feat(transport): Improve socket transport mode selection and localization

lib/core/services/api_service.dart

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart';
 // import 'package:http_parser/http_parser.dart';
 // Removed legacy websocket/socket.io imports
 import 'package:uuid/uuid.dart';
+import '../models/backend_config.dart';
 import '../models/server_config.dart';
 import '../models/user.dart';
 import '../models/model.dart';
@@ -253,6 +254,44 @@ class ApiService {
     return result;
   }
 
+  Future<BackendConfig?> getBackendConfig() async {
+    try {
+      final response = await _dio.get('/api/config');
+      final data = response.data;
+      Map<String, dynamic>? jsonMap;
+      if (data is Map<String, dynamic>) {
+        jsonMap = data;
+      } else if (data is String && data.isNotEmpty) {
+        final decoded = json.decode(data);
+        if (decoded is Map<String, dynamic>) {
+          jsonMap = decoded;
+        }
+      }
+      if (jsonMap == null) {
+        return null;
+      }
+      return BackendConfig.fromJson(jsonMap);
+    } on DioException catch (e, stackTrace) {
+      _traceApi('Backend config request failed: $e');
+      DebugLogger.error(
+        'backend-config-error',
+        scope: 'api/config',
+        error: e,
+        stackTrace: stackTrace,
+      );
+      rethrow;
+    } catch (e, stackTrace) {
+      _traceApi('Backend config decode error: $e');
+      DebugLogger.error(
+        'backend-config-decode',
+        scope: 'api/config',
+        error: e,
+        stackTrace: stackTrace,
+      );
+      rethrow;
+    }
+  }
+
   // Authentication
   Future<Map<String, dynamic>> login(String username, String password) async {
     try {

lib/core/services/settings_service.dart

@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class SettingsService {
   static const String _voiceAutoSendKey = PreferenceKeys.voiceAutoSendFinal;
   // Realtime transport preference
   static const String _socketTransportModeKey =
-      PreferenceKeys.socketTransportMode; // 'auto' or 'ws'
+      PreferenceKeys.socketTransportMode; // 'polling' or 'ws'
   // Quick pill visibility selections (max 2)
   static const String _quickPillsKey = PreferenceKeys
       .quickPills; // StringList of identifiers e.g. ['web','image','tools']
@@ -256,15 +256,27 @@ class SettingsService {
     return _preferencesBox().put(_voiceAutoSendKey, value);
   }
 
-  /// Transport mode: 'auto' (polling+websocket) or 'ws' (websocket only)
+  /// Transport mode: 'polling' (HTTP polling + WebSocket upgrade) or 'ws'
   static Future<String> getSocketTransportMode() {
-    final value = _preferencesBox().get(_socketTransportModeKey) as String?;
-    return Future.value(value ?? 'ws');
+    final raw = _preferencesBox().get(_socketTransportModeKey) as String?;
+    if (raw == null) {
+      return Future.value('ws');
+    }
+    if (raw == 'auto') {
+      return Future.value('polling');
+    }
+    if (raw != 'polling' && raw != 'ws') {
+      return Future.value('ws');
+    }
+    return Future.value(raw);
   }
 
   static Future<void> setSocketTransportMode(String mode) {
-    if (mode != 'auto' && mode != 'ws') {
-      mode = 'auto';
+    if (mode == 'auto') {
+      mode = 'polling';
+    }
+    if (mode != 'polling' && mode != 'ws') {
+      mode = 'polling';
     }
     return _preferencesBox().put(_socketTransportModeKey, mode);
   }
@@ -344,7 +356,7 @@ class AppSettings {
   final String? voiceLocaleId;
   final bool voiceHoldToTalk;
   final bool voiceAutoSendFinal;
-  final String socketTransportMode; // 'auto' or 'ws'
+  final String socketTransportMode; // 'polling' or 'ws'
   final List<String> quickPills; // e.g., ['web','image']
   final bool sendOnEnter;
   final String? ttsVoice;
@@ -566,8 +578,17 @@ class AppSettingsNotifier extends _$AppSettingsNotifier {
   }
 
   Future<void> setSocketTransportMode(String mode) async {
-    state = state.copyWith(socketTransportMode: mode);
-    await SettingsService.setSocketTransportMode(mode);
+    var sanitized = mode;
+    if (sanitized == 'auto') {
+      sanitized = 'polling';
+    }
+    if (sanitized != 'polling' && sanitized != 'ws') {
+      sanitized = 'polling';
+    }
+    if (state.socketTransportMode != sanitized) {
+      state = state.copyWith(socketTransportMode: sanitized);
+    }
+    await SettingsService.setSocketTransportMode(sanitized);
   }
 
   Future<void> setQuickPills(List<String> pills) async {

lib/core/services/socket_service.dart

@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ typedef SocketChannelEventHandler =
 class SocketService with WidgetsBindingObserver {
   final ServerConfig serverConfig;
   final bool websocketOnly;
+  final bool allowWebsocketUpgrade;
   io.Socket? _socket;
   String? _authToken;
   bool _isAppForeground = true;
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ class SocketService with WidgetsBindingObserver {
     required this.serverConfig,
     String? authToken,
     this.websocketOnly = false,
+    this.allowWebsocketUpgrade = true,
   }) : _authToken = authToken {
     final binding = WidgetsBinding.instance;
     final lifecycle = binding.lifecycleState;
@@ -72,11 +74,18 @@ class SocketService with WidgetsBindingObserver {
     } catch (_) {}
     final path = '/ws/socket.io';
 
+    final usePollingOnly = !websocketOnly && !allowWebsocketUpgrade;
+    final transports = websocketOnly
+        ? const ['websocket']
+        : usePollingOnly
+        ? const ['polling']
+        : const ['polling', 'websocket'];
+
     final builder = io.OptionBuilder()
-        // Transport selection - WebSocket only, no polling fallback
-        .setTransports(['websocket'])
-        .setRememberUpgrade(false)
-        .setUpgrade(false)
+        // Transport selection switches between WebSocket-only and polling fallback
+        .setTransports(transports)
+        .setRememberUpgrade(!websocketOnly && allowWebsocketUpgrade)
+        .setUpgrade(!websocketOnly && allowWebsocketUpgrade)
         // Tune reconnect/backoff and timeouts
         .setReconnectionAttempts(0) // 0/Infinity semantics: unlimited attempts
         .setReconnectionDelay(1000)