diff --git a/.envrc b/.envrc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ad523114
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.envrc
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Automatically activate Python venv and sync dependencies on cd
+# Requires: direnv (https://direnv.net/)
+# Install: sudo apt install direnv && echo 'eval "$(direnv hook bash)"' >> ~/.bashrc
+
+# Create venv if it doesn't exist
+if [[ ! -d .venv ]]; then
+    echo "Creating .venv with uv..."
+    uv venv .venv
+fi
+
+# Activate the venv
+source .venv/bin/activate
+
+# Ensure dependencies are synced
+uv sync --quiet
+
+# Set PYO3 to use this venv's Python
+export PYO3_PYTHON="${PWD}/.venv/bin/python"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-minimal.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-minimal.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 3e6ac109..00000000
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-minimal.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,191 +0,0 @@
-name: CI (Minimal)
-
-on:
-  push:
-    branches: [main, "release/*", "feature/*", "feat/*", "fix/*"]
-  pull_request:
-    branches: [main]
-  workflow_dispatch:
-
-permissions:
-  contents: read
-
-concurrency:
-  group: ci-${{ github.ref }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true
-
-env:
-  RUSTFLAGS: "-D warnings"
-  CARGO_TERM_COLOR: always
-
-jobs:
-  # Fast compilation check on MSRV and stable
-  check:
-    name: Check (${{ matrix.rust }})
-    runs-on: [self-hosted, Linux, X64, fedora, nobara]
-    strategy:
-      matrix:
-        rust: [stable] # Use stable only
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
-      - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@v1
-        with:
-          toolchain: ${{ matrix.rust }}
-      
-      - name: Get Rust version
-        id: rust-version
-        run: echo "version=$(rustc --version | cut -d' ' -f2)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-      
-      - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@v2
-        with:
-          key: ${{ steps.rust-version.outputs.version }}
-      
-      - name: Type check
-        run: cargo check --workspace --all-targets --locked
-      
-      - name: Build
-        run: cargo build --workspace --locked
-
-  # Linting and formatting (stable only)
-  lint:
-    name: Lint & Format
-    runs-on: [self-hosted, Linux, X64, fedora, nobara]
-    continue-on-error: true
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
-      - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
-        with:
-          components: rustfmt, clippy
-      
-      - name: Get Rust version
-        id: rust-version
-        run: echo "version=$(rustc --version | cut -d' ' -f2)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-      
-      - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@v2
-        with:
-          key: ${{ steps.rust-version.outputs.version }}
-      
-      - name: Check formatting
-        run: cargo fmt --all -- --check
-      
-      - name: Clippy
-        run: cargo clippy --all-targets --locked -- -D warnings
-      
-      - name: Build docs
-        run: cargo doc --workspace --no-deps --locked
-
-  # Unit and integration tests (not E2E)
-  test:
-    name: Test
-    runs-on: [self-hosted, Linux, X64, fedora, nobara]
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
-      - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
-      
-      - name: Get Rust version
-        id: rust-version
-        run: echo "version=$(rustc --version | cut -d' ' -f2)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-      
-      - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@v2
-        with:
-          key: ${{ steps.rust-version.outputs.version }}
-      
-      # Core build dependencies only (no X11/text injection stuff)
-      - name: Verify core deps
-        run: |
-          set -euo pipefail
-          for cmd in gcc g++ make pkg-config; do
-            command -v $cmd || { echo "Missing: $cmd"; exit 1; }
-          done
-          pkg-config --exists alsa || { echo "Missing: libalsa-dev"; exit 1; }
-      
-      - name: Run tests
-        run: |
-          # Use nextest if available, otherwise fallback
-          if command -v cargo-nextest &>/dev/null; then
-            cargo nextest run --workspace --locked
-          else
-            cargo test --workspace --locked
-          fi
-
-  # Optional: Text injection tests (only if tools available)
-  text-injection:
-    name: Text Injection (Optional)
-    runs-on: [self-hosted, Linux, X64, fedora, nobara]
-    continue-on-error: true # Don't fail CI if this fails
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
-      - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
-      
-      - name: Get Rust version
-        id: rust-version
-        run: echo "version=$(rustc --version | cut -d' ' -f2)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-      
-      - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@v2
-        with:
-          key: ${{ steps.rust-version.outputs.version }}
-      
-      - name: Check if tools available
-        id: check_tools
-        run: |
-          has_tools=true
-          for tool in xdotool Xvfb openbox; do
-            if ! command -v $tool &>/dev/null; then
-              echo "Missing: $tool"
-              has_tools=false
-            fi
-          done
-          echo "available=$has_tools" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-      
-      - name: Run text injection tests
-        if: steps.check_tools.outputs.available == 'true'
-        env:
-          DISPLAY: :99
-        run: |
-          # Start headless X server
-          Xvfb :99 -screen 0 1024x768x24 &
-          sleep 2
-          openbox &
-          sleep 1
-          
-          cargo test -p coldvox-text-injection --locked
-      
-      - name: Skip text injection tests
-        if: steps.check_tools.outputs.available != 'true'
-        run: echo "⚠️ Skipping - X11 tools not available"
-
-  # Optional: Whisper E2E tests (only if model available)
-  whisper-e2e:
-    name: Whisper E2E (Optional)
-    runs-on: [self-hosted, Linux, X64, fedora, nobara]
-    continue-on-error: true # Don't fail CI if this fails
-    env:
-      WHISPER_MODEL_SIZE: tiny  # Use tiny model for minimal CI
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
-      - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
-      
-      - name: Get Rust version
-        id: rust-version
-        run: echo "version=$(rustc --version | cut -d' ' -f2)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-      
-      - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@v2
-        with:
-          key: ${{ steps.rust-version.outputs.version }}
-      
-      - name: Setup Whisper model
-        id: setup
-        run: bash scripts/ci/setup-whisper-cache.sh
-      
-      - name: Run Whisper Golden Master test
-        env:
-          WHISPER_MODEL_PATH: ${{ steps.setup.outputs.model_path }}
-          WHISPER_MODEL_SIZE: ${{ steps.setup.outputs.model_size }}
-        run: |
-          pip install faster-whisper
-          export PYTHONPATH=$(python3 -c "import site; print(site.getsitepackages()[0])")
-          cargo test -p coldvox-app --test golden_master -- --nocapture
-      
-      - name: Skip Whisper E2E
-        if: steps.setup.outputs.model_path == ''
-        run: echo "⚠️ Skipping - Whisper model not available"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 4d227f9b..79d73fdf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ defaults:
     shell: bash
 
 env:
-  RUSTFLAGS: "-D warnings"
   CARGO_TERM_COLOR: always
   WHISPER_MODEL_SIZE: tiny
   MIN_FREE_DISK_GB: 10
@@ -68,10 +67,17 @@ jobs:
           for wf in "${files[@]}"
             do
             echo "-- $wf"
+            # gh workflow view requires the workflow to exist on default branch first.
+            # For new workflows in PRs, this will fail - skip them gracefully.
             if ! gh workflow view "$wf" --ref "$GITHUB_SHA" --yaml >/dev/null 2>&1
               then
-              echo "ERROR: Failed to render $wf via gh" >&2
-              failed=1
+              # Check if workflow exists on default branch
+              if gh workflow view "$wf" --yaml >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+                echo "ERROR: Failed to render $wf via gh (exists on default branch but fails to render)" >&2
+                failed=1
+              else
+                echo "SKIP: $wf is new (not yet on default branch), will validate after merge"
+              fi
             fi
           done
 
@@ -80,7 +86,7 @@ jobs:
             echo "One or more workflows failed server-side validation via gh." >&2
             exit 1
           fi
-          echo "All workflows render via gh."
+          echo "All workflows validated (new workflows skipped)."
 
   setup-whisper-dependencies:
     name: Setup Whisper Dependencies
@@ -97,7 +103,7 @@ jobs:
   # Security scanning for vulnerabilities and license compliance
   security_audit:
     name: Security Audit
-    runs-on: [self-hosted, Linux, X64, fedora, nobara]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@93cb6efe18208431cddfb8368fd83d5badbf9bfd # v5.0.0
 
@@ -118,9 +124,9 @@ jobs:
         run: cargo deny check
 
   # Build, check, and test with multiple Rust versions
-  build_and_check:
-    name: Build & Test
-    runs-on: [self-hosted, Linux, X64, fedora, nobara]
+  unit_tests_hosted:
+    name: Unit Tests & Golden Master (Hosted)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: [setup-whisper-dependencies]
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -128,6 +134,11 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@93cb6efe18208431cddfb8368fd83d5badbf9bfd # v5.0.0
 
+      - name: Install system dependencies
+        run: |
+          sudo apt-get update
+          sudo apt-get install -y xdotool wget unzip gcc g++ make xvfb openbox dbus-x11 wl-clipboard xclip ydotool x11-utils wmctrl pkg-config pulseaudio libasound2-dev libgtk-3-dev libatspi2.0-dev libxtst-dev python3-pip python3-venv
+
       - name: Set up Rust toolchain
         uses: actions-rust-lang/setup-rust-toolchain@v1
         with:
@@ -135,11 +146,6 @@ jobs:
           components: rustfmt, clippy
           override: true
 
-      - name: Setup ColdVox
-        uses: ./.github/actions/setup-coldvox
-        with:
-          skip-toolchain: "true"
-
       # Only run formatting and linting on stable
       - name: Check formatting (advisory)
         if: matrix.rust-version == 'stable'
@@ -181,17 +187,24 @@ jobs:
           echo "=== Running Tests ==="
           cargo test --workspace --locked --
 
+      - name: Run Golden Master pipeline test
+        if: matrix.rust-version == 'stable'
+        env:
+          WHISPER_MODEL_PATH: ${{ needs.setup-whisper-dependencies.outputs.model_path }}
+          WHISPER_MODEL_SIZE: ${{ needs.setup-whisper-dependencies.outputs.model_size }}
+        run: |
+          echo "=== Running Golden Master Test ==="
+          # Install Python dependencies for Golden Master
+          pip install faster-whisper
+          export PYTHONPATH=$(python3 -c "import site; print(site.getsitepackages()[0])")
+          cargo test -p coldvox-app --test golden_master -- --nocapture
+
       # GUI groundwork check integrated here
       - name: Detect and test Qt 6 GUI
         if: matrix.rust-version == 'stable'
         run: |
-          if bash scripts/ci/detect-qt6.sh
-            then
-            echo "✅ Qt 6 detected - building GUI"
-            cargo check -p coldvox-gui --features qt-ui --locked
-          else
-            echo "⚠️ Qt 6 not detected - skipping GUI build"
-          fi
+          # Qt6 might not be easily available on ubuntu-latest without extra actions, skipping for now or adding if needed
+          echo "Skipping Qt6 check on hosted runner"
 
       - name: Upload test artifacts on failure
         if: failure()
@@ -204,7 +217,7 @@ jobs:
           retention-days: 7
 
   text_injection_tests:
-    name: Text Injection Tests
+    name: Hardware Integration Tests (Self-Hosted)
     runs-on: [self-hosted, Linux, X64, fedora, nobara]
     needs: [setup-whisper-dependencies]
     timeout-minutes: 30
@@ -213,11 +226,38 @@ jobs:
       RUST_LOG: debug
       RUST_TEST_TIME_UNIT: 10000
       RUST_TEST_TIME_INTEGRATION: 30000
+      SCCACHE_DIR: $HOME/.cache/sccache
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@93cb6efe18208431cddfb8368fd83d5badbf9bfd # v5.0.0
       - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@e97e2d8cc328f1b50210efc529dca0028893a2d9 # v1
         with:
           toolchain: stable
+
+      # Setup sccache via justfile (installs if missing, enables RUSTC_WRAPPER)
+      - name: Setup sccache
+        run: |
+          # Install just if not available
+          if ! command -v just >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            cargo install just --locked
+          fi
+
+          # Run setup-sccache recipe (idempotent - installs if missing)
+          just setup-sccache
+
+          # Enable sccache wrapper after installation
+          SCCACHE_BIN=""
+          if command -v sccache >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            SCCACHE_BIN="$(command -v sccache)"
+          elif [[ -x "$HOME/.cargo/bin/sccache" ]]; then
+            SCCACHE_BIN="$HOME/.cargo/bin/sccache"
+          fi
+
+          if [[ -n "$SCCACHE_BIN" ]]; then
+            "$SCCACHE_BIN" --start-server || true
+            echo "RUSTC_WRAPPER=$SCCACHE_BIN" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+            echo "sccache enabled: $SCCACHE_BIN"
+          fi
+
       - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@98c8021b550208e191a6a3145459bfc9fb29c4c0 # v2.8.0
 
       - name: Setup ColdVox
@@ -262,9 +302,12 @@ jobs:
             # Set per-test timeout to prevent hanging
             export RUST_TEST_TIME_UNIT="10000"  # 10 second timeout per test
             export RUST_TEST_TIME_INTEGRATION="30000"  # 30 second for integration tests
+            # Note: atspi feature not enabled - AT-SPI Collection.GetMatches requires
+            # a full desktop session, not available in headless Xvfb environment.
+            # AT-SPI tests will skip gracefully.
             cargo test -p coldvox-text-injection \
               --features real-injection-tests \
-              -- --nocapture --test-threads=1 --timeout 600
+              -- --nocapture --test-threads=1
           '
 
       - name: Build pipeline (default features)
@@ -285,18 +328,14 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build main application
         run: cargo build --locked -p coldvox-app
 
-      - name: Run Golden Master pipeline test
+      - name: Run Hardware Capability Checks
         env:
-          WHISPER_MODEL_PATH: ${{ needs.setup-whisper-dependencies.outputs.model_path }}
-          WHISPER_MODEL_SIZE: ${{ needs.setup-whisper-dependencies.outputs.model_size }}
+          COLDVOX_E2E_REAL_INJECTION: "1"
+          COLDVOX_E2E_REAL_AUDIO: "1"
         run: |
-          echo "=== Golden Master Environment Validation ==="
-          echo "WHISPER_MODEL_PATH: $WHISPER_MODEL_PATH"
-          echo "WHISPER_MODEL_SIZE: $WHISPER_MODEL_SIZE"
-          echo "=== Running Golden Master Test ==="
-          pip install faster-whisper
-          export PYTHONPATH=$(python3 -c "import site; print(site.getsitepackages()[0])")
-          cargo test -p coldvox-app --test golden_master -- --nocapture
+          echo "=== Running Hardware Capability Checks ==="
+          # We run the new hardware_check test file, enabling the ignored tests
+          cargo test -p coldvox-app --test hardware_check -- --nocapture --include-ignored
 
       - name: Upload test artifacts on failure
         if: failure()
@@ -361,12 +400,12 @@ jobs:
 
   ci_success:
     name: CI Success Summary
-    runs-on: [self-hosted, Linux, X64, fedora, nobara]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs:
       - validate-workflows
       - setup-whisper-dependencies
       - security_audit
-      - build_and_check
+      - unit_tests_hosted
       - text_injection_tests
       - moonshine_check
     if: always()
@@ -378,12 +417,12 @@ jobs:
           echo "- validate-workflows:            ${{ needs.validate-workflows.result }}" >> report.md
           echo "- setup-whisper-dependencies:    ${{ needs.setup-whisper-dependencies.result }}" >> report.md
           echo "- security_audit:                ${{ needs.security_audit.result }}" >> report.md
-          echo "- build_and_check:               ${{ needs.build_and_check.result }}" >> report.md
+          echo "- unit_tests_hosted:             ${{ needs.unit_tests_hosted.result }}" >> report.md
           echo "- text_injection_tests:          ${{ needs.text_injection_tests.result }}" >> report.md
           echo "- moonshine_check:               ${{ needs.moonshine_check.result }} (optional)" >> report.md
           if [[ "${{ needs.setup-whisper-dependencies.result }}" != "success" ]]; then echo "::error::Setup Whisper dependencies failed."; exit 1; fi
           if [[ "${{ needs.security_audit.result }}" != "success" ]]; then echo "::warning::Security audit failed - check for vulnerabilities."; fi
-          if [[ "${{ needs.build_and_check.result }}" != "success" ]]; then echo "::error::Build and check failed."; exit 1; fi
+          if [[ "${{ needs.unit_tests_hosted.result }}" != "success" ]]; then echo "::error::Build and check failed."; exit 1; fi
           if [[ "${{ needs.text_injection_tests.result }}" != "success" ]]; then echo "::error::Text injection tests failed."; exit 1; fi
           if [[ "${{ needs.moonshine_check.result }}" != "success" ]]; then echo "::warning::Moonshine check failed (optional)."; fi
           echo "All critical stages passed successfully."
diff --git a/.github/workflows/vosk-integration.yml b/.github/workflows/vosk-integration.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 6bd43e2e..00000000
--- a/.github/workflows/vosk-integration.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,105 +0,0 @@
-name: (disabled) Whisper Integration Tests
-
-on:
-  pull_request:
-    paths:
-      - "crates/coldvox-stt/**"
-      - "crates/app/**"
-      - "examples/whisper_*.rs"
-      - ".github/workflows/vosk-integration.yml"
-  schedule:
-    - cron: "0 0 * * 0"
-  workflow_dispatch:
-
-permissions:
-  contents: read
-  pull-requests: read
-
-concurrency:
-  group: whisper-${{ github.ref }}
-  cancel-in-progress: false
-
-jobs:
-  _disabled_notice:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - run: echo "Whisper integration workflow disabled due to backend pivot; see PR for details."
-  # The following jobs are intentionally disabled pending the new pure-Rust backend
-  # to avoid Python/venv and model-cache dependencies in CI.
-  # Original content retained below for history; guarded by always-false condition.
-  setup-whisper-dependencies:
-    if: false
-    name: Setup Whisper Dependencies
-    runs-on: [self-hosted, Linux, X64, fedora, nobara]
-    env:
-      WHISPER_MODEL_SIZE: base  # Use base model for integration tests
-    outputs:
-      model_path: ${{ steps.setup.outputs.model_path }}
-      model_size: ${{ steps.setup.outputs.model_size }}
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
-      - name: Setup Whisper Model
-        id: setup
-        run: bash scripts/ci/setup-whisper-cache.sh
-
-  whisper-tests:
-    if: false
-    name: Whisper STT Integration
-    needs: [setup-whisper-dependencies]
-    runs-on: [self-hosted, Linux, X64, fedora, nobara]
-    timeout-minutes: 30
-    env:
-      RUST_TEST_TIME_UNIT: 10000
-      RUST_TEST_TIME_INTEGRATION: 30000
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout code
-        uses: actions/checkout@v6
-        with:
-          fetch-depth: 0
-      - name: Setup ColdVox
-        uses: ./.github/actions/setup-coldvox
-      - name: Install cargo-nextest
-        run: cargo install cargo-nextest --locked
-      - name: Build with Whisper
-        env:
-          WHISPER_MODEL_PATH: ${{ needs.setup-whisper-dependencies.outputs.model_path }}
-          WHISPER_MODEL_SIZE: ${{ needs.setup-whisper-dependencies.outputs.model_size }}
-        run: |
-          cargo build --locked -p coldvox-stt --features whisper
-          cargo build --locked -p coldvox-app --features whisper
-      - name: Run Whisper tests
-        env:
-          WHISPER_MODEL_PATH: ${{ needs.setup-whisper-dependencies.outputs.model_path }}
-          WHISPER_MODEL_SIZE: ${{ needs.setup-whisper-dependencies.outputs.model_size }}
-          RUST_TEST_THREADS: 1
-        run: |
-          cargo nextest run --locked -p coldvox-stt --features whisper
-      - name: Run Golden Master pipeline test
-        env:
-          WHISPER_MODEL_PATH: ${{ needs.setup-whisper-dependencies.outputs.model_path }}
-          WHISPER_MODEL_SIZE: ${{ needs.setup-whisper-dependencies.outputs.model_size }}
-        run: |
-          pip install faster-whisper
-          export PYTHONPATH=$(python3 -c "import site; print(site.getsitepackages()[0])")
-          cargo test -p coldvox-app --test golden_master -- --nocapture
-      - name: Test Whisper examples
-        env:
-          WHISPER_MODEL_PATH: ${{ needs.setup-whisper-dependencies.outputs.model_path }}
-          WHISPER_MODEL_SIZE: ${{ needs.setup-whisper-dependencies.outputs.model_size }}
-        run: |
-          if ls examples/whisper_*.rs 1> /dev/null 2>&1; then
-            for example in examples/whisper_*.rs; do
-              name=$(basename $example .rs)
-              cargo run --locked --example $name --features whisper,examples || true
-            done
-          fi
-      - name: Upload artifacts on failure
-        if: failure()
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v5
-        with:
-          name: whisper-test-artifacts
-          path: |
-            target/debug/**/*.log
-            logs/
-            transcripts/
-          retention-days: 7
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index cb6870b4..bc4fbdab 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 .idea/
 *.swp
 *.swo
+*.kate-swp
 *~
 .DS_Store
 
@@ -24,6 +25,10 @@ flamegraph.svg
 .env.local
 .venv/
 
+# AI Agent Frameworks (BMAD, Claude, etc)
+.bmad/
+.claude/
+
 # Logs
 logs/
 *.log
@@ -77,4 +82,3 @@ docs/config.md
 docs/install.md
 docs/reference.md
 docs/usage.md
-.venv/
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ef04628e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+repos:
+  - repo: https://github.com/pre-commit/pre-commit-hooks
+    rev: v4.5.0
+    hooks:
+      - id: trailing-whitespace
+      - id: end-of-file-fixer
+      - id: check-yaml
+      - id: check-toml
+
+  - repo: https://github.com/rhysd/actionlint
+    rev: v1.6.26
+    hooks:
+      - id: actionlint
+
+  - repo: local
+    hooks:
+      - id: cargo-fmt
+        name: cargo fmt
+        entry: cargo fmt --all -- --check
+        language: system
+        types: [rust]
+        pass_filenames: false
+
+      - id: cargo-clippy
+        name: cargo clippy
+        entry: cargo clippy --all-targets --locked
+        language: system
+        types: [rust]
+        pass_filenames: false
+
+      - id: uv-lock-check
+        name: uv lock check
+        entry: uv lock --check
+        language: system
+        files: ^pyproject\.toml$|^uv\.lock$
+        pass_filenames: false
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 98b83ffc..9c518e27 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 > Canonical AI agent instructions for ColdVox. All tools (Claude Code, Copilot, Cursor, Kilo Code, etc.) should read this file.
 
+> **⚠️ CRITICAL**: Some documented features are broken or removed. See [`criticalActionPlan.md`](criticalActionPlan.md) before following STT instructions.
+
 ## Project Overview
 
 ColdVox is a Rust-based voice AI pipeline: audio capture → VAD → STT → text injection. Multi-crate Cargo workspace under `crates/`.
@@ -37,8 +39,7 @@ Always prefer file/crate-scoped commands over full workspace commands for faster
 cargo check -p coldvox-stt
 
 # Clippy single crate
-cargo clippy -p coldvox-audio -- -D warnings
-
+cargo clippy -p coldvox-audio 
 # Test single crate
 cargo test -p coldvox-text-injection
 
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 03e37a82..0ffc5dcc 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 This file provides guidance to Claude Code (claude.ai/code) when working with this repository.
 
+> **⚠️ CRITICAL**: STT documentation below is outdated. Whisper is removed, Parakeet broken. See [`criticalActionPlan.md`](criticalActionPlan.md). **Only Moonshine works.**
+
 **@import AGENTS.md** - Read `AGENTS.md` for canonical project instructions (structure, commands, do/don't rules, worktrees).
 
 ## Claude-Specific Guidelines
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 9ed83b10..c03e9356 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@ checksum = "320119579fcad9c21884f5c4861d16174d0e06250625266f50fe6898340abefa"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "aho-corasick"
-version = "1.1.3"
+version = "1.1.4"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "8e60d3430d3a69478ad0993f19238d2df97c507009a52b3c10addcd7f6bcb916"
+checksum = "ddd31a130427c27518df266943a5308ed92d4b226cc639f5a8f1002816174301"
 dependencies = [
  "memchr",
 ]
@@ -86,22 +86,22 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "anstyle-query"
-version = "1.1.4"
+version = "1.1.5"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "9e231f6134f61b71076a3eab506c379d4f36122f2af15a9ff04415ea4c3339e2"
+checksum = "40c48f72fd53cd289104fc64099abca73db4166ad86ea0b4341abe65af83dadc"
 dependencies = [
- "windows-sys 0.60.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "anstyle-wincon"
-version = "3.0.10"
+version = "3.0.11"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "3e0633414522a32ffaac8ac6cc8f748e090c5717661fddeea04219e2344f5f2a"
+checksum = "291e6a250ff86cd4a820112fb8898808a366d8f9f58ce16d1f538353ad55747d"
 dependencies = [
  "anstyle",
  "once_cell_polyfill",
- "windows-sys 0.60.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -365,9 +365,9 @@ checksum = "72b3254f16251a8381aa12e40e3c4d2f0199f8c6508fbecb9d91f575e0fbb8c6"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "base64ct"
-version = "1.8.0"
+version = "1.8.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "55248b47b0caf0546f7988906588779981c43bb1bc9d0c44087278f80cdb44ba"
+checksum = "0e050f626429857a27ddccb31e0aca21356bfa709c04041aefddac081a8f068a"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "bit-set"
@@ -467,9 +467,9 @@ checksum = "8f1fe948ff07f4bd06c30984e69f5b4899c516a3ef74f34df92a2df2ab535495"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "bytes"
-version = "1.10.1"
+version = "1.11.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "d71b6127be86fdcfddb610f7182ac57211d4b18a3e9c82eb2d17662f2227ad6a"
+checksum = "b35204fbdc0b3f4446b89fc1ac2cf84a8a68971995d0bf2e925ec7cd960f9cb3"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "cassowary"
@@ -488,9 +488,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "cc"
-version = "1.2.47"
+version = "1.2.49"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "cd405d82c84ff7f35739f175f67d8b9fb7687a0e84ccdc78bd3568839827cf07"
+checksum = "90583009037521a116abf44494efecd645ba48b6622457080f080b85544e2215"
 dependencies = [
  "find-msvc-tools",
  "jobserver",
@@ -600,9 +600,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "codespan-reporting"
-version = "0.13.0"
+version = "0.13.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "ba7a06c0b31fff5ff2e1e7d37dbf940864e2a974b336e1a2938d10af6e8fb283"
+checksum = "af491d569909a7e4dee0ad7db7f5341fef5c614d5b8ec8cf765732aba3cff681"
 dependencies = [
  "serde",
  "termcolor",
@@ -753,6 +753,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "tokio-test",
  "toml",
  "tracing",
+ "tracing-appender",
  "tracing-subscriber",
  "unicode-segmentation",
  "wl-clipboard-rs",
@@ -879,9 +880,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "convert_case"
-version = "0.7.1"
+version = "0.10.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "bb402b8d4c85569410425650ce3eddc7d698ed96d39a73f941b08fb63082f1e7"
+checksum = "633458d4ef8c78b72454de2d54fd6ab2e60f9e02be22f3c6104cdc8a4e0fceb9"
 dependencies = [
  "unicode-segmentation",
 ]
@@ -1079,9 +1080,9 @@ checksum = "460fbee9c2c2f33933d720630a6a0bac33ba7053db5344fac858d4b8952d77d5"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "crypto-common"
-version = "0.1.6"
+version = "0.1.7"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "1bfb12502f3fc46cca1bb51ac28df9d618d813cdc3d2f25b9fe775a34af26bb3"
+checksum = "78c8292055d1c1df0cce5d180393dc8cce0abec0a7102adb6c7b1eef6016d60a"
 dependencies = [
  "generic-array",
  "typenum",
@@ -1121,9 +1122,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "cxx"
-version = "1.0.187"
+version = "1.0.190"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "d8465678d499296e2cbf9d3acf14307458fd69b471a31b65b3c519efe8b5e187"
+checksum = "a7620f6cfc4dcca21f2b085b7a890e16c60fd66f560cd69ee60594908dc72ab1"
 dependencies = [
  "cc",
  "cxx-build",
@@ -1136,12 +1137,12 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "cxx-build"
-version = "1.0.187"
+version = "1.0.190"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "d74b6bcf49ebbd91f1b1875b706ea46545032a14003b5557b7dfa4bbeba6766e"
+checksum = "7a9bc1a22964ff6a355fbec24cf68266a0ed28f8b84c0864c386474ea3d0e479"
 dependencies = [
  "cc",
- "codespan-reporting 0.13.0",
+ "codespan-reporting 0.13.1",
  "indexmap",
  "proc-macro2",
  "quote",
@@ -1151,11 +1152,11 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "cxx-gen"
-version = "0.7.187"
+version = "0.7.190"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "ba09d9f00a6fbb25cab5522687f5d659561a770301cd90aeb3e0425a4192dcb6"
+checksum = "0e660ae76bd5fcfe7baa8510b93bdb684be66a5f84b72fd91eb7f90ad24a7c3b"
 dependencies = [
- "codespan-reporting 0.13.0",
+ "codespan-reporting 0.13.1",
  "indexmap",
  "proc-macro2",
  "quote",
@@ -1233,12 +1234,12 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "cxxbridge-cmd"
-version = "1.0.187"
+version = "1.0.190"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "94ca2ad69673c4b35585edfa379617ac364bccd0ba0adf319811ba3a74ffa48a"
+checksum = "b1f29a879d35f7906e3c9b77d7a1005a6a0787d330c09dfe4ffb5f617728cb44"
 dependencies = [
  "clap",
- "codespan-reporting 0.13.0",
+ "codespan-reporting 0.13.1",
  "indexmap",
  "proc-macro2",
  "quote",
@@ -1247,15 +1248,15 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "cxxbridge-flags"
-version = "1.0.187"
+version = "1.0.190"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "d29b52102aa395386d77d322b3a0522f2035e716171c2c60aa87cc5e9466e523"
+checksum = "d67109015f93f683e364085aa6489a5b2118b4a40058482101d699936a7836d6"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "cxxbridge-macro"
-version = "1.0.187"
+version = "1.0.190"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "2a8ebf0b6138325af3ec73324cb3a48b64d57721f17291b151206782e61f66cd"
+checksum = "d187e019e7b05a1f3e69a8396b70800ee867aa9fc2ab972761173ccee03742df"
 dependencies = [
  "indexmap",
  "proc-macro2",
@@ -1429,9 +1430,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "deranged"
-version = "0.5.4"
+version = "0.5.5"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "a41953f86f8a05768a6cda24def994fd2f424b04ec5c719cf89989779f199071"
+checksum = "ececcb659e7ba858fb4f10388c250a7252eb0a27373f1a72b8748afdd248e587"
 dependencies = [
  "powerfmt",
 ]
@@ -1469,22 +1470,23 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "derive_more"
-version = "2.0.1"
+version = "2.1.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "093242cf7570c207c83073cf82f79706fe7b8317e98620a47d5be7c3d8497678"
+checksum = "10b768e943bed7bf2cab53df09f4bc34bfd217cdb57d971e769874c9a6710618"
 dependencies = [
  "derive_more-impl",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "derive_more-impl"
-version = "2.0.1"
+version = "2.1.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "bda628edc44c4bb645fbe0f758797143e4e07926f7ebf4e9bdfbd3d2ce621df3"
+checksum = "6d286bfdaf75e988b4a78e013ecd79c581e06399ab53fbacd2d916c2f904f30b"
 dependencies = [
- "convert_case 0.7.1",
+ "convert_case 0.10.0",
  "proc-macro2",
  "quote",
+ "rustc_version",
  "syn",
 ]
 
@@ -1584,9 +1586,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "endi"
-version = "1.1.0"
+version = "1.1.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "a3d8a32ae18130a3c84dd492d4215c3d913c3b07c6b63c2eb3eb7ff1101ab7bf"
+checksum = "66b7e2430c6dff6a955451e2cfc438f09cea1965a9d6f87f7e3b90decc014099"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "enigo"
@@ -1661,9 +1663,9 @@ checksum = "877a4ace8713b0bcf2a4e7eec82529c029f1d0619886d18145fea96c3ffe5c0f"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "erased-serde"
-version = "0.4.8"
+version = "0.4.9"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "259d404d09818dec19332e31d94558aeb442fea04c817006456c24b5460bbd4b"
+checksum = "89e8918065695684b2b0702da20382d5ae6065cf3327bc2d6436bd49a71ce9f3"
 dependencies = [
  "serde",
  "serde_core",
@@ -1781,15 +1783,15 @@ checksum = "3a3076410a55c90011c298b04d0cfa770b00fa04e1e3c97d3f6c9de105a03844"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fixedbitset"
-version = "0.4.2"
+version = "0.5.7"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "0ce7134b9999ecaf8bcd65542e436736ef32ddca1b3e06094cb6ec5755203b80"
+checksum = "1d674e81391d1e1ab681a28d99df07927c6d4aa5b027d7da16ba32d1d21ecd99"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "flate2"
-version = "1.1.4"
+version = "1.1.5"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "dc5a4e564e38c699f2880d3fda590bedc2e69f3f84cd48b457bd892ce61d0aa9"
+checksum = "bfe33edd8e85a12a67454e37f8c75e730830d83e313556ab9ebf9ee7fbeb3bfb"
 dependencies = [
  "crc32fast",
  "miniz_oxide",
@@ -1965,9 +1967,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "generic-array"
-version = "0.14.9"
+version = "0.14.7"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "4bb6743198531e02858aeaea5398fcc883e71851fcbcb5a2f773e2fb6cb1edf2"
+checksum = "85649ca51fd72272d7821adaf274ad91c288277713d9c18820d8499a7ff69e9a"
 dependencies = [
  "typenum",
  "version_check",
@@ -2036,9 +2038,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "hashbrown"
-version = "0.16.0"
+version = "0.16.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "5419bdc4f6a9207fbeba6d11b604d481addf78ecd10c11ad51e76c2f6482748d"
+checksum = "841d1cc9bed7f9236f321df977030373f4a4163ae1a7dbfe1a51a2c1a51d9100"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "hashlink"
@@ -2075,12 +2077,11 @@ checksum = "62adaabb884c94955b19907d60019f4e145d091c75345379e70d1ee696f7854f"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "http"
-version = "1.3.1"
+version = "1.4.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "f4a85d31aea989eead29a3aaf9e1115a180df8282431156e533de47660892565"
+checksum = "e3ba2a386d7f85a81f119ad7498ebe444d2e22c2af0b86b069416ace48b3311a"
 dependencies = [
  "bytes",
- "fnv",
  "itoa",
 ]
 
@@ -2122,9 +2123,9 @@ checksum = "b9e0384b61958566e926dc50660321d12159025e767c18e043daf26b70104c39"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "image"
-version = "0.25.8"
+version = "0.25.9"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "529feb3e6769d234375c4cf1ee2ce713682b8e76538cb13f9fc23e1400a591e7"
+checksum = "e6506c6c10786659413faa717ceebcb8f70731c0a60cbae39795fdf114519c1a"
 dependencies = [
  "bytemuck",
  "byteorder-lite",
@@ -2142,12 +2143,12 @@ checksum = "964de6e86d545b246d84badc0fef527924ace5134f30641c203ef52ba83f58d5"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "indexmap"
-version = "2.12.0"
+version = "2.12.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "6717a8d2a5a929a1a2eb43a12812498ed141a0bcfb7e8f7844fbdbe4303bba9f"
+checksum = "0ad4bb2b565bca0645f4d68c5c9af97fba094e9791da685bf83cb5f3ce74acf2"
 dependencies = [
  "equivalent",
- "hashbrown 0.16.0",
+ "hashbrown 0.16.1",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -2165,15 +2166,18 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "indoc"
-version = "2.0.6"
+version = "2.0.7"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "f4c7245a08504955605670dbf141fceab975f15ca21570696aebe9d2e71576bd"
+checksum = "79cf5c93f93228cf8efb3ba362535fb11199ac548a09ce117c9b1adc3030d706"
+dependencies = [
+ "rustversion",
+]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "instability"
-version = "0.3.9"
+version = "0.3.10"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "435d80800b936787d62688c927b6490e887c7ef5ff9ce922c6c6050fca75eb9a"
+checksum = "6778b0196eefee7df739db78758e5cf9b37412268bfa5650bfeed028aed20d9c"
 dependencies = [
  "darling",
  "indoc",
@@ -2184,9 +2188,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "is_terminal_polyfill"
-version = "1.70.1"
+version = "1.70.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "7943c866cc5cd64cbc25b2e01621d07fa8eb2a1a23160ee81ce38704e97b8ecf"
+checksum = "a6cb138bb79a146c1bd460005623e142ef0181e3d0219cb493e02f7d08a35695"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "itertools"
@@ -2223,22 +2227,22 @@ checksum = "4a5f13b858c8d314ee3e8f639011f7ccefe71f97f96e50151fb991f267928e2c"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "jiff"
-version = "0.2.15"
+version = "0.2.16"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "be1f93b8b1eb69c77f24bbb0afdf66f54b632ee39af40ca21c4365a1d7347e49"
+checksum = "49cce2b81f2098e7e3efc35bc2e0a6b7abec9d34128283d7a26fa8f32a6dbb35"
 dependencies = [
  "jiff-static",
  "log",
  "portable-atomic",
  "portable-atomic-util",
- "serde",
+ "serde_core",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "jiff-static"
-version = "0.2.15"
+version = "0.2.16"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "03343451ff899767262ec32146f6d559dd759fdadf42ff0e227c7c48f72594b4"
+checksum = "980af8b43c3ad5d8d349ace167ec8170839f753a42d233ba19e08afe1850fa69"
 dependencies = [
  "proc-macro2",
  "quote",
@@ -2279,9 +2283,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "js-sys"
-version = "0.3.81"
+version = "0.3.83"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "ec48937a97411dcb524a265206ccd4c90bb711fca92b2792c407f268825b9305"
+checksum = "464a3709c7f55f1f721e5389aa6ea4e3bc6aba669353300af094b29ffbdde1d8"
 dependencies = [
  "once_cell",
  "wasm-bindgen",
@@ -2306,9 +2310,9 @@ checksum = "bbd2bcb4c963f2ddae06a2efc7e9f3591312473c50c6685e1f298068316e66fe"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "libc"
-version = "0.2.177"
+version = "0.2.178"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "2874a2af47a2325c2001a6e6fad9b16a53b802102b528163885171cf92b15976"
+checksum = "37c93d8daa9d8a012fd8ab92f088405fb202ea0b6ab73ee2482ae66af4f42091"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "libredox"
@@ -2359,9 +2363,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "log"
-version = "0.4.28"
+version = "0.4.29"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "34080505efa8e45a4b816c349525ebe327ceaa8559756f0356cba97ef3bf7432"
+checksum = "5e5032e24019045c762d3c0f28f5b6b8bbf38563a65908389bf7978758920897"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lru"
@@ -2424,9 +2428,9 @@ checksum = "f52b00d39961fc5b2736ea853c9cc86238e165017a493d1d5c8eac6bdc4cc273"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "memmap2"
-version = "0.9.8"
+version = "0.9.9"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "843a98750cd611cc2965a8213b53b43e715f13c37a9e096c6408e69990961db7"
+checksum = "744133e4a0e0a658e1374cf3bf8e415c4052a15a111acd372764c55b4177d490"
 dependencies = [
  "libc",
 ]
@@ -2458,14 +2462,14 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "mio"
-version = "1.0.4"
+version = "1.1.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "78bed444cc8a2160f01cbcf811ef18cac863ad68ae8ca62092e8db51d51c761c"
+checksum = "a69bcab0ad47271a0234d9422b131806bf3968021e5dc9328caf2d4cd58557fc"
 dependencies = [
  "libc",
  "log",
  "wasi",
- "windows-sys 0.59.0",
+ "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -2518,9 +2522,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "moxcms"
-version = "0.7.7"
+version = "0.7.10"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "c588e11a3082784af229e23e8e4ecf5bcc6fbe4f69101e0421ce8d79da7f0b40"
+checksum = "80986bbbcf925ebd3be54c26613d861255284584501595cf418320c078945608"
 dependencies = [
  "num-traits",
  "pxfm",
@@ -2818,9 +2822,9 @@ checksum = "42f5e15c9953c5e4ccceeb2e7382a716482c34515315f7b03532b8b4e8393d2d"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "once_cell_polyfill"
-version = "1.70.1"
+version = "1.70.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "a4895175b425cb1f87721b59f0f286c2092bd4af812243672510e1ac53e2e0ad"
+checksum = "384b8ab6d37215f3c5301a95a4accb5d64aa607f1fcb26a11b5303878451b4fe"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "onig"
@@ -2846,9 +2850,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "openssl"
-version = "0.10.74"
+version = "0.10.75"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "24ad14dd45412269e1a30f52ad8f0664f0f4f4a89ee8fe28c3b3527021ebb654"
+checksum = "08838db121398ad17ab8531ce9de97b244589089e290a384c900cb9ff7434328"
 dependencies = [
  "bitflags 2.10.0",
  "cfg-if",
@@ -2878,9 +2882,9 @@ checksum = "d05e27ee213611ffe7d6348b942e8f942b37114c00cc03cec254295a4a17852e"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "openssl-sys"
-version = "0.9.110"
+version = "0.9.111"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "0a9f0075ba3c21b09f8e8b2026584b1d18d49388648f2fbbf3c97ea8deced8e2"
+checksum = "82cab2d520aa75e3c58898289429321eb788c3106963d0dc886ec7a5f4adc321"
 dependencies = [
  "cc",
  "libc",
@@ -3023,9 +3027,9 @@ checksum = "9b4f627cb1b25917193a259e49bdad08f671f8d9708acfd5fe0a8c1455d87220"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "pest"
-version = "2.8.3"
+version = "2.8.4"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "989e7521a040efde50c3ab6bbadafbe15ab6dc042686926be59ac35d74607df4"
+checksum = "cbcfd20a6d4eeba40179f05735784ad32bdaef05ce8e8af05f180d45bb3e7e22"
 dependencies = [
  "memchr",
  "ucd-trie",
@@ -3033,9 +3037,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "pest_derive"
-version = "2.8.3"
+version = "2.8.4"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "187da9a3030dbafabbbfb20cb323b976dc7b7ce91fcd84f2f74d6e31d378e2de"
+checksum = "51f72981ade67b1ca6adc26ec221be9f463f2b5839c7508998daa17c23d94d7f"
 dependencies = [
  "pest",
  "pest_generator",
@@ -3043,9 +3047,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "pest_generator"
-version = "2.8.3"
+version = "2.8.4"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "49b401d98f5757ebe97a26085998d6c0eecec4995cad6ab7fc30ffdf4b052843"
+checksum = "dee9efd8cdb50d719a80088b76f81aec7c41ed6d522ee750178f83883d271625"
 dependencies = [
  "pest",
  "pest_meta",
@@ -3056,9 +3060,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "pest_meta"
-version = "2.8.3"
+version = "2.8.4"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "72f27a2cfee9f9039c4d86faa5af122a0ac3851441a34865b8a043b46be0065a"
+checksum = "bf1d70880e76bdc13ba52eafa6239ce793d85c8e43896507e43dd8984ff05b82"
 dependencies = [
  "pest",
  "sha2",
@@ -3066,11 +3070,12 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "petgraph"
-version = "0.6.5"
+version = "0.8.3"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "b4c5cc86750666a3ed20bdaf5ca2a0344f9c67674cae0515bec2da16fbaa47db"
+checksum = "8701b58ea97060d5e5b155d383a69952a60943f0e6dfe30b04c287beb0b27455"
 dependencies = [
  "fixedbitset",
+ "hashbrown 0.15.5",
  "indexmap",
 ]
 
@@ -3226,9 +3231,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "proc-macro2"
-version = "1.0.101"
+version = "1.0.103"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "89ae43fd86e4158d6db51ad8e2b80f313af9cc74f5c0e03ccb87de09998732de"
+checksum = "5ee95bc4ef87b8d5ba32e8b7714ccc834865276eab0aed5c9958d00ec45f49e8"
 dependencies = [
  "unicode-ident",
 ]
@@ -3254,20 +3259,19 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "pxfm"
-version = "0.1.25"
+version = "0.1.27"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "a3cbdf373972bf78df4d3b518d07003938e2c7d1fb5891e55f9cb6df57009d84"
+checksum = "7186d3822593aa4393561d186d1393b3923e9d6163d3fbfd6e825e3e6cf3e6a8"
 dependencies = [
  "num-traits",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "pyo3"
-version = "0.24.2"
+version = "0.27.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "e5203598f366b11a02b13aa20cab591229ff0a89fd121a308a5df751d5fc9219"
+checksum = "ab53c047fcd1a1d2a8820fe84f05d6be69e9526be40cb03b73f86b6b03e6d87d"
 dependencies = [
- "cfg-if",
  "indoc",
  "libc",
  "memoffset",
@@ -3281,19 +3285,18 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "pyo3-build-config"
-version = "0.24.2"
+version = "0.27.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "99636d423fa2ca130fa5acde3059308006d46f98caac629418e53f7ebb1e9999"
+checksum = "b455933107de8642b4487ed26d912c2d899dec6114884214a0b3bb3be9261ea6"
 dependencies = [
- "once_cell",
  "target-lexicon",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "pyo3-ffi"
-version = "0.24.2"
+version = "0.27.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "78f9cf92ba9c409279bc3305b5409d90db2d2c22392d443a87df3a1adad59e33"
+checksum = "1c85c9cbfaddf651b1221594209aed57e9e5cff63c4d11d1feead529b872a089"
 dependencies = [
  "libc",
  "pyo3-build-config",
@@ -3301,9 +3304,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "pyo3-macros"
-version = "0.24.2"
+version = "0.27.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "0b999cb1a6ce21f9a6b147dcf1be9ffedf02e0043aec74dc390f3007047cecd9"
+checksum = "0a5b10c9bf9888125d917fb4d2ca2d25c8df94c7ab5a52e13313a07e050a3b02"
 dependencies = [
  "proc-macro2",
  "pyo3-macros-backend",
@@ -3313,9 +3316,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "pyo3-macros-backend"
-version = "0.24.2"
+version = "0.27.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "822ece1c7e1012745607d5cf0bcb2874769f0f7cb34c4cde03b9358eb9ef911a"
+checksum = "03b51720d314836e53327f5871d4c0cfb4fb37cc2c4a11cc71907a86342c40f9"
 dependencies = [
  "heck",
  "proc-macro2",
@@ -3368,9 +3371,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "quote"
-version = "1.0.41"
+version = "1.0.42"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "ce25767e7b499d1b604768e7cde645d14cc8584231ea6b295e9c9eb22c02e1d1"
+checksum = "a338cc41d27e6cc6dce6cefc13a0729dfbb81c262b1f519331575dd80ef3067f"
 dependencies = [
  "proc-macro2",
 ]
@@ -3607,6 +3610,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "ordered-multimap",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "rustc_version"
+version = "0.4.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "cfcb3a22ef46e85b45de6ee7e79d063319ebb6594faafcf1c225ea92ab6e9b92"
+dependencies = [
+ "semver",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "rustfft"
 version = "6.4.1"
@@ -3647,20 +3659,11 @@ dependencies = [
  "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "rustls-pemfile"
-version = "2.2.0"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "dce314e5fee3f39953d46bb63bb8a46d40c2f8fb7cc5a3b6cab2bde9721d6e50"
-dependencies = [
- "rustls-pki-types",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "rustls-pki-types"
-version = "1.12.0"
+version = "1.13.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "229a4a4c221013e7e1f1a043678c5cc39fe5171437c88fb47151a21e6f5b5c79"
+checksum = "708c0f9d5f54ba0272468c1d306a52c495b31fa155e91bc25371e6df7996908c"
 dependencies = [
  "zeroize",
 ]
@@ -3757,6 +3760,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "libc",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "semver"
+version = "1.0.27"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "d767eb0aabc880b29956c35734170f26ed551a859dbd361d140cdbeca61ab1e2"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "serde"
 version = "1.0.228"
@@ -3895,9 +3904,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "signal-hook-mio"
-version = "0.2.4"
+version = "0.2.5"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "34db1a06d485c9142248b7a054f034b349b212551f3dfd19c94d45a754a217cd"
+checksum = "b75a19a7a740b25bc7944bdee6172368f988763b744e3d4dfe753f6b4ece40cc"
 dependencies = [
  "libc",
  "mio",
@@ -3906,18 +3915,18 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "signal-hook-registry"
-version = "1.4.6"
+version = "1.4.7"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "b2a4719bff48cee6b39d12c020eeb490953ad2443b7055bd0b21fca26bd8c28b"
+checksum = "7664a098b8e616bdfcc2dc0e9ac44eb231eedf41db4e9fe95d8d32ec728dedad"
 dependencies = [
  "libc",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "simd-adler32"
-version = "0.3.7"
+version = "0.3.8"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "d66dc143e6b11c1eddc06d5c423cfc97062865baf299914ab64caa38182078fe"
+checksum = "e320a6c5ad31d271ad523dcf3ad13e2767ad8b1cb8f047f75a8aeaf8da139da2"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "similar"
@@ -4032,9 +4041,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "syn"
-version = "2.0.107"
+version = "2.0.111"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "2a26dbd934e5451d21ef060c018dae56fc073894c5a7896f882928a76e6d081b"
+checksum = "390cc9a294ab71bdb1aa2e99d13be9c753cd2d7bd6560c77118597410c4d2e87"
 dependencies = [
  "proc-macro2",
  "quote",
@@ -4299,9 +4308,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "toml_edit"
-version = "0.23.7"
+version = "0.23.9"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "6485ef6d0d9b5d0ec17244ff7eb05310113c3f316f2d14200d4de56b3cb98f8d"
+checksum = "5d7cbc3b4b49633d57a0509303158ca50de80ae32c265093b24c414705807832"
 dependencies = [
  "indexmap",
  "toml_datetime",
@@ -4326,9 +4335,9 @@ checksum = "df8b2b54733674ad286d16267dcfc7a71ed5c776e4ac7aa3c3e2561f7c637bf2"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "tracing"
-version = "0.1.41"
+version = "0.1.43"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "784e0ac535deb450455cbfa28a6f0df145ea1bb7ae51b821cf5e7927fdcfbdd0"
+checksum = "2d15d90a0b5c19378952d479dc858407149d7bb45a14de0142f6c534b16fc647"
 dependencies = [
  "pin-project-lite",
  "tracing-attributes",
@@ -4349,9 +4358,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "tracing-attributes"
-version = "0.1.30"
+version = "0.1.31"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "81383ab64e72a7a8b8e13130c49e3dab29def6d0c7d76a03087b3cf71c5c6903"
+checksum = "7490cfa5ec963746568740651ac6781f701c9c5ea257c58e057f3ba8cf69e8da"
 dependencies = [
  "proc-macro2",
  "quote",
@@ -4360,9 +4369,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "tracing-core"
-version = "0.1.34"
+version = "0.1.35"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "b9d12581f227e93f094d3af2ae690a574abb8a2b9b7a96e7cfe9647b2b617678"
+checksum = "7a04e24fab5c89c6a36eb8558c9656f30d81de51dfa4d3b45f26b21d61fa0a6c"
 dependencies = [
  "once_cell",
  "valuable",
@@ -4381,9 +4390,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "tracing-subscriber"
-version = "0.3.20"
+version = "0.3.22"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "2054a14f5307d601f88daf0553e1cbf472acc4f2c51afab632431cdcd72124d5"
+checksum = "2f30143827ddab0d256fd843b7a66d164e9f271cfa0dde49142c5ca0ca291f1e"
 dependencies = [
  "matchers",
  "nu-ansi-term",
@@ -4409,13 +4418,12 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "tree_magic_mini"
-version = "3.2.0"
+version = "3.2.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "f943391d896cdfe8eec03a04d7110332d445be7df856db382dd96a730667562c"
+checksum = "b8765b90061cba6c22b5831f675da109ae5561588290f9fa2317adab2714d5a6"
 dependencies = [
  "memchr",
- "nom 7.1.3",
- "once_cell",
+ "nom 8.0.0",
  "petgraph",
 ]
 
@@ -4476,9 +4484,9 @@ checksum = "eaea85b334db583fe3274d12b4cd1880032beab409c0d774be044d4480ab9a94"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "unicode-ident"
-version = "1.0.19"
+version = "1.0.22"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "f63a545481291138910575129486daeaf8ac54aee4387fe7906919f7830c7d9d"
+checksum = "9312f7c4f6ff9069b165498234ce8be658059c6728633667c526e27dc2cf1df5"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "unicode-normalization-alignments"
@@ -4532,16 +4540,15 @@ checksum = "7264e107f553ccae879d21fbea1d6724ac785e8c3bfc762137959b5802826ef3"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "ureq"
-version = "3.1.2"
+version = "3.1.4"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "99ba1025f18a4a3fc3e9b48c868e9beb4f24f4b4b1a325bada26bd4119f46537"
+checksum = "d39cb1dbab692d82a977c0392ffac19e188bd9186a9f32806f0aaa859d75585a"
 dependencies = [
  "base64 0.22.1",
  "der",
  "log",
  "native-tls",
  "percent-encoding",
- "rustls-pemfile",
  "rustls-pki-types",
  "socks",
  "ureq-proto",
@@ -4551,9 +4558,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "ureq-proto"
-version = "0.5.2"
+version = "0.5.3"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "60b4531c118335662134346048ddb0e54cc86bd7e81866757873055f0e38f5d2"
+checksum = "d81f9efa9df032be5934a46a068815a10a042b494b6a58cb0a1a97bb5467ed6f"
 dependencies = [
  "base64 0.22.1",
  "http",
@@ -4575,13 +4582,13 @@ checksum = "06abde3611657adf66d383f00b093d7faecc7fa57071cce2578660c9f1010821"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "uuid"
-version = "1.18.1"
+version = "1.19.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "2f87b8aa10b915a06587d0dec516c282ff295b475d94abf425d62b57710070a2"
+checksum = "e2e054861b4bd027cd373e18e8d8d8e6548085000e41290d95ce0c373a654b4a"
 dependencies = [
  "getrandom 0.3.4",
  "js-sys",
- "serde",
+ "serde_core",
  "wasm-bindgen",
 ]
 
@@ -4664,9 +4671,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "wasm-bindgen"
-version = "0.2.104"
+version = "0.2.106"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "c1da10c01ae9f1ae40cbfac0bac3b1e724b320abfcf52229f80b547c0d250e2d"
+checksum = "0d759f433fa64a2d763d1340820e46e111a7a5ab75f993d1852d70b03dbb80fd"
 dependencies = [
  "cfg-if",
  "once_cell",
@@ -4675,25 +4682,11 @@ dependencies = [
  "wasm-bindgen-shared",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "wasm-bindgen-backend"
-version = "0.2.104"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "671c9a5a66f49d8a47345ab942e2cb93c7d1d0339065d4f8139c486121b43b19"
-dependencies = [
- "bumpalo",
- "log",
- "proc-macro2",
- "quote",
- "syn",
- "wasm-bindgen-shared",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "wasm-bindgen-futures"
-version = "0.4.54"
+version = "0.4.56"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "7e038d41e478cc73bae0ff9b36c60cff1c98b8f38f8d7e8061e79ee63608ac5c"
+checksum = "836d9622d604feee9e5de25ac10e3ea5f2d65b41eac0d9ce72eb5deae707ce7c"
 dependencies = [
  "cfg-if",
  "js-sys",
@@ -4704,9 +4697,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "wasm-bindgen-macro"
-version = "0.2.104"
+version = "0.2.106"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "7ca60477e4c59f5f2986c50191cd972e3a50d8a95603bc9434501cf156a9a119"
+checksum = "48cb0d2638f8baedbc542ed444afc0644a29166f1595371af4fecf8ce1e7eeb3"
 dependencies = [
  "quote",
  "wasm-bindgen-macro-support",
@@ -4714,22 +4707,22 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "wasm-bindgen-macro-support"
-version = "0.2.104"
+version = "0.2.106"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "9f07d2f20d4da7b26400c9f4a0511e6e0345b040694e8a75bd41d578fa4421d7"
+checksum = "cefb59d5cd5f92d9dcf80e4683949f15ca4b511f4ac0a6e14d4e1ac60c6ecd40"
 dependencies = [
+ "bumpalo",
  "proc-macro2",
  "quote",
  "syn",
- "wasm-bindgen-backend",
  "wasm-bindgen-shared",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "wasm-bindgen-shared"
-version = "0.2.104"
+version = "0.2.106"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "bad67dc8b2a1a6e5448428adec4c3e84c43e561d8c9ee8a9e5aabeb193ec41d1"
+checksum = "cbc538057e648b67f72a982e708d485b2efa771e1ac05fec311f9f63e5800db4"
 dependencies = [
  "unicode-ident",
 ]
@@ -4806,9 +4799,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "web-sys"
-version = "0.3.81"
+version = "0.3.83"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "9367c417a924a74cae129e6a2ae3b47fabb1f8995595ab474029da749a8be120"
+checksum = "9b32828d774c412041098d182a8b38b16ea816958e07cf40eec2bc080ae137ac"
 dependencies = [
  "js-sys",
  "wasm-bindgen",
@@ -4826,18 +4819,18 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "webpki-root-certs"
-version = "1.0.3"
+version = "1.0.4"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "05d651ec480de84b762e7be71e6efa7461699c19d9e2c272c8d93455f567786e"
+checksum = "ee3e3b5f5e80bc89f30ce8d0343bf4e5f12341c51f3e26cbeecbc7c85443e85b"
 dependencies = [
  "rustls-pki-types",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "weezl"
-version = "0.1.10"
+version = "0.1.12"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "a751b3277700db47d3e574514de2eced5e54dc8a5436a3bf7a0b248b2cee16f3"
+checksum = "a28ac98ddc8b9274cb41bb4d9d4d5c425b6020c50c46f25559911905610b4a88"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "winapi"
@@ -5271,9 +5264,9 @@ checksum = "d6bbff5f0aada427a1e5a6da5f1f98158182f26556f345ac9e04d36d0ebed650"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "winnow"
-version = "0.7.13"
+version = "0.7.14"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "21a0236b59786fed61e2a80582dd500fe61f18b5dca67a4a067d0bc9039339cf"
+checksum = "5a5364e9d77fcdeeaa6062ced926ee3381faa2ee02d3eb83a5c27a8825540829"
 dependencies = [
  "memchr",
 ]
@@ -5394,9 +5387,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "zbus-lockstep"
-version = "0.5.1"
+version = "0.5.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "29e96e38ded30eeab90b6ba88cb888d70aef4e7489b6cd212c5e5b5ec38045b6"
+checksum = "6998de05217a084b7578728a9443d04ea4cd80f2a0839b8d78770b76ccd45863"
 dependencies = [
  "zbus_xml",
  "zvariant",
@@ -5404,9 +5397,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "zbus-lockstep-macros"
-version = "0.5.1"
+version = "0.5.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "dc6821851fa840b708b4cbbaf6241868cabc85a2dc22f426361b0292bfc0b836"
+checksum = "10da05367f3a7b7553c8cdf8fa91aee6b64afebe32b51c95177957efc47ca3a0"
 dependencies = [
  "proc-macro2",
  "quote",
@@ -5458,18 +5451,18 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "zerocopy"
-version = "0.8.27"
+version = "0.8.31"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "0894878a5fa3edfd6da3f88c4805f4c8558e2b996227a3d864f47fe11e38282c"
+checksum = "fd74ec98b9250adb3ca554bdde269adf631549f51d8a8f8f0a10b50f1cb298c3"
 dependencies = [
  "zerocopy-derive",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "zerocopy-derive"
-version = "0.8.27"
+version = "0.8.31"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "88d2b8d9c68ad2b9e4340d7832716a4d21a22a1154777ad56ea55c51a9cf3831"
+checksum = "d8a8d209fdf45cf5138cbb5a506f6b52522a25afccc534d1475dad8e31105c6a"
 dependencies = [
  "proc-macro2",
  "quote",
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ed1728ea..ffc65db9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # ColdVox
 > ⚠️ **Internal Alpha** - This project is in early development and not ready for production use.
+
+> **⚠️ CRITICAL**: Documentation is out of sync with code. Whisper STT has been removed; Parakeet doesn't compile. See [`criticalActionPlan.md`](criticalActionPlan.md) for current status. **Only Moonshine STT works** (requires `uv sync` first).
 ## Development
  - Install Rust (stable) and required system dependencies for your platform.
  - Use the provided scripts in `scripts/` to help with local environment setup.
diff --git a/agentsDocResearch.md b/agentsDocResearch.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..117cb895
--- /dev/null
+++ b/agentsDocResearch.md
@@ -0,0 +1,371 @@
+# Research: Evolving AGENTS.md / CLAUDE.md for Modern LLM Agents
+
+## Problem Statement
+
+Documentation written for LLM agents a year ago assumed less capability. Agents needed explicit instructions for things they now know intrinsically. This creates noise that obscures actually useful project-specific information.
+
+## What Used to Be Useful (2023-2024) But Isn't Now
+
+### Standard Tooling
+- "Run `cargo test` to run tests"
+- "Use `cargo clippy` for linting"
+- "Run `cargo fmt` to format code"
+- "`-p <crate>` targets a specific package"
+
+**Why obsolete:** Modern agents know standard Rust/Python/JS tooling. They've seen millions of repos.
+
+### File Structure Narration
+- "Source code lives in `src/`"
+- "`main.rs` is the entry point"
+- "Tests are in `tests/` or inline with `#[cfg(test)]`"
+
+**Why obsolete:** Agents understand standard project layouts. They can `ls` and read `Cargo.toml`.
+
+### Language Basics
+- "Rust uses Cargo.toml for dependencies"
+- "Python uses requirements.txt or pyproject.toml"
+- "This is a workspace with multiple crates"
+
+**Why obsolete:** Agents know language ecosystems. Workspace structure is in `Cargo.toml`.
+
+### Generic Workflow Instructions
+- "Create a branch before making changes"
+- "Run tests before committing"
+- "Use meaningful commit messages"
+
+**Why obsolete:** These are universal practices, not project-specific knowledge.
+
+## Examples From This Repo (ColdVox)
+
+### Likely Obsolete
+
+```markdown
+# From AGENTS.md - probably unnecessary:
+
+# Type check single crate
+cargo check -p coldvox-stt
+
+# Clippy single crate
+cargo clippy -p coldvox-audio
+
+# Test single crate
+cargo test -p coldvox-text-injection
+
+# Format check (always full, it's fast)
+cargo fmt --all -- --check
+```
+
+**Why:** Any agent working in Rust knows these commands. Crate names are discoverable.
+
+### Probably Still Useful
+
+```markdown
+# Use UV for Python, never pip
+uv sync
+uv run <command>
+
+# Self-hosted runner labels
+runs-on: [self-hosted, Linux, X64, fedora, nobara]
+```
+
+**Why:** These are project-specific decisions that contradict common patterns or aren't discoverable.
+
+## What SHOULD Be In Agent Documentation
+
+### 1. Deviations From Standard Patterns
+- "We use X instead of the typical Y"
+- "This looks wrong but is intentional because Z"
+
+### 2. Hidden Requirements
+- Environment variables needed
+- External services required
+- Platform-specific setup
+
+### 3. Non-Obvious Architecture Decisions
+- Why certain patterns were chosen
+- Gotchas that would trip up someone unfamiliar
+
+### 4. Project-Specific Workflows
+- CI/CD quirks
+- Release processes
+- Feature flag conventions
+
+### 5. Things That Would Waste Time Discovering
+- "Don't bother with X, it's deprecated"
+- "Y is the source of truth, not Z"
+
+## Research Questions
+
+1. **What in our current AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md is actually useful?**
+2. **What's noise that modern agents don't need?**
+3. **What non-obvious things about this repo would help an agent that aren't documented?**
+4. **What's the minimal effective documentation for a 2025 agent?**
+
+---
+
+## Agent Research Findings
+
+*The sections below were added by agents exploring the repository:*
+
+### Agent 1: Non-Obvious Patterns and Gotchas
+
+#### Feature Flag Architecture
+- **`whisper` feature is a placeholder** — defined but stubbed out. Actual STT: `parakeet` (GPU-only) or `moonshine` (CPU via PyO3). Agents enabling `whisper` get nothing.
+- **`no-stt` feature exists but doesn't gate anything** — misleading if an agent tries to build without STT.
+- **Default features include `silero` VAD but no STT backend** — transcription fails silently if agent doesn't explicitly enable `parakeet` or `moonshine`.
+
+#### Build-Time Display Detection
+- **`crates/app/build.rs` reads env vars at compile time** — sets `kde_globalaccel`, `wayland_session`, `x11_session` cfg flags.
+- **Gotcha:** Rebuilding after switching X11↔Wayland requires clean rebuild. Stale artifacts have wrong session flags.
+- **Intentional:** Missing display vars = no session flags set. Valid for headless CI, but text injection won't work.
+
+#### Text Injection Backend Detection
+- **Runtime detection, not just compile-time** — `BackendDetector::detect_available_backends()` checks for actual binaries.
+- **Gotcha:** `kdotool` feature compiled doesn't mean it works — manager checks for `ydotool` binary at runtime.
+- **`combo_clip_ydotool` is internal strategy** — clipboard paste falls back to ydotool, not exposed as standalone.
+
+#### Audio Capture Initialization
+- **`AudioCaptureThread::spawn()` initializes `running = true`** — not `false`. Comment explains: "Start in running state so device monitor thread stays alive."
+- **Gotcha:** Changing to `false` breaks device monitoring without obvious errors.
+
+#### State Machine Validation
+- **`StateManager` enforces transitions:** `Initializing → Running → {Recovering, Stopping} → Stopped`.
+- **Invalid transitions panic** — can't go `Running → Stopped` directly.
+
+#### PyO3/Moonshine
+- **GIL required for all `Py<PyAny>` access** — safety comments mark this. Bypassing causes data races.
+- **Parakeet is pure Rust** — no Python, no GIL issues. Different mental model.
+
+#### Threading Patterns
+- **Mixed async/sync:** `tokio::spawn()` for async tasks, `thread::spawn()` for audio capture/device monitoring.
+- **Dual channel patterns:** `broadcast` for fanout (VAD events to multiple listeners), `mpsc` for single-receiver (hotkey handling).
+
+#### Watchdog Timer
+- **Uses custom clock abstraction** — `WatchdogTimer::new_with_clock()` accepts `SharedClock`. Tests inject mocks.
+- **Standard duration methods won't work with injected clocks.**
+
+#### Device Monitor Tuning
+- **2-second polling interval is intentional** — shorter intervals cause spurious hotplug events from CPAL enumeration glitches.
+
+#### Ring Buffer Overflow
+- **Non-blocking write returns `AudioError::BufferOverflow`** — doesn't block or drop samples. Errors propagate up.
+
+#### Test Isolation
+- **`#[serial]` required for env detection tests** — tests manipulate `std::env` which affects other tests.
+
+---
+
+### Agent 2: Documentation Gaps and Actual Useful Info
+
+#### Test Categories (Four, Not Two)
+1. **Unit/Integration** — run everywhere (`cargo test --workspace`)
+2. **Golden Master** — requires Whisper model (`cargo test -p coldvox-app --test golden_master`)
+3. **Hardware capability** — marked `#[ignore]`, opt-in via `COLDVOX_E2E_REAL_AUDIO=1`, `COLDVOX_E2E_REAL_INJECTION=1`
+4. **Real injection** — backend-specific (`cargo test -p coldvox-text-injection --features real-injection-tests`)
+
+#### Critical Undocumented Environment Variables
+```
+# Test control
+COLDVOX_TEST_LOG_LEVEL          # default: debug
+COLDVOX_TEST_TIMEOUT_SEC        # per-test timeout
+COLDVOX_E2E_REAL_AUDIO=1        # opt-in hardware tests
+COLDVOX_E2E_REAL_INJECTION=1    # opt-in injection tests
+COLDVOX_RUN_AUDIO_IT=1          # audio integration tests
+
+# CI/Runtime
+WHISPER_MODEL_PATH              # CI sets from cache script
+WHISPER_MODEL_SIZE              # tiny/base/small/medium/large
+DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS        # required for text injection tests
+RUST_TEST_TIME_UNIT=10000       # milliseconds, not seconds!
+```
+
+#### PyO3 + Python Version Pinning
+- **Python 3.12 required** — `.python-version` pins it. Python 3.13 breaks PyO3 0.27 (free-threading incompatibility).
+- **`.cargo/config.toml` pins to `./.venv/bin/python`** — PyO3 always uses repo venv, not system Python.
+- **Must run `uv sync` before `cargo build --features moonshine`** — installs transformers, torch, librosa.
+
+#### External Dependencies (Not in Cargo)
+- **ydotool daemon** — user systemd service required. `scripts/setup_text_injection.sh` generates it.
+- **faster-whisper** — Python package, not Rust. Install via `pip` or `uv sync`.
+- **AT-SPI2 libraries** — `libatspi2.0-dev` for text injection on Linux.
+
+#### Config File Hierarchy
+- **`config/plugins.json` is source of truth** — legacy `./plugins.json` ignored with warning.
+- **`COLDVOX_CONFIG_PATH`** overrides discovery. `COLDVOX_SKIP_CONFIG_DISCOVERY` disables it.
+
+#### CI-Specific Behaviors
+- **Whisper models cached at runner-specific path** — `/home/coldaine/ActionRunnerCache/whisper/`, symlinked by setup script.
+- **sccache enabled only in text injection job** — different caching strategies per job.
+- **Headless setup is non-trivial** — `scripts/start-headless.sh` runs Xvfb, dbus-launch, verifies clipboard tools. Tests fail without it.
+- **Cleanup runs on failure** — `if: always()` kills Xvfb, fluxbox, dbus-daemon. Without it, subsequent runs hang.
+
+#### Golden Master Approval Workflow
+- **First-time tests FAIL by design** — output says `cp *.received.json *.approved.json`. Not a bug.
+- **Artifacts in `crates/app/tests/golden_master_artifacts/`**
+
+#### Logging Specifics
+- **Test logging goes to files** — `target/test-logs/<test_name>.log`, not console. TUI tests corrupt terminal.
+- **Default log level is INFO** (changed from DEBUG). Use `RUST_LOG=debug` for audio processing details.
+- **Audio frame dispatch is TRACE** — ~60 frames/sec, extremely noisy.
+
+#### Common Agent Mistakes
+1. Assuming `cargo test` works headless — text injection needs DISPLAY
+2. Building Moonshine without `uv sync` — PyO3 fails mysteriously
+3. Skipping `--include-ignored` tests — misses hardware issues
+4. Golden Master failures = regression — no, it's approval workflow
+5. Setting timeouts in seconds — `RUST_TEST_TIME_UNIT` is milliseconds
+6. Not clearing CI env vars in tests — `CI=true` affects behavior
+
+---
+
+## Appendix: Agent Prompts Used
+
+### Agent 1 Prompt (Non-Obvious Patterns)
+
+```
+You are researching what non-obvious information would be useful for an AI agent working on this codebase.
+
+Explore the repository looking for:
+1. Non-standard patterns or configurations
+2. Hidden gotchas that aren't documented
+3. Things that look wrong but are intentional
+4. Environment variables or setup requirements that aren't obvious
+5. Feature flags and when they matter
+6. Integration points between crates that aren't self-evident
+7. Platform-specific code or requirements
+8. Deprecated code paths that still exist
+
+Focus on things that would WASTE TIME if an agent had to discover them through trial and error.
+
+DO NOT list obvious things like "it's a Rust workspace" or "use cargo to build."
+
+After your research, append your findings to `/home/coldaine/_projects/ColdVox/agentsDocResearch.md` under a new section called "### Agent 1: Non-Obvious Patterns and Gotchas"
+
+Format as bullet points, each with a brief explanation of WHY this is non-obvious and worth documenting.
+```
+
+### Agent 2 Prompt (Documentation Gaps)
+
+```
+You are auditing this repository to find information gaps that would help AI agents.
+
+Explore the repository looking for:
+1. Build-time detection or conditional compilation that affects behavior
+2. Test categories or test requirements (env vars, hardware, etc.)
+3. CI/CD specific behaviors or workarounds
+4. Python/Rust interop points (PyO3, feature flags)
+5. External dependencies that must be installed outside cargo
+6. Configuration files that affect runtime behavior
+7. Logging/debugging patterns specific to this project
+8. Things in CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md that are ACTUALLY useful vs noise
+
+Focus on things a new agent would struggle with or get wrong on first attempt.
+
+DO NOT include standard Rust knowledge or commands any agent would know.
+
+After your research, append your findings to `/home/coldaine/_projects/ColdVox/agentsDocResearch.md` under a new section called "### Agent 2: Documentation Gaps and Actual Useful Info"
+
+Format as bullet points, explaining what's non-obvious and why it matters.
+```
+
+---
+
+## Agent 3: Genuine Confusion Points (Discovered Cold)
+
+*The sections above were generated by agents explicitly told what to look for. This section documents what an agent ACTUALLY gets wrong when exploring the codebase without guidance.*
+
+### Critical: Documentation Actively Misleads
+
+#### 1. `whisper` Feature Is A Lie
+
+**AGENTS.md says:** `cargo run --features whisper,text-injection  # With STT`
+
+**Reality:**
+- `whisper = []` in Cargo.toml — it's an empty stub
+- The `whisper_plugin.rs` that had `faster-whisper-rs` is commented out: `// pub mod whisper_plugin;`
+- Enabling this feature gives you `whisper_cpp.rs` which is a non-functional stub
+- **An agent following AGENTS.md instructions gets zero STT capability**
+
+#### 2. `parakeet` Feature Doesn't Compile
+
+**AGENTS.md says:** `Use feature flags: whisper, parakeet, text-injection, silero`
+
+**Reality:**
+```
+cargo build -p coldvox-app --features parakeet
+# FAILS with 6 compile errors
+# API mismatch with parakeet-rs crate
+```
+- The parakeet plugin code is out of sync with the `parakeet-rs = "0.2"` dependency
+- `transcribe_samples()` signature wrong, `confidence` field doesn't exist
+- **Agent cannot enable GPU STT despite documentation suggesting it works**
+
+#### 3. Python Version Contradiction
+
+**mise.toml says:** `python = "3.13"`
+**.python-version says:** `3.12`
+**Previous agent research says:** "Python 3.13 breaks PyO3 0.27"
+
+**Reality:**
+- System Python: 3.14
+- Venv Python: 3.12
+- Which one you get depends on whether you use mise, direnv, or neither
+- **Only 3.12 actually works for moonshine builds**
+
+#### 4. requirements.txt vs pyproject.toml
+
+**requirements.txt:** Empty (says "No external dependencies currently required")
+**pyproject.toml:** Has `transformers>=4.35.0`, `torch>=2.0.0`, `librosa>=0.10.0`
+
+**Reality:**
+- `requirements.txt` is vestigial — tells you to install nothing
+- `pyproject.toml` has actual deps needed for moonshine
+- An agent following `uv pip install -r requirements.txt` installs nothing useful
+
+### What Actually Works (Verified)
+
+1. **Default build works:** `cargo build -p coldvox-app` ✓
+2. **Moonshine builds:** `cargo build -p coldvox-stt --features moonshine` ✓ (after `uv sync`)
+3. **Default tests pass:** `cargo test -p coldvox-app` ✓
+4. **Text injection compiles:** Default features include it
+
+### What Doesn't Work (Despite Docs)
+
+1. **Whisper feature:** Stub — no functionality
+2. **Parakeet feature:** Compile errors
+3. **Coqui/Leopard/Silero-STT features:** Empty stubs (`coqui = []`, etc.)
+4. **Golden master tests on hosted CI:** Require `pip install faster-whisper` but the Rust code doesn't use it
+
+### Stub Features That Waste Agent Time
+
+These features are defined but do nothing:
+- `whisper = []` — placeholder
+- `coqui = []` — placeholder
+- `leopard = []` — placeholder
+- `silero-stt = []` — placeholder
+- `no-stt = []` — defined but doesn't gate anything
+
+### Genuine Gotchas Not In Prior Research
+
+1. **CI installs `faster-whisper` but code doesn't use it** — The golden master job does `pip install faster-whisper` but the Rust whisper backend is commented out. This is CI cruft that confuses understanding.
+
+2. **venv is required before moonshine build** — `.cargo/config.toml` sets `PYO3_PYTHON = ./.venv/bin/python`. If venv doesn't exist, PyO3 build fails with cryptic errors.
+
+3. **justfile has dead whisper commands** — Line 38 says `## Whisper-specific helpers removed pending new backend` but AGENTS.md still references whisper as if it works.
+
+4. **Build detection happens at compile time** — `build.rs` reads `WAYLAND_DISPLAY`/`DISPLAY` at compile time. Binaries built in CI without these vars have different cfg flags than local builds.
+
+### Recommended Documentation Changes
+
+**Remove from AGENTS.md:**
+- `cargo run --features whisper,text-injection  # With STT` — whisper doesn't work
+- References to parakeet as a working feature
+
+**Add to AGENTS.md:**
+- "Only `moonshine` STT backend currently works. Requires `uv sync` first."
+- "Default build has NO STT — only VAD. This is intentional for the audio pipeline tests."
+
+**Fix:**
+- Either make parakeet compile or remove it from feature list
+- Either implement whisper or remove documentation claims
+
diff --git a/crates/app/config/plugins.json b/crates/app/config/plugins.json
index 829ef1bf..e313217d 100644
--- a/crates/app/config/plugins.json
+++ b/crates/app/config/plugins.json
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{
+{
   "preferred_plugin": "mock",
   "fallback_plugins": [
     "whisper",
@@ -21,4 +21,4 @@
     "debug_dump_events": false
   },
   "auto_extract_model": true
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/crates/app/tests/common/logging.rs b/crates/app/tests/common/logging.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a6e36617
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/app/tests/common/logging.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,170 @@
+//! Shared test logging infrastructure for ColdVox tests.
+//!
+//! This module provides standardized file-based logging for all tests,
+//! ensuring we always have a persistent log trail for debugging failures.
+//!
+//! ## Usage
+//!
+//! ```rust,no_run
+//! use crate::common::logging::init_test_logging;
+//!
+//! #[tokio::test]
+//! async fn my_test() {
+//!     let _guard = init_test_logging("my_test");
+//!     // ... test code ...
+//! }
+//! ```
+//!
+//! Logs are written to `target/test-logs/<test_name>.log` with debug level by default.
+//! Set `COLDVOX_TEST_LOG_LEVEL` to override (e.g., `trace`, `info`).
+
+#![allow(dead_code)] // Utility functions may not be used in all test binaries
+
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::sync::Once;
+use tracing_appender::non_blocking::WorkerGuard;
+use tracing_subscriber::layer::SubscriberExt;
+use tracing_subscriber::util::SubscriberInitExt;
+use tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter;
+
+static INIT: Once = Once::new();
+
+/// Directory name for test logs (will be created under workspace root).
+const TEST_LOG_DIR_NAME: &str = "test-logs";
+
+/// Get the workspace root directory.
+///
+/// Uses CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR and walks up to find workspace root.
+fn workspace_root() -> PathBuf {
+    // CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR points to the crate directory during tests
+    let manifest_dir = PathBuf::from(env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"));
+    // Walk up from crates/app to workspace root
+    manifest_dir
+        .parent() // -> crates/
+        .and_then(|p| p.parent()) // -> workspace root
+        .map(|p| p.to_path_buf())
+        .unwrap_or(manifest_dir)
+}
+
+/// Get the full path to the test logs directory.
+pub fn test_log_dir() -> PathBuf {
+    workspace_root().join("target").join(TEST_LOG_DIR_NAME)
+}
+
+/// Initialize test logging with file output.
+///
+/// Returns a guard that must be held for the duration of the test.
+/// Logs are written to `target/test-logs/<test_name>.log`.
+///
+/// The log level defaults to `debug` but can be overridden via:
+/// - `COLDVOX_TEST_LOG_LEVEL` environment variable
+/// - `RUST_LOG` environment variable (if `COLDVOX_TEST_LOG_LEVEL` is not set)
+///
+/// # Arguments
+/// * `test_name` - Name of the test, used for the log filename
+///
+/// # Returns
+/// A `WorkerGuard` that ensures logs are flushed on drop. **You must keep this alive!**
+pub fn init_test_logging(test_name: &str) -> WorkerGuard {
+    // Get workspace-relative log directory
+    let log_dir = test_log_dir();
+
+    // Ensure log directory exists
+    let _ = std::fs::create_dir_all(&log_dir);
+
+    // Determine log level: COLDVOX_TEST_LOG_LEVEL > RUST_LOG > default (debug)
+    let log_level = std::env::var("COLDVOX_TEST_LOG_LEVEL")
+        .or_else(|_| std::env::var("RUST_LOG"))
+        .unwrap_or_else(|_| "debug".to_string());
+
+    // Build filter with sensible defaults for test debugging
+    let filter = EnvFilter::try_new(&log_level).unwrap_or_else(|_| {
+        EnvFilter::new("debug")
+            .add_directive("coldvox_app=debug".parse().unwrap())
+            .add_directive("coldvox_stt=debug".parse().unwrap())
+            .add_directive("coldvox_audio=debug".parse().unwrap())
+            .add_directive("coldvox_vad=debug".parse().unwrap())
+            .add_directive("coldvox_text_injection=debug".parse().unwrap())
+    });
+
+    // Create file appender for this test
+    let log_filename = format!("{}.log", test_name);
+    let file_appender = tracing_appender::rolling::never(&log_dir, &log_filename);
+    let (non_blocking, guard) = tracing_appender::non_blocking(file_appender);
+
+    // Try to initialize the subscriber. If it's already initialized (by another test),
+    // that's fine - we'll still get our file output.
+    let _ = tracing_subscriber::registry()
+        .with(filter)
+        .with(
+            tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer()
+                .with_writer(non_blocking)
+                .with_ansi(false)
+                .with_thread_ids(true)
+                .with_file(true)
+                .with_line_number(true),
+        )
+        .with(
+            tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer()
+                .with_test_writer()
+                .with_thread_ids(true),
+        )
+        .try_init();
+
+    // Log test start marker
+    tracing::info!("========================================");
+    tracing::info!("TEST START: {}", test_name);
+    tracing::info!("Log file: {}/{}", log_dir.display(), log_filename);
+    tracing::info!("========================================");
+
+    guard
+}
+
+/// Initialize test logging once for the entire test suite.
+///
+/// This is useful for integration tests that run multiple tests in sequence.
+/// Unlike `init_test_logging`, this only initializes once per process.
+pub fn init_test_logging_once(suite_name: &str) -> Option<WorkerGuard> {
+    let mut guard: Option<WorkerGuard> = None;
+
+    INIT.call_once(|| {
+        guard = Some(init_test_logging(suite_name));
+    });
+
+    guard
+}
+
+/// Get the path to a test's log file.
+pub fn test_log_path(test_name: &str) -> PathBuf {
+    test_log_dir().join(format!("{}.log", test_name))
+}
+
+/// Append a marker to the current log indicating a test phase.
+///
+/// Useful for marking sections in long-running tests.
+pub fn log_phase(phase: &str) {
+    tracing::info!("--- PHASE: {} ---", phase);
+}
+
+/// Log test completion with result summary.
+pub fn log_test_end(test_name: &str, success: bool) {
+    tracing::info!("========================================");
+    tracing::info!(
+        "TEST END: {} - {}",
+        test_name,
+        if success { "PASSED" } else { "FAILED" }
+    );
+    tracing::info!("========================================");
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_log_path_generation() {
+        let path = test_log_path("my_test");
+        assert!(path.to_string_lossy().contains("test-logs"));
+        assert!(path.to_string_lossy().ends_with("my_test.log"));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/app/tests/common/mod.rs b/crates/app/tests/common/mod.rs
index 17bc43d8..100bd3e7 100644
--- a/crates/app/tests/common/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/app/tests/common/mod.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+pub mod logging;
 pub mod test_utils;
 pub mod timeout;
 pub mod wer;
diff --git a/crates/app/tests/common/test_utils.rs b/crates/app/tests/common/test_utils.rs
index 4d09f26b..54d739e3 100644
--- a/crates/app/tests/common/test_utils.rs
+++ b/crates/app/tests/common/test_utils.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#![allow(dead_code)] // Utility functions may not be used in all test binaries
+
 use coldvox_audio::ring_buffer::AudioProducer;
 
 /// Write samples into the audio ring buffer producer in fixed-size chunks.
diff --git a/crates/app/tests/common/timeout.rs b/crates/app/tests/common/timeout.rs
index e072ac93..c038c2aa 100644
--- a/crates/app/tests/common/timeout.rs
+++ b/crates/app/tests/common/timeout.rs
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@
 use std::time::Duration;
 use tokio::time::timeout;
 
-/// Default timeout for most test operations (30 seconds)
-pub const DEFAULT_TEST_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(30);
+/// Default timeout for most test operations (10 seconds)
+pub const DEFAULT_TEST_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(10);
 
-/// Extended timeout for complex operations like STT model loading (60 seconds)
-pub const EXTENDED_TEST_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(60);
+/// Extended timeout for complex operations like STT model loading (30 seconds)
+pub const EXTENDED_TEST_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(30);
 
 /// Short timeout for quick operations that shouldn't hang (5 seconds)
 pub const SHORT_TEST_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(5);
diff --git a/crates/app/tests/golden_master.rs b/crates/app/tests/golden_master.rs
index ab3551d9..460a4271 100644
--- a/crates/app/tests/golden_master.rs
+++ b/crates/app/tests/golden_master.rs
@@ -174,10 +174,13 @@ pub mod harness {
     }
 }
 
+mod common;
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::harness::assert_golden;
     use super::test_utils::MockInjectionSink;
+    use crate::common::logging::init_test_logging;
     use coldvox_app::audio::wav_file_loader::WavFileLoader;
     use coldvox_app::runtime::{start, ActivationMode, AppRuntimeOptions};
     use coldvox_audio::DeviceConfig;
@@ -216,15 +219,8 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn test_short_phrase_pipeline() {
-        // Initialize tracing for better debugging
-        let _ = tracing_subscriber::fmt()
-            .with_env_filter(
-                tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter::from_default_env()
-                    .add_directive("coldvox_app=debug".parse().unwrap())
-                    .add_directive("coldvox_stt=debug".parse().unwrap()),
-            )
-            .with_test_writer()
-            .try_init();
+        // Initialize comprehensive file-based logging
+        let _guard = init_test_logging("golden_master_short_phrase");
 
         let test_name = "short_phrase";
         let wav_path = "test_data/test_11.wav";
@@ -328,46 +324,74 @@ mod tests {
 
         // 6. Collect VAD events until SpeechEnd (and injection if whisper enabled)
         let start_wait = std::time::Instant::now();
-        loop {
-            tokio::select! {
-                evt = vad_rx.recv() => {
-                    match evt {
-                        Ok(e) => {
-                            let ser = SerializableVadEvent::from(e);
-                            tracing::info!("VAD event captured: {:?}", ser);
-                            vad_events.lock().await.push(ser);
-                        }
-                        Err(e) => {
-                            tracing::warn!("VAD channel closed or error: {}", e);
-                            break;
+
+        // Wrap the entire wait loop in a 30-second timeout to prevent hangs
+        let vad_collection_result = tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(30), async {
+            let mut no_events_warning_printed = false;
+            loop {
+                tokio::select! {
+                    evt = vad_rx.recv() => {
+                        match evt {
+                            Ok(e) => {
+                                let ser = SerializableVadEvent::from(e);
+                                tracing::info!("VAD event captured: {:?}", ser);
+                                vad_events.lock().await.push(ser);
+                                no_events_warning_printed = false; // Reset warning flag on new event
+                            }
+                            Err(e) => {
+                                tracing::warn!("VAD channel closed or error: {}", e);
+                                break;
+                            }
                         }
                     }
+                    _ = tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(250)) => {
+                        // Periodic completion check
+                    }
                 }
-                _ = tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(250)) => {
-                    // Periodic completion check
+
+                let events = vad_events.lock().await;
+                let has_speech_end = events.iter().any(|e| e.kind == "SpeechEnd");
+                #[cfg(feature = "whisper")]
+                let has_injection = !mock_sink.injected_text.lock().unwrap().is_empty();
+                #[cfg(not(feature = "whisper"))]
+                let has_injection = true; // Ignore injection for mock-only runs
+                drop(events);
+
+                if has_speech_end && has_injection {
+                    tracing::info!("Pipeline completion detected!");
+                    break;
                 }
-            }
 
-            let events = vad_events.lock().await;
-            let has_speech_end = events.iter().any(|e| e.kind == "SpeechEnd");
-            #[cfg(feature = "whisper")]
-            let has_injection = !mock_sink.injected_text.lock().unwrap().is_empty();
-            #[cfg(not(feature = "whisper"))]
-            let has_injection = true; // Ignore injection for mock-only runs
-            drop(events);
-
-            if has_speech_end && has_injection {
-                tracing::info!("Pipeline completion detected!");
-                break;
-            }
-            if start_wait.elapsed() > Duration::from_secs(60) {
-                let vad_lock = vad_events.lock().await;
-                let injection_lock = mock_sink.injected_text.lock().unwrap();
-                panic!(
-                    "Test timed out waiting for completion.\nVAD events: {:?}\nInjections: {:?}",
-                    *vad_lock, *injection_lock
-                );
+                // Early warning if no events after 5 seconds
+                if start_wait.elapsed() > Duration::from_secs(5) && !no_events_warning_printed {
+                    let vad_lock = vad_events.lock().await;
+                    tracing::warn!(
+                        "No VAD events after 5 seconds. VAD events so far: {:?}",
+                        *vad_lock
+                    );
+                    no_events_warning_printed = true;
+                }
+
+                // Fail fast with detailed output after 10 seconds
+                if start_wait.elapsed() > Duration::from_secs(10) {
+                    let vad_lock = vad_events.lock().await;
+                    let injection_lock = mock_sink.injected_text.lock().unwrap();
+                    panic!(
+                        "Test timed out waiting for completion after 10 seconds.\nVAD events: {:?}\nInjections: {:?}",
+                        *vad_lock, *injection_lock
+                    );
+                }
             }
+        }).await;
+
+        // Handle timeout case
+        if vad_collection_result.is_err() {
+            let vad_lock = vad_events.lock().await;
+            let injection_lock = mock_sink.injected_text.lock().unwrap();
+            panic!(
+                "Test hung and timed out after 30 seconds waiting for completion.\nVAD events: {:?}\nInjections: {:?}",
+                *vad_lock, *injection_lock
+            );
         }
 
         // Wait a bit longer to ensure all events are processed
@@ -419,10 +443,8 @@ pub mod test_utils {
             text: &str,
             _context: Option<&InjectionContext>,
         ) -> InjectionResult<()> {
-            if !text.trim().is_empty() {
-                let mut guard = self.injected_text.lock().unwrap();
-                guard.push(text.to_string());
-            }
+            tracing::info!("Mock injection sink received text: {}", text);
+            self.injected_text.lock().unwrap().push(text.to_string());
             Ok(())
         }
 
diff --git a/crates/app/tests/hardware_check.rs b/crates/app/tests/hardware_check.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dc1b4abb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/app/tests/hardware_check.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+//! Hardware capability tests for the self-hosted runner.
+//!
+//! These tests verify that the runner environment has access to the necessary
+//! hardware resources (audio input, display server, etc.) to run the full pipeline.
+//! They are not "Golden Master" tests because they are non-deterministic.
+
+mod common;
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod hardware_tests {
+    use crate::common::logging::init_test_logging;
+    use coldvox_foundation::AudioConfig;
+
+    fn should_skip(env_var: &str) -> bool {
+        match std::env::var(env_var) {
+            Ok(v) => matches!(
+                v.to_ascii_lowercase().as_str(),
+                "0" | "false" | "off" | "no"
+            ),
+            Err(_) => false, // Default to running (opt-out only)
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Verifies that we can open the default audio input device.
+    #[test]
+    #[ignore = "Requires real audio hardware"]
+    fn test_audio_capture_device_open() {
+        let _guard = init_test_logging("hardware_check_audio");
+
+        // Skip only if explicitly opted out
+        if should_skip("COLDVOX_E2E_REAL_AUDIO") {
+            println!("Skipping audio hardware test: COLDVOX_E2E_REAL_AUDIO set to false/0");
+            return;
+        }
+
+        println!("Attempting to open default audio capture device...");
+
+        // We just want to see if it panics or errors out immediately.
+        let config = AudioConfig {
+            silence_threshold: 100,
+            capture_buffer_samples: 1024,
+        };
+
+        // This is a bit tricky because AudioCapture might not expose a simple "check" method
+        // without starting the stream. We'll try to instantiate the ring buffer and capture.
+        let ring_buffer = coldvox_audio::AudioRingBuffer::new(config.capture_buffer_samples);
+        let (producer, _consumer) = ring_buffer.split();
+        let _producer = std::sync::Arc::new(std::sync::Mutex::new(producer));
+
+        // Use cpal directly to verify hardware access
+        use cpal::traits::{DeviceTrait, HostTrait};
+        let host = cpal::default_host();
+        let device = host.default_input_device();
+
+        assert!(device.is_some(), "No default input device found!");
+        let device = device.unwrap();
+        println!(
+            "Found default input device: {}",
+            device.name().unwrap_or_default()
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// Verifies that the text injection subsystem is available.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    #[ignore = "Requires display server"]
+    async fn test_text_injector_availability() {
+        let _guard = init_test_logging("hardware_check_injection");
+
+        if should_skip("COLDVOX_E2E_REAL_INJECTION") {
+            println!("Skipping injection hardware test: COLDVOX_E2E_REAL_INJECTION set to false/0");
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // Check for display server
+        let has_display =
+            std::env::var("DISPLAY").is_ok() || std::env::var("WAYLAND_DISPLAY").is_ok();
+        if !has_display {
+            panic!("No display server detected (DISPLAY or WAYLAND_DISPLAY missing).");
+        }
+
+        println!("Display server detected.");
+
+        // We can't easily access the internal test harness from here,
+        // but verifying the environment variables is a good first step.
+        // The actual injection test is covered by `coldvox-text-injection` crate tests.
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/app/tests/integration/capture_integration_test.rs b/crates/app/tests/integration/capture_integration_test.rs
index fbc254f6..895d7b5b 100644
--- a/crates/app/tests/integration/capture_integration_test.rs
+++ b/crates/app/tests/integration/capture_integration_test.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+    use tracing_appender::rolling;
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use coldvox_audio::{AudioCapture, AudioConfig, SharedAudioFrame as AudioFrame};
@@ -9,6 +10,16 @@ mod tests {
     use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, AtomicU64, Ordering};
 
     #[test]
+        // Initialize file logging for test
+        let _ = std::fs::create_dir_all("target/test_logs");
+        let file_appender = rolling::never("target/test_logs", "capture_integration.log");
+        let (non_blocking, _guard) = tracing_appender::non_blocking(file_appender);
+        let _ = tracing_subscriber::registry()
+            .with(tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter::from_default_env())
+            .with(tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer().with_writer(non_blocking).with_ansi(false))
+            .with(tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer().with_test_writer())
+            .try_init();
+        tracing::info!("Starting test_end_to_end_capture_pipewire");
     #[cfg(feature = "live-hardware-tests")]
     fn test_end_to_end_capture_pipewire() {
         std::env::set_var("COLDVOX_STT_PREFERRED", "whisper"); // Force Faster-Whisper for integration
@@ -59,6 +70,7 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
+        tracing::info!("Starting test_frame_flow");
     #[cfg(feature = "live-hardware-tests")]
     fn test_frame_flow() {
         let config = AudioConfig::default();
@@ -69,13 +81,20 @@ mod tests {
         let mut frames_received = 0;
         let start = std::time::Instant::now();
 
-        while start.elapsed() < Duration::from_secs(1) {
-            if let Ok(frame) = capture.try_recv_timeout(Duration::from_millis(100)) {
-                frames_received += 1;
-                assert_eq!(frame.sample_rate, 16000, "Frame should have correct sample rate");
-                // SharedAudioFrame is always mono
-                assert!(!frame.samples.is_empty(), "Frame should contain samples");
+        // Add outer timeout to prevent hanging
+        let frame_collection_result = tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(10), async {
+            while start.elapsed() < Duration::from_secs(1) {
+                if let Ok(frame) = capture.try_recv_timeout(Duration::from_millis(100)) {
+                    frames_received += 1;
+                    assert_eq!(frame.sample_rate, 16000, "Frame should have correct sample rate");
+        tracing::info!("Frame collection completed, frames_received: {}", frames_received);
+        assert!(frames_received > 0, "Should receive frames from capture");
+                }
             }
+        }).await;
+
+        if let Err(_) = frame_collection_result {
+            panic!("Test frame collection timed out after 10 seconds");
         }
 
         assert!(frames_received > 0, "Should receive frames from capture");
@@ -105,9 +124,16 @@ mod tests {
         ).expect("Failed to start");
 
         // Simulate Ctrl+C after 1 second
-        thread::spawn(move || {
-            thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1));
-            shutdown_flag.store(true, Ordering::SeqCst);
+        // Add outer timeout to prevent hanging on shutdown signal
+        let shutdown_wait_result = tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(10), async {
+            while !shutdown_flag.load(Ordering::SeqCst) {
+                thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(10));
+            }
+        }).await;
+
+        if let Err(_) = shutdown_wait_result {
+            panic!("Test shutdown wait timed out after 10 seconds");
+        }
         });
 
         // Wait for shutdown signal
diff --git a/crates/app/tests/integration/mock_injection_tests.rs b/crates/app/tests/integration/mock_injection_tests.rs
index a255ef75..e08251e4 100644
--- a/crates/app/tests/integration/mock_injection_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/app/tests/integration/mock_injection_tests.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod mock_injection_tests {
+    use tracing_appender::rolling;
     use coldvox_text_injection::manager::StrategyManager;
     use coldvox_text_injection::types::{InjectionConfig, InjectionMetrics};
     use std::process::{Command, Stdio};
@@ -94,14 +95,39 @@ mod mock_injection_tests {
     }
 
     #[tokio::test]
+        tracing::info!("Starting test_injection_with_focused_mock_app");
+        let _ = std::fs::create_dir_all("target/test_logs");
+        let file_appender = rolling::never("target/test_logs", "mock_injection.log");
+        let (non_blocking, _guard) = tracing_appender::non_blocking(file_appender);
+        let _ = tracing_subscriber::registry()
+            .with(tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter::from_default_env())
+            .with(tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer().with_writer(non_blocking).with_ansi(false))
+            .with(tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer().with_test_writer())
+            .try_init();
+        // Initialize file logging for test
+        let _ = std::fs::create_dir_all");
+        let("target/test_logs file_appender = rolling::never("target/test_logs", "mock_injection.log");
+        let (non_blocking, _guard) = tracing_appender::non_blocking(file_appender);
+        let _ = tracing_subscriber::registry()
+            .with(tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter::from_default_env())
+            .with(tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer().with_writer(non_blocking).with_ansi(false))
+            .with(tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer().with_test_writer())
+            .try_init();
     async fn test_injection_with_focused_mock_app() {
+        tracing::info!("Starting test_injection_with_focused_mock_app");
         // Start mock application
+        let _ = tracing::span!(tracing::Level::INFO, "test_mock_app_start").entered();
         let mut mock_app = match MockTestApp::start().await {
             Ok(app) => app,
+        tracing::info!("Starting test_injection_with_focused_mock_app");
             Err(e) => {
+        tracing::info!("Starting test_injection_with_focused_mock_app");
                 println!("Skipping test: Could not start mock application: {}", e);
+        tracing::info!("Starting test_injection_with_focused_mock_app");
                 return;
+        tracing::info!("Starting test_injection_with_focused_mock_app");
             }
+        tracing::info!("Starting test_injection_with_focused_mock_app");
         };
 
         // Focus the application
@@ -120,11 +146,10 @@ mod mock_injection_tests {
             cooldown_initial_ms: 100,
             ..Default::default()
         };
-
-        // Create shared metrics
-        let metrics = Arc::new(Mutex::new(InjectionMetrics::default()));
-
-        // Create strategy manager
+        tracing::info!("Starting text injection test");
+        let test_text = "Mock injection test";
+        let _ = tracing::span!(tracing::Level::INFO, "test_injection").entered();
+        let result = timeout(
         let mut manager = StrategyManager::new(config, metrics.clone()).await;
 
         // Test injection
diff --git a/crates/app/tests/integration/text_injection_integration_test.rs b/crates/app/tests/integration/text_injection_integration_test.rs
index bb971ca3..17a51d2e 100644
--- a/crates/app/tests/integration/text_injection_integration_test.rs
+++ b/crates/app/tests/integration/text_injection_integration_test.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,21 @@
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
+    use tracing_appender::rolling;
     use coldvox_text_injection::manager::StrategyManager;
     use coldvox_text_injection::types::{InjectionConfig, InjectionMetrics};
     use std::sync::Arc;
     use std::time::Duration;
     use tokio::sync::Mutex;
 
+        tracing::info!("Starting test_text_injection_end_to_end");
+        let _ = std::fs::create_dir_all("target/test_logs");
+        let file_appender = rolling::never("target/test_logs", "text_injection.log");
+        let (non_blocking, _guard) = tracing_appender::non_blocking(file_appender);
+        let _ = tracing_subscriber::registry()
+            .with(tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter::from_default_env())
+            .with(tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer().with_writer(non_blocking).with_ansi(false))
+            .with(tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer().with_test_writer())
+            .try_init();
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn test_text_injection_end_to_end() {
         std::env::set_var("COLDVOX_STT_PREFERRED", "whisper"); // Force Faster-Whisper for integration
@@ -18,8 +28,8 @@ mod tests {
     
         // Create strategy manager
         let mut manager = StrategyManager::new(config, metrics.clone()).await;
-    
-        // Test with normal text
+        tracing::info!("Testing normal text injection");
+        let _ = tracing::span!(tracing::Level::INFO, "test_normal_injection").entered();
         let result = manager.inject("Hello world").await;
         assert!(result.is_ok(), "Should successfully inject text");
     
diff --git a/crates/coldvox-foundation/src/env.rs b/crates/coldvox-foundation/src/env.rs
index 56fb8e1f..23ae1fb5 100644
--- a/crates/coldvox-foundation/src/env.rs
+++ b/crates/coldvox-foundation/src/env.rs
@@ -975,8 +975,20 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     #[serial]
     fn test_detect_development_environment() {
-        // Clear environment variables
-        for var in ["CI", "DEBUG", "RUST_BACKTRACE", "XDG_SESSION_TYPE"] {
+        // Clear ALL CI-related environment variables (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, etc.)
+        for var in [
+            "CI",
+            "CONTINUOUS_INTEGRATION",
+            "GITHUB_ACTIONS",
+            "GITLAB_CI",
+            "TRAVIS",
+            "CIRCLECI",
+            "JENKINS_URL",
+            "BUILDKITE",
+            "DEBUG",
+            "RUST_BACKTRACE",
+            "XDG_SESSION_TYPE",
+        ] {
             env::remove_var(var);
         }
 
diff --git a/crates/coldvox-stt/Cargo.toml b/crates/coldvox-stt/Cargo.toml
index d399bd96..7a6772b3 100644
--- a/crates/coldvox-stt/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/coldvox-stt/Cargo.toml
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ coldvox-telemetry = { path = "../coldvox-telemetry" }
 # Parakeet STT via pure Rust ONNX Runtime
 parakeet-rs = { version = "0.2", optional = true }
 
-# Moonshine STT via PyO3/HuggingFace
-pyo3 = { version = "0.24.1", optional = true, features = ["auto-initialize"] }
+# Moonshine STT via PyO3/HuggingFace - Fixed auto-initialize
+pyo3 = { version = "0.27", optional = true, features = ["auto-initialize"] }
 tempfile = { version = "3.8", optional = true }
 hound = { version = "3.5", optional = true }
 
@@ -38,3 +38,8 @@ silero-stt = []
 tokio = { version = "1.35", features = ["rt-multi-thread", "macros"] }
 serial_test = "3.2"
 hound = "3.5"
+
+# Gate moonshine example behind feature flag
+[[example]]
+name = "verify_moonshine"
+required-features = ["moonshine"]
diff --git a/crates/coldvox-stt/examples/verify_moonshine.rs b/crates/coldvox-stt/examples/verify_moonshine.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..093144e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/coldvox-stt/examples/verify_moonshine.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+use coldvox_stt::plugin::{SttPlugin, SttPluginFactory};
+use coldvox_stt::plugins::moonshine::MoonshinePluginFactory;
+use coldvox_stt::types::TranscriptionConfig;
+use hound;
+use std::time::Instant;
+
+#[tokio::main]
+async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+    // 1. Setup minimal logging (removed tracing-subscriber dependency)
+    println!("🚀 Starting Moonshine Verification...");
+
+    // 2. Create Plugin Factory
+    // This will check requirement (Python deps)
+    println!("🔍 Checking requirements...");
+    let factory = MoonshinePluginFactory::new();
+    factory.check_requirements()?;
+
+    // 3. Create Plugin Instance
+    println!("📦 Creating plugin instance...");
+    let mut plugin = factory.create()?;
+
+    // 4. Initialize (loads model)
+    println!("⏳ Initializing model (this uses PyO3 and might take a moment)...");
+    let start = Instant::now();
+    plugin.initialize(TranscriptionConfig::default()).await?;
+    println!("✅ Model loaded in {:.2?}", start.elapsed());
+
+    // 5. Generate Test Audio (1s of 440Hz sine wave @ 16kHz)
+    println!("🎵 Generating test audio...");
+    let sample_rate = 16000;
+    let duration_secs = 2;
+    let spec = hound::WavSpec {
+        channels: 1,
+        sample_rate,
+        bits_per_sample: 16,
+        sample_format: hound::SampleFormat::Int,
+    };
+
+    // We create a buffer of samples
+    let mut samples = Vec::new();
+    for t in (0..sample_rate * duration_secs).map(|x| x as f32 / sample_rate as f32) {
+        let sample = (t * 440.0 * 2.0 * std::f32::consts::PI).sin();
+        let amplitude = i16::MAX as f32 * 0.5;
+        samples.push((sample * amplitude) as i16);
+    }
+
+    // 6. Process Audio
+    println!("🗣️ Processing audio ({} samples)...", samples.len());
+    let process_start = Instant::now();
+
+    // Feed audio in chunks
+    let chunk_size = 4000;
+    for chunk in samples.chunks(chunk_size) {
+        plugin.process_audio(chunk).await?;
+    }
+
+    // 7. Finalize (Trigger transcription)
+    println!("📝 Finalizing and transcribing...");
+    if let Some(event) = plugin.finalize().await? {
+        println!("🎉 Transcription Result: {:?}", event);
+    } else {
+        println!("⚠️ No transcription result returned.");
+    }
+
+    println!("⏱️ Total processing time: {:.2?}", process_start.elapsed());
+
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/crates/coldvox-stt/src/plugins/moonshine.rs b/crates/coldvox-stt/src/plugins/moonshine.rs
index f41fd527..420fc181 100644
--- a/crates/coldvox-stt/src/plugins/moonshine.rs
+++ b/crates/coldvox-stt/src/plugins/moonshine.rs
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ impl MoonshinePlugin {
 
     #[cfg(feature = "moonshine")]
     fn verify_python_environment() -> Result<(), ColdVoxError> {
-        Python::with_gil(|py| {
+        Python::attach(|py| {
             PyModule::import(py, "transformers").map_err(|_| {
                 SttError::LoadFailed(
                     "transformers not installed. Run: pip install transformers>=4.35.0".to_string(),
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ impl MoonshinePlugin {
             .and_then(|p| p.to_str())
             .unwrap_or_else(|| self.model_size.model_identifier());
 
-        Python::with_gil(|py| {
+        Python::attach(|py| {
             let locals = PyDict::new(py);
             locals
                 .set_item("model_id", model_id)
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ _processor = AutoProcessor.from_pretrained(model_id)
                 None,
                 Some(&locals),
             )
-                .map_err(|e| SttError::LoadFailed(format!("Failed to load model: {}", e)))?;
+            .map_err(|e| SttError::LoadFailed(format!("Failed to load model: {}", e)))?;
 
             // Extract model and processor from locals dict
             let model = locals
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ _processor = AutoProcessor.from_pretrained(model_id)
             .as_ref()
             .ok_or_else(|| SttError::TranscriptionFailed("Processor not loaded".to_string()))?;
 
-        Python::with_gil(|py| {
+        Python::attach(|py| {
             let locals = PyDict::new(py);
 
             // SECURITY: Pass variables via locals dict, not string interpolation
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ _transcription = processor.batch_decode(generated_ids, skip_special_tokens=True)
                 None,
                 Some(&locals),
             )
-                .map_err(|e| SttError::TranscriptionFailed(format!("Python error: {}", e)))?;
+            .map_err(|e| SttError::TranscriptionFailed(format!("Python error: {}", e)))?;
 
             let result = locals
                 .get_item("_transcription")
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ impl SttPluginFactory for MoonshinePluginFactory {
 
 #[cfg(feature = "moonshine")]
 fn check_moonshine_available() -> bool {
-    Python::with_gil(|py| {
+    Python::attach(|py| {
         PyModule::import(py, "transformers").is_ok()
             && PyModule::import(py, "torch").is_ok()
             && PyModule::import(py, "librosa").is_ok()
diff --git a/crates/coldvox-stt/tests/moonshine_e2e.rs b/crates/coldvox-stt/tests/moonshine_e2e.rs
index d3b35096..e223dc11 100644
--- a/crates/coldvox-stt/tests/moonshine_e2e.rs
+++ b/crates/coldvox-stt/tests/moonshine_e2e.rs
@@ -281,7 +281,10 @@ async fn test_buffer_overflow_protection() {
     // Reset clears the buffer - if we got here without panic, the limit worked
     plugin.reset().await.expect("Reset failed");
 
-    println!("Buffer overflow protection verified (limit: {} samples)", MAX_SAMPLES);
+    println!(
+        "Buffer overflow protection verified (limit: {} samples)",
+        MAX_SAMPLES
+    );
 }
 
 /// Test that common::load_test_audio validates audio format correctly
diff --git a/crates/coldvox-text-injection/Cargo.toml b/crates/coldvox-text-injection/Cargo.toml
index 18f055ac..78ffff8e 100644
--- a/crates/coldvox-text-injection/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/coldvox-text-injection/Cargo.toml
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ tokio-test = "0.4"
 rand = "0.9"
 arboard = "3.2"
 tracing-subscriber = { version = "0.3", features = ["env-filter"] }
+tracing-appender = "0.2"
 serial_test = "3.2"
 
 [features]
diff --git a/crates/coldvox-text-injection/build.rs b/crates/coldvox-text-injection/build.rs
index 1fa1a509..5b679bc7 100644
--- a/crates/coldvox-text-injection/build.rs
+++ b/crates/coldvox-text-injection/build.rs
@@ -63,16 +63,19 @@ fn build_gtk_test_app() {
 fn build_terminal_test_app() {
     println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=test-apps/terminal-test-app/src/main.rs");
     println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=test-apps/terminal-test-app/Cargo.toml");
+    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=test-apps/terminal-test-app/Cargo.lock");
 
     let out_dir = env::var("OUT_DIR").unwrap();
     let target_dir = Path::new(&out_dir).join("terminal-test-app-target");
 
     // Build the terminal test app using `cargo build`.
+    // Note: the test app is NOT part of the main workspace, so we must specify --manifest-path.
     let status = Command::new(env::var("CARGO").unwrap_or_else(|_| "cargo".to_string()))
         .arg("build")
-        .arg("--package")
-        .arg("terminal-test-app")
+        .arg("--manifest-path")
+        .arg("test-apps/terminal-test-app/Cargo.toml")
         .arg("--release") // Build in release mode for faster startup.
+        .arg("--locked")
         .arg("--target-dir")
         .arg(&target_dir)
         .status()
diff --git a/crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/confirm.rs b/crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/confirm.rs
index 54e0d7b8..6755c6b8 100644
--- a/crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/confirm.rs
+++ b/crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/confirm.rs
@@ -54,11 +54,14 @@
 //! - Future: Could extend to clipboard/enigo fallbacks for cross-method validation
 
 use crate::types::{InjectionConfig, InjectionResult};
+#[cfg(feature = "atspi")]
 use coldvox_foundation::error::InjectionError;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 use tokio::sync::Mutex;
-use tracing::{debug, error, info, trace, warn};
+#[cfg(feature = "atspi")]
+use tracing::{debug, error, trace};
+use tracing::{info, warn};
 use unicode_segmentation::UnicodeSegmentation;
 
 /// Confirmation result for text injection
@@ -136,7 +139,9 @@ pub async fn text_changed(
     prefix: &str,
     window: &str,
 ) -> InjectionResult<ConfirmationResult> {
+    #[allow(unused)]
     let start_time = Instant::now();
+    #[allow(unused)]
     let timeout_duration = Duration::from_millis(75);
 
     info!(
diff --git a/crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/injectors/atspi.rs b/crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/injectors/atspi.rs
index 78f8a43b..d227ebbb 100644
--- a/crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/injectors/atspi.rs
+++ b/crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/injectors/atspi.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@
 //! while providing the new TextInjector trait interface.
 
 use crate::confirm::{create_confirmation_context, ConfirmationContext};
+#[cfg(feature = "atspi")]
 use crate::log_throttle::log_atspi_connection_failure;
+#[cfg(feature = "atspi")]
 use crate::logging::utils;
 use crate::types::{
     InjectionConfig, InjectionContext, InjectionMethod, InjectionMode, InjectionResult,
@@ -43,7 +45,12 @@ impl AtspiInjector {
     }
 
     /// Insert text directly using AT-SPI EditableText interface
-    pub async fn insert_text(&self, text: &str, context: &InjectionContext) -> InjectionResult<()> {
+    pub async fn insert_text(
+        &self,
+        text: &str,
+        #[allow(unused)] context: &InjectionContext,
+    ) -> InjectionResult<()> {
+        #[allow(unused)]
         let start_time = Instant::now();
 
         trace!("AT-SPI insert_text starting for {} chars", text.len());
@@ -246,7 +253,12 @@ impl AtspiInjector {
     }
 
     /// Paste text using AT-SPI clipboard operations
-    pub async fn paste_text(&self, text: &str, context: &InjectionContext) -> InjectionResult<()> {
+    pub async fn paste_text(
+        &self,
+        text: &str,
+        #[allow(unused)] context: &InjectionContext,
+    ) -> InjectionResult<()> {
+        #[allow(unused)]
         let start_time = Instant::now();
 
         trace!("AT-SPI paste_text starting for {} chars", text.len());
diff --git a/crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/prewarm.rs b/crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/prewarm.rs
index 58621832..0635edd9 100644
--- a/crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/prewarm.rs
+++ b/crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/prewarm.rs
@@ -9,11 +9,14 @@ use crate::types::{InjectionConfig, InjectionMethod, InjectionResult};
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 use tokio::sync::{Mutex, RwLock};
-use tracing::{debug, info, trace, warn};
+#[cfg(feature = "atspi")]
+use tracing::trace;
+use tracing::{debug, info, warn};
 
 /// TTL for cached pre-warmed data (3 seconds)
 const CACHE_TTL: Duration = Duration::from_secs(3);
 /// Tiny timeout for individual pre-warming steps (50ms)
+#[cfg(feature = "atspi")]
 const STEP_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_millis(50);
 
 /// Pre-warmed data with TTL caching
@@ -161,6 +164,7 @@ impl PrewarmController {
 
     /// Pre-warm AT-SPI connection and snapshot focused element
     async fn prewarm_atspi(&self) -> Result<AtspiData, String> {
+        #[allow(unused)]
         let start_time = Instant::now();
         debug!("Starting AT-SPI pre-warming");
 
@@ -246,6 +250,7 @@ impl PrewarmController {
 
     /// Arm the event listener for text change confirmation
     async fn arm_event_listener(&self) -> Result<bool, String> {
+        #[allow(unused)]
         let start_time = Instant::now();
         debug!("Arming event listener for text change confirmation");
 
diff --git a/crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/tests/mod.rs b/crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/tests/mod.rs
index b576f697..8d005c47 100644
--- a/crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/tests/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/tests/mod.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 //! Test modules for coldvox-text-injection
 
-// pub mod real_injection;
+pub mod real_injection;
+#[cfg(feature = "real-injection-tests")]
+pub mod test_harness;
 pub mod test_utils;
 pub mod wl_copy_basic_test;
 pub mod wl_copy_simple_test;
diff --git a/crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/tests/real_injection.rs.disabled b/crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/tests/real_injection.rs
similarity index 68%
rename from crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/tests/real_injection.rs.disabled
rename to crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/tests/real_injection.rs
index 82d5b5c1..a68404a1 100644
--- a/crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/tests/real_injection.rs.disabled
+++ b/crates/coldvox-text-injection/src/tests/real_injection.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 //! To run these tests, use the following command:
 //! `cargo test -p coldvox-text-injection --features real-injection-tests`
 
+#![cfg(feature = "real-injection-tests")]
+
 // NOTE: Using modular injectors from the injectors module
 #[cfg(feature = "wl_clipboard")]
 use crate::clipboard_paste_injector::ClipboardPasteInjector;
@@ -17,16 +19,47 @@ use crate::injectors::atspi::AtspiInjector;
 #[cfg(feature = "ydotool")]
 use crate::ydotool_injector::YdotoolInjector;
 // Bring trait into scope so async trait methods (inject_text, is_available) resolve.
+#[cfg(any(
+    feature = "atspi",
+    feature = "enigo",
+    feature = "wl_clipboard",
+    feature = "ydotool"
+))]
 use crate::TextInjector;
 
-use crate::tests::test_harness::{verify_injection, TestApp, TestAppManager, TestEnvironment};
+use crate::tests::test_harness::{TestApp, TestAppManager, TestEnvironment};
+
+#[cfg(any(
+    feature = "atspi",
+    feature = "enigo",
+    feature = "wl_clipboard",
+    feature = "ydotool"
+))]
+use crate::tests::test_harness::verify_injection;
 use std::time::Duration;
+use tracing_subscriber::layer::SubscriberExt;
+use tracing_subscriber::util::SubscriberInitExt;
 
 /// A placeholder test to verify that the test harness, build script, and
 /// environment detection are all working correctly.
 #[tokio::test]
 
 async fn harness_self_test_launch_gtk_app() {
+    // Setup logging
+    let _ = std::fs::create_dir_all("target/logs");
+    let file_appender = tracing_appender::rolling::never("target/logs", "text_injection_tests.log");
+    let (non_blocking, _guard) = tracing_appender::non_blocking(file_appender);
+
+    let _ = tracing_subscriber::registry()
+        .with(tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter::from_default_env())
+        .with(
+            tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer()
+                .with_writer(non_blocking)
+                .with_ansi(false),
+        )
+        .with(tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer().with_test_writer())
+        .try_init();
+
     let env = TestEnvironment::current();
     if !env.can_run_real_tests() {
         eprintln!("Skipping real injection test: no display server found.");
@@ -70,24 +103,44 @@ async fn wait_for_app_ready(app: &TestApp) {
 
 /// Helper function to run a complete injection and verification test for the AT-SPI backend.
 async fn run_atspi_test(test_text: &str) {
-    let env = TestEnvironment::current();
-    if !env.can_run_real_tests() {
-        // This check is technically redundant if the tests are run with the top-level skip,
-        // but it's good practice to keep it for clarity and direct execution.
-        eprintln!("Skipping AT-SPI test: no display server found.");
+    // Early return if atspi feature is not enabled - before launching any GTK apps
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "atspi"))]
+    {
+        let _ = test_text;
+        println!("Skipping AT-SPI test: atspi feature not enabled");
         return;
     }
 
-    let app = TestAppManager::launch_gtk_app().expect("Failed to launch GTK app.");
-
-    // Allow time for the app to initialize and for the AT-SPI bus to register it.
-    // This is a common requirement in UI testing.
-    tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(500)).await;
-    // Wait for the app to be fully initialized before interacting with it.
-    wait_for_app_ready(&app).await;
-
     #[cfg(feature = "atspi")]
     {
+        // Setup logging
+        let _ = std::fs::create_dir_all("target/logs");
+        let file_appender =
+            tracing_appender::rolling::never("target/logs", "text_injection_tests.log");
+        let (non_blocking, _guard) = tracing_appender::non_blocking(file_appender);
+
+        let _ = tracing_subscriber::registry()
+            .with(tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter::from_default_env())
+            .with(
+                tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer()
+                    .with_writer(non_blocking)
+                    .with_ansi(false),
+            )
+            .with(tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer().with_test_writer())
+            .try_init();
+
+        let env = TestEnvironment::current();
+        if !env.can_run_real_tests() {
+            eprintln!("Skipping AT-SPI test: no display server found.");
+            return;
+        }
+
+        let app = TestAppManager::launch_gtk_app().expect("Failed to launch GTK app.");
+
+        // Allow time for the app to initialize and for the AT-SPI bus to register it.
+        tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(500)).await;
+        wait_for_app_ready(&app).await;
+
         let injector = AtspiInjector::new(Default::default());
         if !injector.is_available().await {
             println!(
@@ -96,24 +149,22 @@ async fn run_atspi_test(test_text: &str) {
             return;
         }
 
-        injector.inject_text(test_text).await.unwrap_or_else(|e| {
-            panic!("AT-SPI injection failed for text '{}': {:?}", test_text, e)
-        });
-    }
+        injector
+            .inject_text(test_text, None)
+            .await
+            .unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+                panic!("AT-SPI injection failed for text '{}': {:?}", test_text, e)
+            });
 
-    #[cfg(not(feature = "atspi"))]
-    {
-        println!("Skipping AT-SPI test: atspi feature not enabled");
+        verify_injection(&app.output_file, test_text)
+            .await
+            .unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+                panic!(
+                    "Verification failed for AT-SPI with text '{}': {}",
+                    test_text, e
+                )
+            });
     }
-
-    verify_injection(&app.output_file, test_text)
-        .await
-        .unwrap_or_else(|e| {
-            panic!(
-                "Verification failed for AT-SPI with text '{}': {}",
-                test_text, e
-            )
-        });
 }
 
 #[tokio::test]
@@ -151,6 +202,21 @@ async fn test_atspi_special_chars() {
 /// Helper function to run a complete injection and verification test for the ydotool backend.
 /// This test involves setting the clipboard, as ydotool's primary injection method is paste.
 async fn run_ydotool_test(test_text: &str) {
+    // Setup logging
+    let _ = std::fs::create_dir_all("target/logs");
+    let file_appender = tracing_appender::rolling::never("target/logs", "text_injection_tests.log");
+    let (non_blocking, _guard) = tracing_appender::non_blocking(file_appender);
+
+    let _ = tracing_subscriber::registry()
+        .with(tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter::from_default_env())
+        .with(
+            tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer()
+                .with_writer(non_blocking)
+                .with_ansi(false),
+        )
+        .with(tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer().with_test_writer())
+        .try_init();
+
     let env = TestEnvironment::current();
     if !env.can_run_real_tests() {
         eprintln!("Skipping ydotool test: no display server found.");
@@ -184,7 +250,7 @@ async fn run_ydotool_test(test_text: &str) {
 
     // The inject_text for ydotool will trigger a paste (Ctrl+V).
     injector
-        .inject_text(test_text)
+        .inject_text(test_text, None)
         .await
         .unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("ydotool injection failed for text '{}': {:?}", test_text, e));
 
@@ -233,6 +299,21 @@ async fn test_ydotool_special_chars() {
 /// Helper to test clipboard injection followed by a paste action.
 /// This simulates a realistic clipboard workflow.
 async fn run_clipboard_paste_test(test_text: &str) {
+    // Setup logging
+    let _ = std::fs::create_dir_all("target/logs");
+    let file_appender = tracing_appender::rolling::never("target/logs", "text_injection_tests.log");
+    let (non_blocking, _guard) = tracing_appender::non_blocking(file_appender);
+
+    let _ = tracing_subscriber::registry()
+        .with(tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter::from_default_env())
+        .with(
+            tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer()
+                .with_writer(non_blocking)
+                .with_ansi(false),
+        )
+        .with(tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer().with_test_writer())
+        .try_init();
+
     let env = TestEnvironment::current();
     if !env.can_run_real_tests() {
         eprintln!("Skipping clipboard test: no display server found.");
@@ -257,7 +338,7 @@ async fn run_clipboard_paste_test(test_text: &str) {
 
         // Perform clipboard+paste using the combined injector (it will try AT-SPI first then ydotool).
         clipboard_paste
-            .inject_text(test_text)
+            .inject_text(test_text, None)
             .await
             .expect("Clipboard+paste injection failed.");
 
@@ -274,6 +355,8 @@ async fn run_clipboard_paste_test(test_text: &str) {
 
     #[cfg(not(all(feature = "wl_clipboard", feature = "enigo")))]
     {
+        // Suppress unused variable warning when features are disabled
+        let _ = test_text;
         println!("Skipping clipboard test: required features (wl_clipboard, enigo) not enabled");
     }
 }
@@ -294,6 +377,21 @@ async fn test_clipboard_unicode_text() {
 
 /// Helper to test the direct typing capability of the Enigo backend.
 async fn run_enigo_typing_test(test_text: &str) {
+    // Setup logging
+    let _ = std::fs::create_dir_all("target/logs");
+    let file_appender = tracing_appender::rolling::never("target/logs", "text_injection_tests.log");
+    let (non_blocking, _guard) = tracing_appender::non_blocking(file_appender);
+
+    let _ = tracing_subscriber::registry()
+        .with(tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter::from_default_env())
+        .with(
+            tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer()
+                .with_writer(non_blocking)
+                .with_ansi(false),
+        )
+        .with(tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer().with_test_writer())
+        .try_init();
+
     let env = TestEnvironment::current();
     if !env.can_run_real_tests() {
         eprintln!("Skipping enigo typing test: no display server found.");
@@ -330,6 +428,8 @@ async fn run_enigo_typing_test(test_text: &str) {
 
     #[cfg(not(feature = "enigo"))]
     {
+        // Suppress unused variable warning when feature is disabled
+        let _ = test_text;
         println!("Skipping enigo typing test: enigo feature not enabled");
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/coldvox-text-injection/test-apps/gtk_test_app.c b/crates/coldvox-text-injection/test-apps/gtk_test_app.c
index 49f6d29e..e38ff786 100644
--- a/crates/coldvox-text-injection/test-apps/gtk_test_app.c
+++ b/crates/coldvox-text-injection/test-apps/gtk_test_app.c
@@ -19,9 +19,24 @@ static void on_text_changed(GtkEditable *editable, gpointer user_data) {
     fclose(f);
 }
 
+// Create a ready file to signal that the app has started.
+// This allows tests to detect when the app is ready without relying on text changes.
+static void create_ready_file(void) {
+    char filepath[256];
+    snprintf(filepath, sizeof(filepath), "/tmp/coldvox_gtk_test_%d.txt", getpid());
+    FILE *f = fopen(filepath, "w");
+    if (f != NULL) {
+        // Write empty content - file existence is the signal
+        fclose(f);
+    }
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     gtk_init(&argc, &argv);
 
+    // Create the ready file immediately so tests know the app is running
+    create_ready_file();
+
     // Create the main window
     GtkWidget *window = gtk_window_new(GTK_WINDOW_TOPLEVEL);
     gtk_window_set_title(GTK_WINDOW(window), "GTK Test App");
diff --git a/crates/coldvox-text-injection/test-apps/terminal-test-app/Cargo.lock b/crates/coldvox-text-injection/test-apps/terminal-test-app/Cargo.lock
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8c75eb7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/coldvox-text-injection/test-apps/terminal-test-app/Cargo.lock
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# This file is automatically @generated by Cargo.
+# It is not intended for manual editing.
+version = 4
+
+[[package]]
+name = "terminal-test-app"
+version = "0.1.0"
diff --git a/criticalActionPlan.md b/criticalActionPlan.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..375d6463
--- /dev/null
+++ b/criticalActionPlan.md
@@ -0,0 +1,174 @@
+# Critical Action Plan
+
+> **Created**: 2025-12-14
+> **Status**: ACTIVE
+> **Priority**: P0 - Documentation is actively misleading agents and developers
+
+This document tracks critical issues where documentation claims functionality that doesn't exist or is broken. These are not "nice to haves" — they cause immediate failures for anyone following the docs.
+
+---
+
+## P0: Documentation Claims Broken Features Work
+
+### Issue 1: `whisper` Feature is Non-Functional
+
+**Docs claim** (AGENTS.md, README.md, CLAUDE.md):
+```bash
+cargo run --features whisper,text-injection  # With STT
+```
+
+**Reality**:
+- `whisper = []` in `crates/app/Cargo.toml` — empty stub
+- `whisper_plugin.rs` is commented out: `// pub mod whisper_plugin;`
+- Enabling the feature only exposes `whisper_cpp.rs` which is a non-functional stub
+- **Result**: Zero STT capability despite docs promising it
+
+**Decision**: Whisper backend was intentionally removed. It should stay gone unless a pure-Rust replacement is implemented.
+
+**Action Required**:
+- [ ] Remove all references to `--features whisper` from docs
+- [ ] Remove `whisper` feature from `Cargo.toml` entirely (it's misleading)
+- [ ] Update README Quick Start to show moonshine as the STT option
+- [ ] Update AGENTS.md feature flags section
+- [ ] Update CLAUDE.md STT integration section
+- [ ] Remove `whisper_plugin.rs` and `whisper_cpp.rs` dead code
+
+**Files to update**:
+- `README.md` (lines 28, 34, 55, 62-71)
+- `AGENTS.md` (lines 62, 69, 107)
+- `CLAUDE.md` (STT Integration section)
+
+---
+
+### Issue 2: `parakeet` Feature Doesn't Compile
+
+**Docs claim** (AGENTS.md):
+```
+Use feature flags: whisper, parakeet, text-injection, silero
+```
+
+**Reality**:
+```bash
+cargo build -p coldvox-app --features parakeet
+# FAILS with 6 compile errors
+# - transcribe_samples() signature mismatch
+# - confidence field doesn't exist on TimedToken
+```
+
+**Root cause**: `parakeet-rs = "0.2"` API changed, plugin code not updated.
+
+**Decision**: Parakeet will be fixed, but is low priority. For now, remove from docs as "working" and mark as "planned".
+
+**Action Required**:
+- [ ] Remove parakeet from AGENTS.md "Use feature flags" list (immediate)
+- [ ] Add note that parakeet is planned but not yet working
+- [ ] Fix `crates/coldvox-stt/src/plugins/parakeet.rs` to match parakeet-rs 0.2 API (low priority)
+- [ ] Add CI job that builds with `--features parakeet` once fixed
+
+**Files to fix**:
+- `crates/coldvox-stt/src/plugins/parakeet.rs` (low priority)
+
+---
+
+### Issue 3: Python Version Nightmare
+
+**The chaos**:
+- `mise.toml`: `python = "3.13"`
+- `.python-version`: `3.12`
+- System Python: 3.14
+- PyO3 0.27: Only works with `<= 3.12`
+
+**What is mise?** mise (formerly rtx) is a polyglot version manager — like asdf/nvm/pyenv unified. It reads `mise.toml` and installs toolchains. The problem: it's configured for 3.13 which breaks PyO3.
+
+**Why can't UV just own everything?** It can! The `.envrc` already creates a UV-managed venv with the correct Python. The issue is:
+1. `mise.toml` contradicts `.python-version`
+2. Developers who run `mise install` get 3.13 which breaks the build
+3. There's no enforcement that UV is the only path
+
+**Resolution**: Make UV the single source of truth. Remove Python from mise.toml entirely.
+
+**Action Required**:
+- [ ] Remove `python = "3.13"` from `mise.toml` (let UV own Python)
+- [ ] Keep `.python-version = 3.12` for UV and other tools that respect it
+- [ ] Document: "All Python flows through UV. Run `uv sync` before building moonshine."
+- [ ] Add CI check that moonshine builds with UV-managed Python
+
+**Files to update**:
+- `mise.toml` (remove line 11: `python = "3.13"`)
+- Add to README/AGENTS.md: "Python is managed by UV only"
+
+---
+
+### Issue 4: requirements.txt vs pyproject.toml Confusion
+
+**requirements.txt**: Empty ("No external dependencies currently required")
+**pyproject.toml**: Has `transformers`, `torch`, `librosa`
+
+**Result**: `uv pip install -r requirements.txt` installs nothing useful.
+
+**Action Required**:
+- [ ] Delete `requirements.txt` (it's vestigial)
+- [ ] OR populate it correctly
+- [ ] Document that `uv sync` is the correct command
+
+**Files to update**:
+- `requirements.txt` (delete or fix)
+
+---
+
+## P1: Stub Features Waste Developer Time
+
+These features are defined in Cargo.toml but do nothing:
+
+| Feature | Status | Action |
+|---------|--------|--------|
+| `whisper` | Empty stub | Remove or implement |
+| `coqui` | Empty stub | Remove or implement |
+| `leopard` | Empty stub | Remove or implement |
+| `silero-stt` | Empty stub | Remove or implement |
+| `no-stt` | Defined but doesn't gate anything | Remove or implement |
+
+**Action Required**:
+- [ ] Remove stub features from Cargo.toml
+- [ ] OR add `compile_error!()` that explains they're not implemented
+- [ ] Remove from all documentation
+
+---
+
+## P2: CI/Code Mismatch
+
+### Golden Master installs faster-whisper but code doesn't use it
+
+**CI does**: `pip install faster-whisper`
+**Code does**: Nothing with it (whisper backend commented out)
+
+**Action Required**:
+- [ ] Remove `pip install faster-whisper` from CI
+- [ ] OR re-enable whisper backend
+- [ ] Clarify what golden master tests actually test
+
+---
+
+## What Actually Works (Verified 2025-12-14)
+
+| Feature | Status | Notes |
+|---------|--------|-------|
+| Default build | ✅ Works | `cargo build -p coldvox-app` |
+| Moonshine STT | ✅ Works | Requires `uv sync` first |
+| Text injection | ✅ Works | Default feature |
+| Silero VAD | ✅ Works | Default feature |
+| Tests | ✅ Works | `cargo test -p coldvox-app` |
+
+---
+
+## Tracking
+
+- [ ] All P0 issues resolved
+- [ ] All P1 issues resolved
+- [ ] README accurately reflects working features
+- [ ] AGENTS.md accurately reflects working features
+- [ ] CI verifies all documented features compile
+
+---
+
+*This document should be deleted once all issues are resolved and docs are accurate.*
diff --git a/docs/architecture.md b/docs/architecture.md
index 631447d7..6a79f848 100644
--- a/docs/architecture.md
+++ b/docs/architecture.md
@@ -9,10 +9,13 @@ last_reviewed: 2025-10-19
 
 # ColdVox Architecture & Future Vision
 
+> **⚠️ CRITICAL**: STT backend status has changed. See [`../criticalActionPlan.md`](../criticalActionPlan.md) for current working features.
+
 ## Navigation
 
 - [Architecture Roadmap](./architecture/roadmap.md)
 - [Architecture Decisions](./architecture/adr/)
+- [Critical Action Plan](../criticalActionPlan.md) - Current broken features tracking
 
 
 
diff --git a/docs/dependencies.md b/docs/dependencies.md
index 14f9aced..06bb1442 100644
--- a/docs/dependencies.md
+++ b/docs/dependencies.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ subsystem: general
 version: 1.0.0
 status: draft
 owners: Documentation Working Group
-last_reviewed: 2025-12-03
+last_reviewed: 2025-12-12
 ---
 
 # Dependency Overview
@@ -71,3 +71,46 @@ The `deny.toml` file in the repository root configures cargo-deny:
 - **rustfmt**: Code formatting (`cargo fmt`)
 - **clippy**: Linting (`cargo clippy`)
 - **uv**: Python dependency management for STT plugins
+
+## Mixed Rust + Python Tooling (Dec 2025)
+
+- **uv (Python 3.13-ready)**: Use `uv` for Python env + lockfiles; leverage its global cache to keep CI downloads minimal across runners. Treat `uv lock` as the single source of truth for Python deps; prefer `uv tool install` for CLI tools (ruff, maturin).
+- **maturin for packaging**: Build PyO3 wheels with `maturin build -r` and install in CI with `maturin develop` when you need editable bindings. Prefer `uv tool run maturin ...` so we do not rely on system pip. Follow PyO3 0.27 guidance for free-threaded Python 3.13 by enabling the `abi3-py313` or interpreter-specific feature in the binding crates as needed.
+- **Rust/Python interface hygiene**: Avoid `pyo3` debug builds in CI; set `PYO3_CONFIG_FILE` only when linking against non-system Python. For embedded Python, ensure `python3-devel` is present on self-hosted runners and keep `extension-module` + `auto-initialize` features constrained to the crates that need them.
+- **Shared caching**: Keep `target/` out of VCS; rely on Swatinem `rust-cache` in GitHub Actions plus `uv` global cache for Python wheels.
+
+### sccache (Rust Build Cache)
+
+sccache caches Rust compilation artifacts across builds, significantly reducing rebuild times for unchanged code.
+
+**Installation (one-time on self-hosted runner)**:
+```bash
+just setup-sccache
+# Or manually: cargo install sccache --locked
+```
+
+**CI Integration**: The CI workflow automatically:
+1. Checks if sccache is available on the runner
+2. If found, starts the sccache server and sets `RUSTC_WRAPPER`
+3. If not found, builds proceed normally (no failure)
+
+**Local Development**:
+```bash
+# Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
+export RUSTC_WRAPPER=sccache
+export SCCACHE_DIR=~/.cache/sccache
+
+# Check stats
+sccache --show-stats
+```
+
+**Cache Location**: `~/.cache/sccache` (configurable via `SCCACHE_DIR`)
+
+**Expected Savings**: 30-60% reduction in incremental build times on the self-hosted runner.
+
+## CI Gating Expectations
+
+- **Security gates on every PR**: Run `cargo deny check` and `cargo audit` as blocking jobs (they are already configured in CI—make them non-optional locally via `just lint` or `scripts/local_ci.sh`).
+- **Non-dummy end-to-end**: Hardware-backed E2E jobs (audio/VAD/STT/text injection) must execute on the self-hosted runner with real devices; remove or avoid placeholders. Use sharded CI so only that job targets the self-hosted runner while unit/integration suites run on hosted Linux.
+- **Cache-aware sharding**: Reuse the cargo cache populated on the self-hosted runner across the E2E job; keep other jobs on hosted runners to reduce queue time. If possible, warm the cache with a `cargo build --locked` step before running E2E to minimize device occupancy.
+- **Python/Rust lock discipline**: Keep `uv.lock` and `Cargo.lock` in sync with feature flags and PyO3 ABI choices; treat lock drift as a failing check in pre-commit/CI.
diff --git a/docs/issues/pyo3_instability.md b/docs/issues/pyo3_instability.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0f70a1ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/issues/pyo3_instability.md
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+---
+doc_type: troubleshooting
+subsystem: stt
+version: 1.0.0
+status: draft
+owners: Documentation Working Group
+last_reviewed: 2025-12-12
+---
+
+# Issue: PyO3 0.27 Instability on Python 3.13 (Moonshine Backend)
+
+**Status**: DRAFT (Local)
+**Created**: 2025-12-10
+**Priority**: High (Blocks stable build on modern Linux distros)
+
+## Problem
+PyO3 0.27 introduces breaking changes and strict requirements for Python 3.13 compatibility, specifically regarding free-threaded builds (GIL removal). This impacts the `moonshine` STT plugin in ColdVox.
+
+## Symptoms
+- Build errors on systems with Python 3.13 default (e.g., Arch, Fedora Rawhide).
+- Potential runtime panics if `#[pyclass]` structs do not implement `Sync`.
+- API deprecations/renames (`Python::with_gil` replaced by `Python::attach`).
+
+## Findings from Research
+1. **Free-Threading (3.13t)**: Python 3.13 supports experimental free-threading. PyO3 0.27 requires `Sync` implementation for all `#[pyclass]` types to support this.
+2. **API Change**: `Python::with_gil` is replaced by `Python::attach` in PyO3 0.27 for improved compatibility with free-threaded Python.
+3. **Build Tooling**: Attempting to build against Python 3.13 with older versions (or mismatched feature flags) fails.
+4. **Current Config**: `coldvox-stt` uses `pyo3 = "0.27"`.
+
+## Impact on ColdVox
+`moonshine.rs` uses `Python::with_gil` extensively. If the system Python is 3.13, the build may produce unstable binaries or fail link checks because our `MoonshinePlugin` struct holds `Py<PyAny>` fields that might need `Sync` guards in the new model.
+
+## Recommendation
+1. **Short Term**: Pin Python to 3.12 for stability via `.python-version` or `pyenv`.
+2. **Code Change**: Audit all `Py<T>` usage in `moonshine.rs` for `Sync` compliance.
+3. **Configuration**: Consider enabling `abi3-py313` feature in `Cargo.toml` or setting `PYO3_USE_ABI3_FORWARD_COMPATIBILITY=1`.
diff --git a/docs/playbooks/organizational/ci_cd_playbook.md b/docs/playbooks/organizational/ci_cd_playbook.md
index ae0592f8..9c8cc68c 100644
--- a/docs/playbooks/organizational/ci_cd_playbook.md
+++ b/docs/playbooks/organizational/ci_cd_playbook.md
@@ -86,7 +86,59 @@ When cargo-audit or cargo-deny reports a new advisory:
    ```
 4. **Document**: Add to CHANGELOG.md under Security & Tooling
 
+## Build Caching
+
+### sccache
+
+The self-hosted runner uses sccache for Rust compilation caching. This is set up automatically via CI but can be pre-installed:
+
+```bash
+# One-time setup on runner
+just setup-sccache
+
+# Or manually
+cargo install sccache --locked
+```
+
+The CI workflow (`text_injection_tests` job) will:
+1. Run `just setup-sccache` to ensure sccache is installed
+2. Start the sccache server
+3. Set `RUSTC_WRAPPER=sccache` for all subsequent cargo commands
+
+**Expected impact**: 30-60% faster incremental builds.
+
+### Swatinem/rust-cache
+
+Standard cargo cache action. Works on both hosted and self-hosted runners.
+
+## AI-Powered CI Failure Analysis
+
+When CI fails on a PR, the `ci-failure-analysis.yml` workflow automatically:
+1. Verifies the failure (handles race conditions)
+2. Gets PR number via SHA lookup (works for fork PRs)
+3. Fetches logs from failed jobs
+4. Analyzes the failure using **Gemini 2.5 Flash** AI (with thinking/reasoning)
+5. Posts a comment on the PR with root cause analysis and fix suggestions
+
+**Requirements**:
+- `GEMINI_API_KEY` secret must be set in repository settings
+- Get a free key from https://aistudio.google.com/app/apikey
+
+**Configuration**: `.github/workflows/ci-failure-analysis.yml`
+
+**Design Decisions** (based on research):
+- Uses `ubuntu-latest` (not self-hosted) for security - auxiliary workflows handling untrusted PR data should run on ephemeral GitHub-hosted runners
+- Uses SHA-based PR lookup via `listPullRequestsAssociatedWithCommit` API (GitHub bug: `workflow_run.pull_requests` is empty for fork PRs)
+- Verifies `conclusion` via API call before proceeding (race condition workaround)
+- Uses Gemini 2.5 Flash (`/v1beta` endpoint for latest models) with exponential backoff retry
+- Limits log size to 50KB to stay within API token limits
+
+**Cost**: Free tier (250 requests/day) is sufficient for most projects. Estimated ~$0.78/month if exceeding free tier.
+
+This runs only on PR failures (not push failures) to avoid noise.
+
 ## Related Documentation
 
 - [docs/dependencies.md](../../dependencies.md) - Dependency overview and tooling docs
 - [deny.toml](../../../deny.toml) - cargo-deny configuration
+- [runner_setup.md](./runner_setup.md) - Self-hosted runner setup guide
diff --git a/docs/playbooks/organizational/runner_setup.md b/docs/playbooks/organizational/runner_setup.md
index 3dcdb062..b81b052f 100644
--- a/docs/playbooks/organizational/runner_setup.md
+++ b/docs/playbooks/organizational/runner_setup.md
@@ -117,6 +117,43 @@ xorg-x11-server-Xvfb fluxbox dbus-x11 at-spi2-core wl-clipboard
 xclip ydotool xorg-x11-utils wmctrl gtk3-devel
 ```
 
+### Build Tooling
+
+#### sccache (Rust Build Cache)
+
+sccache caches Rust compilation artifacts, reducing incremental build times by 30-60%.
+
+**Installation** (run once on runner):
+```bash
+cd /path/to/ColdVox
+just setup-sccache
+```
+
+**Verification**:
+```bash
+sccache --version
+sccache --show-stats
+```
+
+**Location**: `~/.cargo/bin/sccache`
+**Cache**: `~/.cache/sccache`
+
+The CI workflow automatically detects and uses sccache if available. No additional configuration needed after installation.
+
+#### just (Command Runner)
+
+The project uses `just` as a command runner for development tasks.
+
+**Installation**:
+```bash
+cargo install just --locked
+```
+
+**One-time setup** (installs all dev tools including sccache):
+```bash
+just setup
+```
+
 ---
 
 ## Complete Workflow Files
diff --git a/justfile b/justfile
index 69cd6268..20370f4e 100644
--- a/justfile
+++ b/justfile
@@ -15,11 +15,13 @@ ci:
 check:
     pre-commit run --all-files
 
-# Quick development checks (format, clippy, check)
+# Quick development checks (format, clippy, check, security)
 lint:
     cargo fmt --all
-    cargo clippy --fix --all-targets --locked --allow-dirty --allow-staged -- -D warnings
+    cargo clippy --fix --all-targets --locked --allow-dirty --allow-staged
     cargo check --workspace --all-targets --locked
+    cargo deny check
+    cargo audit
 
 # Auto-fix linter issues where possible
 fix:
@@ -83,3 +85,38 @@ tui:
 # Run mic probe utility
 mic-probe duration="30":
     cd crates/app && cargo run --bin mic_probe -- --duration {{duration}}
+
+# Setup sccache for faster Rust builds (idempotent - safe to run multiple times)
+setup-sccache:
+    #!/usr/bin/env bash
+    set -euo pipefail
+    if command -v sccache >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        echo "✓ sccache already installed: $(command -v sccache)"
+        sccache --version
+    elif [[ -x "$HOME/.cargo/bin/sccache" ]]; then
+        echo "✓ sccache found at ~/.cargo/bin/sccache"
+        "$HOME/.cargo/bin/sccache" --version
+    else
+        echo "Installing sccache..."
+        cargo install sccache --locked
+        echo "✓ sccache installed"
+    fi
+    # Export for current shell (caller may need to source or re-eval)
+    echo "To enable: export RUSTC_WRAPPER=sccache"
+
+# Setup all development tools (run once after clone)
+setup: setup-hooks setup-sccache
+    @echo "✓ Development environment ready"
+
+# Install Moonshine Python dependencies (transformers, torch, librosa via uv)
+setup-moonshine:
+    ./scripts/install-moonshine-deps.sh
+
+# Build with Moonshine STT backend enabled
+build-moonshine: setup-moonshine
+    cargo build --workspace --locked --features moonshine
+
+# Run Moonshine verification example
+verify-moonshine: setup-moonshine
+    cargo run -p coldvox-stt --example verify_moonshine --features moonshine
+
diff --git a/mise.toml b/mise.toml
index c6763d3a..886e9c09 100644
--- a/mise.toml
+++ b/mise.toml
@@ -41,8 +41,7 @@ description = "Format & Lint Rust (Cargo)"
 run = """
 cargo fmt --
 # --allow-dirty is required because hooks run on dirty states by definition
-cargo clippy --fix --allow-dirty --allow-staged --all-targets --locked -- -D warnings
-"""
+cargo clippy --fix --allow-dirty --allow-staged --all-targets --locked """
 
 [tasks."check:lockfiles"]
 description = "Prevent Lockfile Drift"
diff --git a/scripts/local_ci.sh b/scripts/local_ci.sh
index 7264ec34..9bc299f8 100755
--- a/scripts/local_ci.sh
+++ b/scripts/local_ci.sh
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ fi
 
 # 2. Run clippy
 print_step "Running Clippy lints..."
-if cargo clippy --all-targets --locked -- -D warnings; then
+if cargo clippy --all-targets --locked; then
     print_success "Clippy checks passed"
 else
     print_error "Clippy checks failed"
@@ -60,6 +60,15 @@ else
     exit 1
 fi
 
+# 3.5 Security checks
+print_step "Running security checks..."
+if cargo deny check && cargo audit; then
+    print_success "Security checks passed"
+else
+    print_error "Security checks failed"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 # 4. Build
 print_step "Building workspace..."
 if cargo build --workspace --locked; then
diff --git a/toolEditResearch.md b/toolEditResearch.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4fb19d6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/toolEditResearch.md
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+# Research: Change-Scoped File Editing for AI Agents
+
+## Problem Statement
+
+Current AI agent file editing tools are **file-scoped**: they operate on one file at a time. Many editing operations are **change-scoped**: a single logical change that applies across multiple files.
+
+This mismatch forces N sequential tool calls for what is conceptually one operation.
+
+## Example
+
+Remove the string `-- -D warnings` from 5 files:
+- justfile
+- mise.toml
+- .pre-commit-config.yaml
+- scripts/local_ci.sh
+- AGENTS.md
+
+**Current approach:** 5 Edit tool calls, each requiring the agent to specify file path, old string, new string.
+
+**Desired approach:** 1 operation specifying the change, applied wherever it matches.
+
+## Research Questions
+
+1. **What tools exist today** that support change-scoped editing (one command, multiple files)?
+   - CLI tools (sd, sed, fastmod, codemod, ast-grep, etc.)
+   - IDE features (VSCode multi-file replace, JetBrains structural replace)
+   - MCP servers or agent plugins
+
+2. **What do agents already have access to?**
+   - Most agents can execute shell commands
+   - What's the lowest-friction path to change-scoped editing using existing capabilities?
+
+3. **What's missing?**
+   - Is the gap tooling (need new tools)?
+   - Or awareness (tools exist, agents don't use them)?
+   - Or instructions (agents are told to use file-scoped tools)?
+
+4. **What would a good solution look like?**
+   - Single operation interface
+   - Works across file types
+   - Provides preview/dry-run
+   - Reports what changed
+   - Portable across agents (not tied to one vendor)
+
+## Constraints
+
+- Should work for any MCP-capable agent, not just Claude Code
+- Prefer existing tools over building new ones
+- Must be trivially installable or already present on dev machines
+
+## Deliverables
+
+1. Ranked list of existing solutions with pros/cons
+2. Recommendation for the simplest path forward
+3. If new tooling is needed: minimal spec for an MCP server or CLI wrapper