Fix tile loading finally

DEVELOPER.md

@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ The welcome popup explains that the app:
 
 **Key methods:**
 - `getNodes()`: Returns cache immediately, triggers pre-fetch if needed (spatial or temporal)
-- `getTile()`: Tile fetching with enhanced retry strategy (6 attempts, 1-8s delays)
+- `getTile()`: Tile fetching with unlimited retry strategy (retries until success)
 - `_fetchRemoteNodes()`: Handles Overpass → OSM API fallback
 
 **Smart caching flow:**

README.md

@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ cp lib/keys.dart.example lib/keys.dart
 
 ### Needed Bugfixes
 - Update node cache to reflect cleared queue entries
-- Improve/retune tile fetching backoff/retry
 - Are offline areas preferred for fast loading even when online? Check working.
 - Fix network indicator - only done when fetch queue is empty!
 

assets/changelog.json

@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
 {
+  "1.4.6": {
+    "content": [
+      "• IMPROVED: Tile fetching reliability - removed retry limits so visible tiles always load eventually",
+      "• FIXED: Queue management - cancel requests for off-screen tiles, ongoing requests continue normally"
+    ]
+  },
   "1.4.5": {
     "content": [
       "• NEW: Minimum zoom level (Z15) enforced for adding and editing surveillance nodes to ensure precise positioning",

lib/dev_config.dart

@@ -124,12 +124,13 @@ const double kPinchZoomThreshold = 0.2; // How much pinch required to start zoom
 const double kPinchMoveThreshold = 30.0; // How much drag required for two-finger pan (default 40.0)
 const double kRotationThreshold = 6.0; // Degrees of rotation required before map actually rotates (Google Maps style)
 
-// Tile fetch retry parameters (configurable backoff system)
-const int kTileFetchMaxAttempts = 16;              // Number of retry attempts before giving up
-const int kTileFetchInitialDelayMs = 500;        // Base delay for first retry (1 second)
+// Tile fetch configuration (brutalist approach: simple, configurable, unlimited retries)
+const int kTileFetchConcurrentThreads = 10;       // Number of simultaneous tile downloads
+const int kTileFetchInitialDelayMs = 200;         // Base delay for first retry (500ms)
 const double kTileFetchBackoffMultiplier = 1.5;   // Multiply delay by this each attempt
-const int kTileFetchMaxDelayMs = 10000;            // Cap delays at this value (8 seconds max)
-const int kTileFetchRandomJitterMs = 250;         // Random fuzz to add (0 to 500ms)
+const int kTileFetchMaxDelayMs = 5000;           // Cap delays at this value (10 seconds max)
+const int kTileFetchRandomJitterMs = 100;         // Random fuzz to add (0 to 250ms)
+// Note: Removed max attempts - tiles retry indefinitely until they succeed or are canceled
 
 // User download max zoom span (user can download up to kMaxUserDownloadZoomSpan zooms above min)
 const int kMaxUserDownloadZoomSpan = 7;

lib/services/map_data_submodules/tiles_from_remote.dart

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import 'package:deflockapp/dev_config.dart';
 import '../network_status.dart';
 
 /// Global semaphore to limit simultaneous tile fetches
-final _tileFetchSemaphore = _SimpleSemaphore(4); // Max 4 concurrent
+final _tileFetchSemaphore = _SimpleSemaphore(kTileFetchConcurrentThreads);
 
 /// Clear queued tile requests when map view changes significantly
 void clearRemoteTileQueue() {
@@ -93,15 +93,15 @@ bool _isTileVisible(int z, int x, int y, LatLngBounds viewBounds) {
 
 
 
-/// Fetches a tile from any remote provider, with in-memory retries/backoff, and global concurrency limit.
-/// Returns tile image bytes, or throws on persistent failure.
+/// Fetches a tile from any remote provider with unlimited retries.
+/// Returns tile image bytes. Retries forever until success.
+/// Brutalist approach: Keep trying until it works - no arbitrary retry limits.
 Future<List<int>> fetchRemoteTile({
   required int z,
   required int x,
   required int y,
   required String url,
 }) async {
-  const int maxAttempts = kTileFetchMaxAttempts;
   int attempt = 0;
   final random = Random();
   final hostInfo = Uri.parse(url).host; // For logging
@@ -109,20 +109,23 @@ Future<List<int>> fetchRemoteTile({
   while (true) {
     await _tileFetchSemaphore.acquire(z: z, x: x, y: y);
     try {
-      // Only log on first attempt or errors
-      if (attempt == 1) {
+      // Only log on first attempt
+      if (attempt == 0) {
         debugPrint('[fetchRemoteTile] Fetching $z/$x/$y from $hostInfo');
       }
       attempt++;
       final resp = await http.get(Uri.parse(url));
       
       if (resp.statusCode == 200 && resp.bodyBytes.isNotEmpty) {
-        // Success - no logging for normal operation
-        NetworkStatus.instance.reportOsmTileSuccess(); // Generic tile server reporting
+        // Success!
+        if (attempt > 1) {
+          debugPrint('[fetchRemoteTile] SUCCESS $z/$x/$y from $hostInfo after $attempt attempts');
+        }
+        NetworkStatus.instance.reportOsmTileSuccess();
         return resp.bodyBytes;
       } else {
         debugPrint('[fetchRemoteTile] FAIL $z/$x/$y from $hostInfo: code=${resp.statusCode}, bytes=${resp.bodyBytes.length}');
-        NetworkStatus.instance.reportOsmTileIssue(); // Generic tile server reporting
+        NetworkStatus.instance.reportOsmTileIssue();
         throw HttpException('Failed to fetch tile $z/$x/$y from $hostInfo: status ${resp.statusCode}');
       }
     } catch (e) {
@@ -130,17 +133,16 @@ Future<List<int>> fetchRemoteTile({
       if (e.toString().contains('Connection refused') || 
           e.toString().contains('Connection timed out') ||
           e.toString().contains('Connection reset')) {
-        NetworkStatus.instance.reportOsmTileIssue(); // Generic tile server reporting
-      }
-      
-      if (attempt >= maxAttempts) {
-        debugPrint("[fetchRemoteTile] Failed for $z/$x/$y from $hostInfo after $attempt attempts: $e");
-        rethrow;
+        NetworkStatus.instance.reportOsmTileIssue();
       }
       
+      // Calculate delay and retry (no attempt limit - keep trying forever)
       final delay = _calculateRetryDelay(attempt, random);
       if (attempt == 1) {
         debugPrint("[fetchRemoteTile] Attempt $attempt for $z/$x/$y from $hostInfo failed: $e. Retrying in ${delay}ms.");
+      } else if (attempt % 10 == 0) {
+        // Log every 10th attempt to show we're still working
+        debugPrint("[fetchRemoteTile] Still trying $z/$x/$y from $hostInfo (attempt $attempt). Retrying in ${delay}ms.");
       }
       await Future.delayed(Duration(milliseconds: delay));
     } finally {

pubspec.yaml

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 name: deflockapp
 description: Map public surveillance infrastructure with OpenStreetMap
 publish_to: "none"
-version: 1.4.5+16   # The thing after the + is the version code, incremented with each release
+version: 1.4.6+17   # The thing after the + is the version code, incremented with each release
 
 environment:
   sdk: ">=3.5.0 <4.0.0"   # oauth2_client 4.x needs Dart 3.5+