settings: lazy-build tabs (instant open); move connection dots beside the field; single-instance Settings dialog; Release 1.9.1

- gtksettings: build each notebook tab on first view instead of all up front, so
  the dialog opens instantly (was ~1.3s building Input/Benchmark file-choosers);
  _collect() force-builds unvisited tabs before saving so no field is missed.
- gtksettings: connection dot now sits left of the URL entry (like the Engines
  tab) instead of at the far right.
- gtkui: open_settings raises the existing dialog instead of opening a second.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

linux/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -9,6 +9,21 @@ The version is defined in [`blitztext/__init__.py`](blitztext/__init__.py).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [1.9.1] - 2026-06-08
+
+### Changed
+- **Settings opens instantly.** Each tab's contents are now built the first time
+  you view it instead of all up front, so the dialog no longer pauses ~1.3s
+  constructing the file-choosers in the Input/Benchmark tabs. Saving force-builds
+  any tab you didn't visit first, so no field is ever missed.
+- **Connection dots moved beside their field.** The Wakeword and TTS reachability
+  dots now sit just left of the URL entry (matching the Engines tab) instead of
+  at the far right of the row.
+
+### Fixed
+- **Settings could be opened more than once.** Choosing Settings while it's
+  already open now raises the existing window instead of stacking a second copy.
+
 ## [1.9.0] - 2026-06-08
 
 ### Added

linux/blitztext/__init__.py

@@ -6,4 +6,4 @@ counterpart to the macOS Blitztext menu bar app: it runs natively on the host
 (not in a container) so it can type into any application via xdotool.
 """
 
-__version__ = "1.9.0"
+__version__ = "1.9.1"

linux/blitztext/gtksettings.py

@@ -256,6 +256,8 @@ def _url_field(parent: Gtk.Box, label: str, placeholder: str, on_reload,
     row = Gtk.Box(spacing=10); row.set_margin_top(3); row.set_margin_bottom(3)
     lbl = Gtk.Label(label=label, xalign=0.0); lbl.set_size_request(130, -1)
     row.pack_start(lbl, False, False, 0)
+    if dot is not None:
+        row.pack_start(dot, False, False, 0)   # connection dot beside the field (left), like Engines
     e = Gtk.Entry(); e.set_hexpand(True)
     if placeholder:
         e.set_placeholder_text(placeholder)
@@ -272,8 +274,6 @@ def _url_field(parent: Gtk.Box, label: str, placeholder: str, on_reload,
         btn.get_accessible().set_name("Refresh models")
     btn.connect("clicked", lambda _b: on_reload())
     row.pack_start(btn, False, False, 0)
-    if dot is not None:
-        row.pack_start(dot, False, False, 0)
     parent.pack_start(row, False, False, 0)
     return e
 
@@ -340,13 +340,22 @@ class SettingsDialog:
 
         nb = Gtk.Notebook()
         self.dlg.get_content_area().pack_start(nb, True, True, 0)
-        self._build_presets(_page(nb, "Presets"))
+        # Build each tab lazily on first view so the dialog opens instantly. The
-        self._build_engines(_page(nb, "Engines"))
+        # heavy bits are the Gtk.FileChooserButton pickers in Input/Benchmark
-        self._build_input(_page(nb, "Input"))
+        # (~0.2s each to construct); deferring them until you visit that tab keeps
-        self._build_general(_page(nb, "General"))
+        # the initial open near-instant. _collect() force-builds any unvisited tab
-        self._build_benchmark(_page(nb, "Benchmark"))
+        # before saving, so no field is ever missed.
-        self._build_log(_page(nb, "Log"))
+        self._pending_tabs: dict = {}
-        self._build_about(_page(nb, "About"))
+        for title, builder in (("Presets", self._build_presets),
+                               ("Engines", self._build_engines),
+                               ("Input", self._build_input),
+                               ("General", self._build_general),
+                               ("Benchmark", self._build_benchmark),
+                               ("Log", self._build_log),
+                               ("About", self._build_about)):
+            self._pending_tabs[_page(nb, title)] = builder
+        self._build_tab(nb.get_nth_page(0))   # the visible tab, eagerly
+        nb.connect("switch-page", lambda _nb, page, _n: self._build_tab(page))
 
         self._bind_entry = None
         self._bind_pressed: list[str] = []
@@ -355,6 +364,18 @@ class SettingsDialog:
         self.dlg.connect("response", self._on_response)
         self.dlg.connect("destroy", lambda *_: self._cleanup())
 
+    def _build_tab(self, page: Gtk.Box) -> None:
+        """Build a notebook tab's contents the first time it's shown (lazy)."""
+        builder = self._pending_tabs.pop(page, None)
+        if builder is not None:
+            builder(page)
+            page.show_all()   # the dialog may already be on-screen
+
+    def _force_build_tabs(self) -> None:
+        """Build any not-yet-visited tabs so _collect() sees every field."""
+        for page in list(self._pending_tabs):
+            self._build_tab(page)
+
     # ===== Presets ==========================================================
     def _build_presets(self, page: Gtk.Box) -> None:
         _infobox(page, "Presets are your dictation actions. Pick one to edit it, or add your "
@@ -1495,6 +1516,8 @@ class SettingsDialog:
         d.run(); d.destroy()
 
     def _on_response(self, dlg, resp):
+        if resp in (RESP_SAVE, RESP_SAVE_RESTART):
+            self._force_build_tabs()   # ensure every tab's fields exist
         if resp == RESP_SAVE:
             if self._collect():
                 save(self.cfg)

linux/blitztext/gtkui.py

@@ -366,9 +366,18 @@ class App:
 
     # -- panel / settings / lifecycle -----------------------------------------
     def open_settings(self) -> None:
+        # Single instance: if Settings is already open, bring it to the front
+        # instead of spawning a second dialog (the tray menu bypasses the
+        # dialog's own modality, so it could otherwise be opened repeatedly).
+        existing = getattr(self, "_settings", None)
+        if existing is not None:
+            existing.dlg.present()
+            return
         from .gtksettings import SettingsDialog
 
-        SettingsDialog(self.win, self.cfg, daemon=self.daemon).run_dialog()
+        self._settings = SettingsDialog(self.win, self.cfg, daemon=self.daemon)
+        self._settings.dlg.connect("destroy", lambda *_: setattr(self, "_settings", None))
+        self._settings.run_dialog()
 
     def show_panel(self) -> None:
         self.win.show_all()