copy: clearer, shorter, warmer English across errors, pickers, launch

crates/tui/src/cloud_dispatch.rs

@@ -1070,7 +1070,7 @@ pub fn format_job(job: &CloudJob) -> String {
     ];
     if let Some(minutes) = runtime_minutes(job) {
         lines.push(format!(
-            "Runtime: {minutes}m (Codewhale bookkeeping, not a bill)"
+            "Runtime: {minutes}m (codewhale bookkeeping, not a bill)"
         ));
     }
     if let Some(summary) = job.agent_summary.as_deref() {
@@ -1093,7 +1093,7 @@ pub fn format_status(
     credentials: &CredentialState,
     recent: &[CloudJob],
 ) -> String {
-    let mut lines = vec!["Codewhale cloud dispatch".to_string()];
+    let mut lines = vec!["codewhale cloud dispatch".to_string()];
     match credentials {
         CredentialState::Missing => {
             if membership_signed_in() {
@@ -1103,7 +1103,7 @@ pub fn format_status(
                 );
             } else {
                 lines.push(
-                    "Cloud agents are included with your Codewhale membership. Sign in with `codewhale login` to enable `/dispatch`; cloud dispatch fails closed until then (no sandbox, no push, no PR)."
+                    "Cloud agents are included with your codewhale membership. Sign in with `codewhale login` to enable `/dispatch`; cloud dispatch fails closed until then (no sandbox, no push, no PR)."
                         .to_string(),
                 );
             }
@@ -1822,7 +1822,7 @@ pub fn missing_credentials_message() -> String {
     if membership_signed_in() {
         "Cloud agents are not available for this account yet; cloud dispatch fails closed (no sandbox, no push, no PR).".to_string()
     } else {
-        "Cloud agents are included with your Codewhale membership. Sign in with `codewhale login` to enable `/dispatch`; cloud dispatch fails closed until then (no sandbox, no push, no PR).".to_string()
+        "Cloud agents are included with your codewhale membership. Sign in with `codewhale login` to enable `/dispatch`; cloud dispatch fails closed until then (no sandbox, no push, no PR).".to_string()
     }
 }
 
@@ -2059,7 +2059,7 @@ fn forge_host(forge: Forge) -> &'static str {
 
 fn proposal_note(plan: &DispatchPlan) -> String {
     format!(
-        "Proposed Codewhale cloud-agent offload to {} ({}) raising branch {}.",
+        "Proposed codewhale cloud-agent offload to {} ({}) raising branch {}.",
         plan.remote.forge.as_str(),
         plan.remote.name,
         plan.branch

crates/tui/src/commands/groups/config/config.rs

@@ -4633,7 +4633,7 @@ completion_sound = "bell"
         assert!(search.is_error);
         let search_msg = search.message.unwrap();
         assert!(
-            search_msg.contains("Invalid search.provider"),
+            search_msg.contains("Can't use 'not-a-backend' for search.provider"),
             "{search_msg}"
         );
         assert!(search_msg.contains("firecrawl"), "{search_msg}");
@@ -4642,7 +4642,7 @@ completion_sound = "bell"
         assert!(notifications.is_error);
         let notifications_msg = notifications.message.unwrap();
         assert!(
-            notifications_msg.contains("Invalid notifications.method"),
+            notifications_msg.contains("Can't use 'semaphore' for notifications.method"),
             "{notifications_msg}"
         );
         assert!(notifications_msg.contains("osc9"), "{notifications_msg}");

crates/tui/src/commands/groups/config/permissions.rs

@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ workspace = {other:?}
         assert!(message.contains("active in this workspace"));
         assert!(message.contains("#2 | ask | edit_file"));
         assert!(message.contains("exact normalized path `src/lib.rs`"));
-        assert!(message.contains("not active in this workspace"));
+        assert!(message.contains("inactive in this workspace"));
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ workspace = {other:?}
         let malformed = permissions_command(&app, Some("list"));
         let malformed_message = malformed.message.expect("malformed message");
         assert!(malformed.is_error);
-        assert!(malformed_message.contains("Permission rule operation failed"));
+        assert!(malformed_message.contains("Could not update the permission rule"));
         assert!(malformed_message.contains(&codewhale_config::quote_os_path(
             &displayed_permissions_path
         )));

crates/tui/src/commands/groups/core/copy.rs

@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ mod tests {
         let result = execute_copy(&mut app);
 
         let expected = format!(
-            "Accepted the last completed assistant response for clipboard delivery; a recovery copy is at {}",
+            "Copied the last response; a backup is at {}.",
             tmp.path().join("exports").join("last-copy.md").display()
         );
         assert_eq!(result.message.as_deref(), Some(expected.as_str()));
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ mod tests {
 
         assert_eq!(
             result.message.as_deref(),
-            Some("No completed assistant response is available to copy")
+            Some("Nothing to copy yet — no completed response.")
         );
     }
 
@@ -353,10 +353,7 @@ mod tests {
 
         assert!(!result.is_error);
         let message = result.message.as_deref().unwrap_or_default();
-        assert!(
-            message.contains("no recovery file could be written"),
-            "{message}"
-        );
+        assert!(message.contains("no backup could be written"), "{message}");
         assert!(message.contains("/export file <path>"), "{message}");
     }
 

crates/tui/src/commands/groups/core/core.rs

@@ -873,7 +873,7 @@ mod tests {
         let result = help(&mut app, Some("links"));
         let msg = result.message.expect("help topic should return message");
         assert!(msg.contains("links"));
-        assert!(msg.contains("Show Codewhale, community, and provider links"));
+        assert!(msg.contains("Show codewhale, community, and provider links"));
         assert!(msg.contains("Usage: /links"));
         assert!(msg.contains("Aliases: dashboard, api"));
     }
@@ -1597,7 +1597,7 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(app.view_stack.top_kind(), Some(ModalKind::SubAgents));
         assert_eq!(
             app.status_message,
-            Some("Fetching current-session sub-agents...".to_string())
+            Some("Finding this session's sub-agents...".to_string())
         );
     }
 
@@ -1607,7 +1607,7 @@ mod tests {
         let result = codewhale_links(&mut app);
         assert!(result.message.is_some());
         let msg = result.message.unwrap();
-        assert!(msg.contains("Codewhale & community"));
+        assert!(msg.contains("codewhale & community"));
         assert!(msg.contains("https://codewhale.net/en/docs"));
         assert!(msg.contains("https://codewhale.net/en/community"));
         assert!(msg.contains("https://github.com/Hmbown/CodeWhale"));
@@ -1700,7 +1700,7 @@ mod tests {
         let result = home_dashboard(&mut app);
         assert!(result.message.is_some());
         let msg = result.message.unwrap();
-        assert!(msg.contains("Codewhale"));
+        assert!(msg.contains("codewhale"));
         assert!(!msg.contains("codewhale Home Dashboard"));
         assert!(msg.contains("Model:"));
         assert!(msg.contains("Mode:"));
@@ -1753,7 +1753,7 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(msg.contains("/workspace   - Switch folders or worktrees"));
         assert!(msg.contains("/restore     - Roll files back to a turn snapshot"));
         assert!(msg.contains("/tokens      - Show session spend and context"));
-        assert!(msg.contains("/links       - Codewhale, community & provider links"));
+        assert!(msg.contains("/links       - codewhale, community & provider links"));
         assert!(msg.contains("/config      - Inspect and change settings"));
         assert!(
             !msg.lines()

crates/tui/src/commands/groups/plugins/tests.rs

@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ fn list_show_validate_are_read_only_and_label_legacy_tools() {
     let list = plugins(&mut app, Some("list")).message.unwrap();
     assert!(list.contains("Plugin bundles (1)"));
     assert!(list.contains("disabled"));
-    assert!(list.contains("Legacy executable plugin tools (1)"));
+    assert!(list.contains("Legacy plugin tools (1)"));
 }
 
 #[test]

crates/tui/src/commands/groups/utility/mcp.rs

@@ -238,24 +238,23 @@ fn mcp_unknown_id(presentation: &mut dyn CommandPresentationContext) -> String {
             &[("recommendations_command", "/mcp recommendations")],
         )
         .unwrap_or_else(|_| {
-            "Unknown recommended MCP ID. Run /mcp recommendations to inspect the curated list."
-                .to_string()
+            "Unknown MCP suggestion. Run /mcp recommendations to see the list.".to_string()
         })
 }
 
 fn recommended_mcp_text(presentation: &mut dyn CommandPresentationContext) -> String {
     let heading = presentation
         .translate("mcp_recommendations_heading", &[])
         .unwrap_or_else(|_| {
-            "Suggested Codewhale plugins (MCP components; nothing is installed automatically)"
+            "Suggested codewhale plugins (MCP components; nothing installs automatically)"
                 .to_string()
         });
     let safety = presentation
         .translate(
             "mcp_recommendations_safety",
             &[("restart_command", "/mcp restart")],
         )
-        .unwrap_or_else(|_| "Viewing this list adds or enables nothing.".to_string());
+        .unwrap_or_else(|_| "Looking adds nothing.".to_string());
     let github = presentation
         .translate(
             "mcp_recommendation_github",
@@ -281,7 +280,7 @@ fn recommended_mcp_text(presentation: &mut dyn CommandPresentationContext) -> St
             ],
         )
         .unwrap_or_else(|_| {
-            format!("• chrome-devtools — official Chrome DevTools MCP via pinned npm package\n  package: {CHROME_DEVTOOLS_MCP_PACKAGE}")
+            format!("• chrome-devtools — official Chrome DevTools MCP (pinned npm package)\n  package: {CHROME_DEVTOOLS_MCP_PACKAGE}")
         });
     let playwright = presentation
         .translate(
@@ -295,7 +294,7 @@ fn recommended_mcp_text(presentation: &mut dyn CommandPresentationContext) -> St
             ],
         )
         .unwrap_or_else(|_| {
-            format!("• playwright — Microsoft's official Playwright MCP via pinned npm package\n  package: {PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_PACKAGE}")
+            format!("• playwright — Microsoft's official Playwright MCP (pinned npm package)\n  package: {PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_PACKAGE}")
         });
     let cua = presentation
         .translate(
@@ -396,7 +395,7 @@ mod tests {
                     "Unknown recommended MCP ID. Run {recommendations_command} to inspect the curated list.".to_string()
                 }
                 "mcp_recommendations_heading" => {
-                    "Suggested Codewhale plugins (MCP components; nothing is installed automatically)"
+                    "Suggested codewhale plugins (MCP components; nothing installs automatically)"
                         .to_string()
                 }
                 "mcp_recommendations_safety" => {
@@ -459,7 +458,7 @@ mod tests {
         let recommended = mcp(&mut FakePresentation, Some("recommendations"))
             .message
             .expect("recommendations text");
-        assert!(recommended.contains("nothing is installed automatically"));
+        assert!(recommended.contains("nothing installs automatically"));
         assert!(recommended.contains("provenance:"));
         assert!(recommended.contains("https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/"));
         assert!(recommended.contains("chrome-devtools-mcp@1.7.0"));
@@ -599,8 +598,8 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn recommendations_state_execution_and_install_boundaries() {
         let text = recommended_mcp_text(&mut FakePresentation);
-        assert!(text.contains("nothing is installed automatically"));
-        assert!(text.contains("Suggested Codewhale plugins"));
+        assert!(text.contains("nothing installs automatically"));
+        assert!(text.contains("Suggested codewhale plugins"));
         assert!(text.contains("never downloads or"));
         assert!(text.contains("installs this binary"));
         assert!(text.contains("experimental"));

crates/tui/src/commands/groups/utility/update.rs

@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ fn run_updater(updater: &Path, mode: UpdateMode) -> CommandResult {
             CommandResult::message(format!("{}\n\n{transcript}", install_preamble(updater)))
         }
         UpdateMode::Install => CommandResult::message(format!(
-            "{transcript}\n\nRestart Codewhale to run the updated binary."
+            "{transcript}\n\nRestart codewhale to run the updated binary."
         )),
     }
 }