feat: download Whisper model automatically on startup

README.md

@@ -281,6 +281,15 @@ Marked issues are numbered `MX-001…`; items that come from narration alone are
   </tr>
 </table>
 
+## Local Transcription
+
+On desktop startup, MarkuprPlus downloads the multilingual Whisper **tiny**
+model (~75 MB) in the background if no local model is installed. Existing
+models are reused. Download progress and retryable errors appear under
+**Settings > Advanced > Local Transcription**. Interrupted downloads resume on
+the next startup; offline or failed downloads do not block opening the app.
+Once downloaded, local transcription works without an internet connection.
+
 ## Interface Language
 
 The desktop interface defaults to **English**, including when upgrading from an

src/main/index.ts

@@ -2043,6 +2043,13 @@ app.whenReady().then(async () => {
   setupIPC();
   setupElectronTestHarnessIPC();
 
+  if ((!electronTestHarnessAllowed() || process.env.MARKUPRX_E2E_DOWNLOAD_MODELS === '1')
+    && process.env.MARKUPRX_PACKAGE_SMOKE !== '1') {
+    void modelDownloadManager.ensureDefaultModel().catch((error: unknown) => {
+      console.warn('[Main] Automatic Whisper download failed. Retry in Settings > Advanced > Local Transcription:', error);
+    });
+  }
+
   // 11. Configure session controller event callbacks
   sessionController.setEventCallbacks({
     onStateChange: handleSessionStateChange,
@@ -2090,6 +2097,9 @@ app.on('window-all-closed', () => {
 // Handle before quit
 app.on('before-quit', () => {
   isQuitting = true;
+  for (const model of modelDownloadManager.getAvailableModels()) {
+    modelDownloadManager.cancelDownload(model.name);
+  }
 });
 
 // Handle app quit

src/main/ipc/windowHandlers.ts

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 import { ipcMain, app } from 'electron';
 import { tierManager } from '../transcription/TierManager';
-import { modelDownloadManager } from '../transcription/ModelDownloadManager';
+import { DEFAULT_DOWNLOAD_MODEL, modelDownloadManager } from '../transcription/ModelDownloadManager';
 import { whisperService } from '../transcription/WhisperService';
 import type { WhisperModel } from '../transcription/types';
 import { POPOVER_SIZES } from '../windows';
@@ -18,9 +18,25 @@ import {
 } from '../../shared/types';
 import type { IpcContext } from './types';
 
-export function registerWindowHandlers(ctx: IpcContext): void {
+export function registerWindowHandlers(ctx: Pick<IpcContext, 'getMainWindow' | 'getPopover' | 'getWindowsTaskbar'>): void {
   const { getMainWindow, getPopover, getWindowsTaskbar } = ctx;
 
+  const sendDownloadEvent = (channel: string, payload: unknown): void => {
+    const window = getMainWindow();
+    if (window && !window.isDestroyed()) window.webContents.send(channel, payload);
+  };
+  // Startup downloads have no invoking renderer, so observe the manager globally.
+  modelDownloadManager.onProgress((progress) => {
+    sendDownloadEvent(IPC_CHANNELS.WHISPER_DOWNLOAD_PROGRESS, progress);
+  });
+  modelDownloadManager.onComplete((result) => {
+    if (result.success) whisperService.setModelPath(result.path);
+    sendDownloadEvent(IPC_CHANNELS.WHISPER_DOWNLOAD_COMPLETE, { model: result.model, path: result.path });
+  });
+  modelDownloadManager.onError((error, model) => {
+    sendDownloadEvent(IPC_CHANNELS.WHISPER_DOWNLOAD_ERROR, { model, error: error.message });
+  });
+
   // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
   // App Version
   // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -216,15 +232,16 @@ export function registerWindowHandlers(ctx: IpcContext): void {
     }
 
     const defaultModel = hasAnyModel ? modelDownloadManager.getDefaultModel() : null;
-    const recommendedModel = 'tiny';
-    const recommendedInfo = modelDownloadManager.getModelInfo('tiny');
+    const recommendedModel = DEFAULT_DOWNLOAD_MODEL;
+    const recommendedInfo = modelDownloadManager.getModelInfo(recommendedModel);
 
     return {
       hasAnyModel,
       defaultModel,
       downloadedModels,
       recommendedModel,
       recommendedModelSizeMB: recommendedInfo.sizeMB,
+      downloadStatus: modelDownloadManager.getDownloadStatus(recommendedModel),
     };
   });
 
@@ -251,43 +268,7 @@ export function registerWindowHandlers(ctx: IpcContext): void {
       return { success: false, error: 'Invalid model name' };
     }
     try {
-      const unsubProgress = modelDownloadManager.onProgress((progress) => {
-        getMainWindow()?.webContents.send(IPC_CHANNELS.WHISPER_DOWNLOAD_PROGRESS, {
-          model: progress.model,
-          downloadedBytes: progress.downloadedBytes,
-          totalBytes: progress.totalBytes,
-          percent: progress.percent,
-          speedBps: progress.speedBps,
-          estimatedSecondsRemaining: progress.estimatedSecondsRemaining,
-        });
-      });
-
-      const unsubComplete = modelDownloadManager.onComplete((result) => {
-        getMainWindow()?.webContents.send(IPC_CHANNELS.WHISPER_DOWNLOAD_COMPLETE, {
-          model: result.model,
-          path: result.path,
-        });
-        unsubProgress();
-        unsubComplete();
-        unsubError();
-      });
-
-      const unsubError = modelDownloadManager.onError((error, errorModel) => {
-        getMainWindow()?.webContents.send(IPC_CHANNELS.WHISPER_DOWNLOAD_ERROR, {
-          model: errorModel,
-          error: error.message,
-        });
-        unsubProgress();
-        unsubComplete();
-        unsubError();
-      });
-
       const result = await modelDownloadManager.downloadModel(model as WhisperModel);
-
-      if (result.success) {
-        whisperService.setModelPath(result.path);
-      }
-
       return { success: result.success };
     } catch (error) {
       console.error('[Main] Failed to download Whisper model:', error);