update: added background page rendering

gui/__main__.py

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ core_logger.propagate = False
 from gui.v2.infrastructure.navigator import Navigator
 from gui.v2.infrastructure.setup_observers import setup_observers
 from gui.v2.infrastructure.connection_manager import ConnectionManager
+from gui.v2.infrastructure.page_registry import PRELOAD_ORDER, PRELOAD_SKIP
 from gui.v2.workers.worker_thread import WorkerThread
 from gui.v2.ui.builders.bottom_section import create_bottom_section
 from gui.v2.ui.builders.top_section import create_top_section
@@ -163,6 +164,17 @@ class CustomWindow(QMainWindow):
         self.check_logging()
 
         self.navigator = Navigator(self.page_stack, self)
+
+        self._preload_queue = []
+        self._preload_total = 0
+        self._preload_done = 0
+        self._preload_failed = 0
+        self._preload_skipped_runtime = 0
+        self._preload_t_start = 0.0
+        self._preload_timer = QTimer(self)
+        self._preload_timer.setSingleShot(True)
+        self._preload_timer.timeout.connect(self._preload_next)
+
         self.page_stack.currentChanged.connect(self.page_changed)
 
         self.show()
@@ -185,6 +197,55 @@ class CustomWindow(QMainWindow):
             self.navigator.navigate("welcome")
         else:
             self.navigator.navigate("menu")
+            self._start_background_preload()
+
+    def _start_background_preload(self):
+        import time
+        self._preload_queue = [n for n in PRELOAD_ORDER if n not in PRELOAD_SKIP]
+        self._preload_total = len(self._preload_queue)
+        self._preload_done = 0
+        self._preload_failed = 0
+        self._preload_skipped_runtime = 0
+        self._preload_t_start = time.perf_counter()
+        print(f"[preload] ============================================================", flush=True)
+        print(f"[preload] starting background preload: {self._preload_total} pages queued", flush=True)
+        print(f"[preload] order   : {', '.join(self._preload_queue)}", flush=True)
+        print(f"[preload] skipped : {', '.join(sorted(PRELOAD_SKIP))}  (unsafe init)", flush=True)
+        print(f"[preload] gap     : 250 ms between loads, 700 ms initial delay", flush=True)
+        print(f"[preload] ============================================================", flush=True)
+        self._preload_timer.start(700)
+
+    def _preload_next(self):
+        while self._preload_queue and self._preload_queue[0] in self.navigator._instances:
+            skipped = self._preload_queue.pop(0)
+            self._preload_skipped_runtime += 1
+            print(f"[preload] {skipped:30s} SKIP   (user navigated here first)", flush=True)
+        if not self._preload_queue:
+            self._emit_preload_summary()
+            return
+        idx = self._preload_done + self._preload_failed + 1
+        name = self._preload_queue.pop(0)
+        print(f"[preload] ---- {idx}/{self._preload_total} ----", flush=True)
+        ok = self.navigator.preload(name)
+        if ok:
+            self._preload_done += 1
+        else:
+            self._preload_failed += 1
+        if self._preload_queue:
+            self._preload_timer.start(250)
+        else:
+            self._emit_preload_summary()
+
+    def _emit_preload_summary(self):
+        import time
+        total_s = time.perf_counter() - self._preload_t_start
+        print(f"[preload] ============================================================", flush=True)
+        print(f"[preload] complete: {self._preload_done} loaded, "
+              f"{self._preload_failed} failed, "
+              f"{self._preload_skipped_runtime} skipped (user beat us to it) "
+              f"in {total_s:.2f}s", flush=True)
+        print(f"[preload] cached pages now: {sorted(self.navigator._instances.keys())}", flush=True)
+        print(f"[preload] ============================================================", flush=True)
 
     def perform_update_check(self):
         from core.controllers.ClientController import ClientController

gui/v2/infrastructure/navigator.py

@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import importlib
+import time
+import traceback
 
 from gui.v2.infrastructure.page_registry import PAGE_REGISTRY
 
@@ -23,6 +25,37 @@ class Navigator:
             self._instances[name] = page
         self.page_stack.setCurrentIndex(self.page_stack.indexOf(page))
 
+    def preload(self, name):
+        if name in self._instances:
+            print(f"[preload] {name:30s} SKIP   (already cached)", flush=True)
+            return False
+        if name not in PAGE_REGISTRY:
+            print(f"[preload] {name:30s} SKIP   (not in registry)", flush=True)
+            return False
+        module_path, class_name = PAGE_REGISTRY[name]
+        print(f"[preload] {name:30s} LOAD   {module_path}.{class_name}", flush=True)
+        t0 = time.perf_counter()
+        try:
+            module = importlib.import_module(module_path)
+            cls = getattr(module, class_name)
+            page = cls(self.page_stack, self.custom_window)
+            self.page_stack.addWidget(page)
+            self._instances[name] = page
+            dt_ms = (time.perf_counter() - t0) * 1000.0
+            print(f"[preload] {name:30s} OK     ({dt_ms:6.1f} ms, "
+                  f"cached={len(self._instances)}, stack_size={self.page_stack.count()})",
+                  flush=True)
+            return True
+        except Exception as e:
+            dt_ms = (time.perf_counter() - t0) * 1000.0
+            print(f"[preload] {name:30s} FAIL   ({dt_ms:6.1f} ms) "
+                  f"{type(e).__name__}: {e}", flush=True)
+            traceback.print_exc()
+            from core.errors.logger import logger as core_logger
+            core_logger.warning(f"Background preload failed for '{name}': "
+                                f"{type(e).__name__}: {e}")
+            return False
+
     def get_cached(self, name):
         return self._instances.get(name)
 

gui/v2/infrastructure/page_registry.py

@@ -30,3 +30,38 @@ PAGE_REGISTRY = {
     "fast_registration": ("gui.v2.ui.pages.fast_registration_page", "FastRegistrationPage"),
     "fast_mode_prompt": ("gui.v2.ui.pages.fast_mode_prompt_page", "FastModePromptPage"),
 }
+
+PRELOAD_SKIP = {
+    "blank",
+    "welcome",
+    "payment_confirmed",
+    "ticket_prep",
+}
+
+PRELOAD_ORDER = [
+    "settings",
+    "editor",
+    "ticket_or_billing_choice",
+    "payment_details",
+    "plan_picker",
+    "ticket_crypto_picker",
+    "duration_selection",
+    "currency_selection",
+    "policy_suggestion",
+    "systemwide_prompt",
+    "fast_mode_prompt",
+    "fast_registration",
+    "id",
+    "protocol",
+    "location",
+    "hidetor",
+    "residential",
+    "tor",
+    "connection",
+    "screen",
+    "browser",
+    "resume",
+    "wireguard",
+    "install_system_package",
+    "sync_screen",
+]

gui/v2/workers/worker_thread.py

@@ -231,6 +231,7 @@ class WorkerThread(QThread):
             self.check_for_update()
             locations = LocationController.get_all()
             browser = ApplicationVersionController.get_all()
+            print('the browser is: ', browser)
             all_browser_versions = [
                 f"{browser.application_code}:{browser.version_number}" for browser in browser if browser.supported]
             all_location_codes = [