faster-whisper voice STT setup and install fixes

Fixes on record

Merged to main. A stamp counts the issues a fix is linked to.

• #29800 docs(voice): use `uv pip install faster-whisper` in STT install hints

  merged to main

  files: cli.py, gateway/run.py, tools/voice_mode.py

  Show the diff

  • cli.py

    @@ -10640,7 +10640,8 @@ def _voice_start_recording(self):
             if not reqs.get("stt_available", reqs.get("stt_key_set")):
                 raise RuntimeError(
                     "Voice mode requires an STT provider for transcription.\n"
    -                "Option 1: pip install faster-whisper  (free, local)\n"
    +                "Option 1: uv pip install faster-whisper  "
    +                "(free, local; `pip install faster-whisper` also works if pip is on PATH)\n"
                     "Option 2: Set GROQ_API_KEY (free tier)\n"
                     "Option 3: Set VOICE_TOOLS_OPENAI_KEY (paid)"
                 )

  • gateway/run.py

    @@ -7938,7 +7938,8 @@ async def _prepare_inbound_message_text(
                                     "🎤 I received your voice message but can't transcribe it — "
                                     "no speech-to-text provider is configured.\n\n"
                                     "To enable voice: install faster-whisper "
    -                                "(`pip install faster-whisper` in the Hermes venv) "
    +                                "(`uv pip install faster-whisper` in the Hermes venv; "
    +                                "`pip install faster-whisper` also works if pip is on PATH) "
                                     "and set `stt.enabled: true` in config.yaml, "
                                     "then /restart the gateway."
                                 )

  • tools/voice_mode.py

    @@ -1077,7 +1077,8 @@ def check_voice_requirements() -> Dict[str, Any]:
             details_parts.append("STT provider: OK (OpenAI)")
         else:
             details_parts.append(
    -            "STT provider: MISSING (pip install faster-whisper, "
    +            "STT provider: MISSING (uv pip install faster-whisper — "
    +            "`pip install faster-whisper` also works if pip is on PATH, "
                 "or set GROQ_API_KEY / VOICE_TOOLS_OPENAI_KEY)"
             )
     

• #73520 fix(voice): CLI/TUI voice mode UX and environment fixes (15 items)

  merged to main

  files: cli.py, contributors/emails/[redacted:email], contributors/emails/[redacted:email], contributors/emails/[redacted:email], contributors/emails/[redacted:email], contributors/emails/[redacted:email], contributors/emails/[redacted:email], hermes_cli/config.py, hermes_cli/voice.py, tests/hermes_cli/test_voice_wrapper.py, tests/test_tui_gateway_server.py, tests/test_voice_max_recording_seconds.py, tests/tools/test_clipboard.py, tests/tools/test_termux_api_detection.py, tests/tools/test_tts_macos_output.py, tests/tools/test_voice_cli_integration.py, tests/tools/test_voice_mode.py, tests/tools/test_voice_wsl_pipewire.py, tools/tts_tool.py, tools/voice_mode.py (+4 more)