commands_enabled=enabled, force_download=False)
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.warning(f"Failed to apply voice commands toggle immediately: {e}")
+        logger.info(f"Voice commands {'enabled' if enabled else 'disabled'}")
+        return False
+
     def _populate_language_options(self):
         """Populate language dropdown with supported languages."""
         self.language_combo.remove_all()