diff --git a/archlabs-installer b/archlabs-installer
index dae57a2..acfc4ff 100755
--- a/archlabs-installer
+++ b/archlabs-installer
@@ -111,11 +111,11 @@ WM_BASE_PKGS+="xdotool compton wmctrl gnome-keyring dunst feh gsimplecal xfce4-p
 SEL=0                                 # currently selected menu item
 ERR="/tmp/errlog"                     # error log used internally
 DBG="/tmp/debuglog"                   # debug log when passed -d
-RUN="/run/archiso/bootmnt/arch/boot"  # path for live /boot
-VM="$(dmesg | grep -i "hypervisor")"  # is the system a vm
-SYS='Unknown'
+RUN="/run/archiso/bootmnt/arch/boot"  # path for live system /boot
+VM="$(dmesg | grep -i "hypervisor")"  # system running in a virtual machine
+SYS='Unknown'                         # bios type to be determined: UEFI/BIOS
 
-export DIALOGOPTS="--cr-wrap"
+export DIALOGOPTS="--cr-wrap"   # see `man dialog`
 
 # }
 
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ CMAPS="$(find /usr/share/kbd/keymaps -name '*.map.gz' | awk '{gsub(/\.map\.gz|.*
 # terminal size
 [[ $LINES ]] || LINES=$(tput lines)
 [[ $COLUMNS ]] || COLUMNS=$(tput cols)
-SHL=$((LINES - 20))
 
 # associative arrays
 # {
@@ -709,7 +708,7 @@ select_packages()
 
 part_menu()
 {
-	is_bg_install || return 0
+	no_bg_install || return 0
 	local device choice devhash
 	devhash="$(lsblk -f | base64)"
 	umount_dir $MNT
@@ -1092,7 +1091,7 @@ part_mountconf()
 mount_menu()
 {
 	msg "Info" "\nGathering device info.\n" 0
-	is_bg_install || return 0
+	no_bg_install || return 0
 	lvm_detect
 	umount_dir $MNT
 	part_find 'part|lvm|crypt' || { SEL=2; return 1; }
@@ -1932,7 +1931,7 @@ prerun_systemd-boot()
 lvm_menu()
 {
 	msg "Info" "\nGathering device info.\n" 0
-	is_bg_install || return 1
+	no_bg_install || return 1
 	lvm_detect
 	local choice
 	while :; do
@@ -2033,10 +2032,10 @@ lvm_mkgroup()
 	until [[ $named ]]; do
 		lvm_partitions || return 1
 		lvm_group_name || return 1
-		yesno "$_lvmnew" "\nConfirm creation of volume group: $VGROUP\n\nwith the following partition(s): $LVM_PARTS\n" && named=true
+		yesno "$_lvmnew" "\nCreate volume group: $VGROUP\n\nusing these partition(s): $LVM_PARTS\n" && named=true
 	done
 
-	msg "$_lvmnew" "\nCreating group: $VGROUP\n" 0
+	msg "$_lvmnew" "\nCreating volume group: $VGROUP\n" 0
 	vgcreate -f "$VGROUP" $LVM_PARTS >/dev/null 2>$ERR
 	errshow "vgcreate -f $VGROUP $LVM_PARTS" || return 1
 
@@ -2049,7 +2048,7 @@ lvm_mkgroup()
 		VGROUP_MB=$SIZE
 	fi
 
-	msg "$_lvmnew" "\nVolume group: $VGROUP (${SIZE}$SIZE_UNIT) has been created\n"
+	msg "$_lvmnew" "\nVolume group $VGROUP (${SIZE}$SIZE_UNIT) successfully created\n"
 }
 
 lvm_del_all()
@@ -2111,7 +2110,7 @@ lvm_group_name()
 {
 	VGROUP=''
 	until [[ $VGROUP ]]; do
-		dlg VGROUP input "$_lvmnew" "$_lvmvgname" "mygroup"
+		dlg VGROUP input "$_lvmnew" "$_lvmvgname" "lvgroup"
 		if [[ -z $VGROUP ]]; then
 			return 1
 		elif [[ ${VGROUP:0:1} == "/" || $VGROUP =~ \ |\' ]] || vgdisplay | grep -q "$VGROUP"; then
@@ -2126,7 +2125,7 @@ lvm_volume_name()
 {
 	VNAME=''
 	local txt="$1" default="mainvolume"
-	(( VOL_COUNT > 1 )) && default="extravolume$VOL_COUNT"
+	(( VOL_COUNT > 1 )) && default="extvolume$VOL_COUNT"
 	until [[ $VNAME ]]; do
 		dlg VNAME input "$_lvmnew (LV:$VOL_COUNT)" "\n$txt" "$default"
 		if [[ -z $VNAME ]]; then
@@ -2145,7 +2144,7 @@ lvm_volume_name()
 luks_menu()
 {
 	local choice
-	is_bg_install || return 1
+	no_bg_install || return 1
 	dlg choice menu "LUKS Encryption" "$_luksmenu" \
 		"$_luksnew"  "cryptsetup -q luksFormat" \
 		"$_luksopen" "cryptsetup open --type luks" \
@@ -2341,12 +2340,13 @@ dlg()
 	local dlg_t="$2" # dialog type (menu, check, input)
 	local title="$3" # dialog title
 	local body="$4"  # dialog message
-	local n=0        # number of items to display
+	local n=0        # number of items to display for menu and check dialogs
 
 	shift 4  # shift off args assigned above
 
-	# when passed a large amount of arguments (menu list) adjust menu height
-	(( ($# / 2) > SHL )) && n=$SHL
+	# adjust $n when passed a large list
+	local l=$((LINES - 20))
+	(( ($# / 2) > l )) && n=$l
 	
 	tput civis
 	case "$dlg_t" in
@@ -2527,7 +2527,7 @@ net_connect()
 	fi
 }
 
-is_bg_install()
+no_bg_install()
 {
 	[[ $RSYNC_PID || $MIRROR_PID ]] || return 0
 	msg "Install Running" "\nA background install process is currently running.\n" 2