feat(hub): default email opt-outs and match Register to Login styling

- Invitation-by-email and recovery-key-by-email boxes now start unchecked;
  mailing a code/key is opt-in. The invite choice still remembers itself
  per account once set.
- Align the two invite-email checkboxes with their label (center, not
  flex-start).
- Register (and its verify/recovery/done steps) now sits on the same dark
  gradient backdrop and frosted card as Login, via a shared AuthShell.
- Make the gradient's top-left corner very slightly less bright
  (#86a3c4 -> #809cbc), on both auth pages.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>

4 files changed, 37 insertions, 16 deletions

diff --git a/packages/meshbay-hub/src/meshbay_hub/static/auth-page.js b/packages/meshbay-hub/src/meshbay_hub/static/auth-page.js
index 2164eae..09c4acf 100644
--- a/packages/meshbay-hub/src/meshbay_hub/static/auth-page.js
+++ b/packages/meshbay-hub/src/meshbay_hub/static/auth-page.js
@@ -344,6 +344,23 @@ function WelcomePitch() {
   `;
 }
 
+// The sign-in page's dark gradient backdrop and frosted card, without the
+// pitch beside it — so Register (and its verify/recovery/done steps) sits on
+// the same background and reads in the same dark theme as Login. A lone
+// `.welcome-side` is centred by `.welcome`'s `justify-content`.
+function AuthShell({ children }) {
+  return html`
+    <div class="page-center">
+      <div class="welcome-backdrop" aria-hidden="true"></div>
+      <div class="welcome">
+        <div class="welcome-side">
+          ${children}
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  `;
+}
+
 export function RegisterPage() {
   const [username, setUsername] = useState('');
   const [email, setEmail] = useState('');
@@ -358,7 +375,9 @@ export function RegisterPage() {
   const [recoveryMnemonic, setRecoveryMnemonic] = useState('');
   const [recoverySaved, setRecoverySaved] = useState(false);
   const [recoveryCopied, setRecoveryCopied] = useState(false);
-  const [emailRecovery, setEmailRecovery] = useState(true);
+  // Off by default: mailing the recovery key is opt-in — the key is shown on
+  // screen to save, and sending a copy is the user's own choice to make.
+  const [emailRecovery, setEmailRecovery] = useState(false);
   const captcha = useCaptcha();
 
   const onSubmit = async (e) => {
@@ -457,7 +476,7 @@ export function RegisterPage() {
 
   if (phase === 'done') {
     return html`
-      <div class="page-center">
+      <${AuthShell}>
         <div class="card login-card">
           <h2>${t('register.verified_title')}</h2>
           <p style="text-align:center; margin-bottom:16px; color:var(--text-secondary)">
@@ -467,7 +486,7 @@ export function RegisterPage() {
             <p style="text-align:center; margin-bottom:16px">${t('invite.after_register')}</p>`}
           <a href="#/login" style="display:block; text-align:center">${t('register.go_login')}</a>
         </div>
-      </div>
+      </${AuthShell}>
     `;
   }
 
@@ -480,7 +499,7 @@ export function RegisterPage() {
       } catch { /* clipboard blocked — the text is on screen to copy by hand */ }
     };
     return html`
-      <div class="page-center">
+      <${AuthShell}>
         <div class="card login-card">
           <h2>${t('register.recovery_title')}</h2>
           <p style="margin-bottom:12px; color:var(--text-secondary)">
@@ -509,13 +528,13 @@ export function RegisterPage() {
             ${t('register.recovery_continue')}
           </button>
         </div>
-      </div>
+      </${AuthShell}>
     `;
   }
 
   if (phase === 'verify') {
     return html`
-      <div class="page-center">
+      <${AuthShell}>
         <div class="card login-card">
           <h2>${t('register.success_title')}</h2>
           <p style="text-align:center; margin-bottom:16px; color:var(--text-secondary)">
@@ -538,12 +557,12 @@ export function RegisterPage() {
               ${t('register.resend_sent')}</span>`}
           </div>
         </div>
-      </div>
+      </${AuthShell}>
     `;
   }
 
   return html`
-    <div class="page-center">
+    <${AuthShell}>
       <div class="card login-card">
         <h2>${t('register.title')}</h2>
         <form onSubmit=${onSubmit}>
@@ -585,7 +604,7 @@ export function RegisterPage() {
           ${t('register.has_account')} <a href="#/login">${t('register.login_link')}</a>
         </div>
       </div>
-    </div>
+    </${AuthShell}>
   `;
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/meshbay-hub/src/meshbay_hub/static/group-settings.js b/packages/meshbay-hub/src/meshbay_hub/static/group-settings.js
index a510e63..fba8a0e 100644
--- a/packages/meshbay-hub/src/meshbay_hub/static/group-settings.js
+++ b/packages/meshbay-hub/src/meshbay_hub/static/group-settings.js
@@ -417,7 +417,8 @@ function GroupSettingsPanel({ groupId, group, token, transportRef, gekRef,
   // Whether the hub mails the invitation. Checked, the hub is handed the code
   // to write it into the mail — so it is the inviter's choice, remembered per
   // account (docs/MESHBAY_DESIGN.md §3.4). Unchecked, the hub never sees it.
-  const [inviteByEmail, setInviteByEmail] = useState(true);
+  // Off by default: mailing the code is opt-in, not something to do unasked.
+  const [inviteByEmail, setInviteByEmail] = useState(false);
   const [error, setError] = useState('');
 
   // Node loopback state (Electron-only)
@@ -811,7 +812,7 @@ function GroupSettingsPanel({ groupId, group, token, transportRef, gekRef,
 
   useEffect(() => {
     hubFetch('/v1/users/me/preferences', { token })
-      .then(prefs => setInviteByEmail(prefs[INVITE_EMAIL_PREF] !== 'false'))
+      .then(prefs => setInviteByEmail(prefs[INVITE_EMAIL_PREF] === 'true'))
       .catch(() => {});
   }, [token]);
 
@@ -1059,7 +1060,7 @@ function GroupSettingsPanel({ groupId, group, token, transportRef, gekRef,
                 ${inviting ? '...' : t('members.invite_btn')}
               </button>
             </div>
-            <label style="display:flex; gap:8px; align-items:flex-start; margin:6px 0 0;
+            <label style="display:flex; gap:8px; align-items:center; margin:6px 0 0;
                           font-size:0.88em; color:var(--text-secondary)">
               <input type="checkbox" checked=${inviteByEmail}
                      onChange=${e => toggleInviteByEmail(e.target.checked)} />
@@ -1105,7 +1106,7 @@ function GroupSettingsPanel({ groupId, group, token, transportRef, gekRef,
                 ${linking ? '...' : t('members.link_btn')}
               </button>
             </div>
-            <label style="display:flex; gap:8px; align-items:flex-start; margin:6px 0 0;
+            <label style="display:flex; gap:8px; align-items:center; margin:6px 0 0;
                           font-size:0.88em; color:var(--text-secondary)">
               <input type="checkbox" checked=${inviteByEmail}
                      onChange=${e => toggleInviteByEmail(e.target.checked)} />
diff --git a/packages/meshbay-hub/src/meshbay_hub/static/style.css b/packages/meshbay-hub/src/meshbay_hub/static/style.css
index 37775d8..8433b1a 100644
--- a/packages/meshbay-hub/src/meshbay_hub/static/style.css
+++ b/packages/meshbay-hub/src/meshbay_hub/static/style.css
@@ -682,7 +682,7 @@ a:hover { text-decoration: underline; }
   overflow: hidden;
   pointer-events: none;
   background: linear-gradient(155deg,
-    #86a3c4 0%, #6a819b 18%, #3d4d61 42%, #232b36 66%, #0f1113 100%);
+    #809cbc 0%, #6a819b 18%, #3d4d61 42%, #232b36 66%, #0f1113 100%);
 }
 /* The night-blue pool. */
 .welcome-backdrop::before {
diff --git a/packages/meshbay-hub/tests/test_invite_email_choice.py b/packages/meshbay-hub/tests/test_invite_email_choice.py
index e04c31f..de9410d 100644
--- a/packages/meshbay-hub/tests/test_invite_email_choice.py
+++ b/packages/meshbay-hub/tests/test_invite_email_choice.py
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@ Whether the hub mails an invitation is the inviter's choice, and it is remembere
 
 Mailing it hands the hub the code — `invite-notify` writes it into the message —
 which is exactly what §3.4 says the code is for not doing. So the Members tab
-offers it as a box, checked by default, and an unchecked box must mean the hub
-is never asked. The choice lives in an account preference; a key the hub does
+offers it as a box, unchecked by default (mailing the code is opt-in), and an
+unchecked box must mean the hub is never asked. The choice lives in an account
+preference, remembered once set; a key the hub does
 not list is refused, and the box would snap back on every click with nothing on
 screen to say why.
 """