Backend broken?

[julienschmidt]

Lookups on my smartphone fail with java.io.FileNotFoundException:

04-16 00:48:06.870  7673 14649 D NominatimGeocoderBackend: Requesting http://open.mapquestapi.com/nominatim/v1/reverse?format=json&accept-language=en&lat=39.106944&lon=-76.743056
04-16 00:48:06.981  7673 14649 W NominatimGeocoderBackend: java.io.FileNotFoundException: http://open.mapquestapi.com/nominatim/v1/reverse?format=json&accept-language=en&lat=39.106944&lon=-76.743056
04-16 00:48:06.981  7673 14649 W NominatimGeocoderBackend:  at com.android.okhttp.internal.huc.HttpURLConnectionImpl.getInputStream(HttpURLConnectionImpl.java:238)
04-16 00:48:06.981  7673 14649 W NominatimGeocoderBackend:  at org.microg.nlp.backend.nominatim.BackendService$AsyncGetRequest.run(BackendService.java:189)
04-16 00:48:06.981  7673  7690 W NominatimGeocoderBackend: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to get length of null array
04-16 00:48:06.981  7673  7690 W NominatimGeocoderBackend:  at java.lang.StringFactory.newStringFromBytes(StringFactory.java:45)
04-16 00:48:06.981  7673  7690 W NominatimGeocoderBackend:  at org.microg.nlp.backend.nominatim.BackendService$AsyncGetRequest.retrieveString(BackendService.java:220)
04-16 00:48:06.981  7673  7690 W NominatimGeocoderBackend:  at org.microg.nlp.backend.nominatim.BackendService.getFromLocation(BackendService.java:57)
04-16 00:48:06.981  7673  7690 W NominatimGeocoderBackend:  at org.microg.nlp.api.GeocoderBackendService$Backend.getFromLocation(GeocoderBackendService.java:72)
04-16 00:48:06.981  7673  7690 W NominatimGeocoderBackend:  at org.microg.nlp.api.GeocoderBackend$Stub.onTransact(GeocoderBackend.java:63)
04-16 00:48:06.981  7673  7690 W NominatimGeocoderBackend:  at android.os.Binder.execTransact(Binder.java:453)
04-16 00:48:06.983 13584 13606 E ReverseGeocoder: Fuuuuu
04-16 00:48:06.983 13584 13606 E ReverseGeocoder: java.io.IOException: no result
04-16 00:48:06.983 13584 13606 E ReverseGeocoder:   at android.location.Geocoder.getFromLocation(Geocoder.java:136)
...

If I curl the same URL, the response is The AppKey submitted with this request is invalid.. If the backend is not already sending an API key, than this is probably the problem.

[mar-v-in]

Duplicate of #4. It is not possible to have an API key shared with a lot of people, so there is no way to publish this backend on F-Droid anymore - without forcing the user to register and enter an API key.

[julienschmidt]

Is there any other geocoding backend?

And I think there would be quite a few people who would take the hurdle of registering for an API key. After all we already spend time to get rid of GAPPS.

[IzzySoft]

While I basically agree with @julienschmidt I hate to see that one tracker gets replaced by another (same with most weather APIs btw). Though they already can track by the requesting IP, a unique API key makes identification even more unique.

Still: If there was a way to configure an API key, and we knew the limits, multiple users might be able to share a single key privately. As most of us are unlikely to be able to compile the backend from source ourselves: would you mind adding such an option, @mar-v-in ? After all, it will definitely be an improvement. Currently it's not working at all – with a change that lets the user add an own API key, there's at least a choice.

[ale5000-git]

@mar-v-in: Please add an option in the GUI to allow the user to change the App Key on the fly (without recompile and without restart the phone).

[IzzySoft]

Btw: The OSM Nominatim Wiki states several alternative APIs being available. Next to the MapQuest Open Initiative (which I assume is what's being used here – API key to request on this site), there're also

• PickPoint: 2,500 API calls/day free, for non-commercial use. Should fit the average user.
• OpenCage Geocoder: free for up to 2,500 requests/day, 1 req/s. Again should fit the average user.
• LocationIQ: free developer plan for 30,000 requests / day, 6 req/s, allows even for commercial use.

I haven't checked whether those use API keys to identify users, or if the limits are bound to a requesting IP, or whatever. But it might be a good idea to have some alternative "API servers" available to switch between if one goes broke – and if those are integrated with this backend for that purpose. Of course, implementing them with an alternative backend would be an option as well – so if any dev considers that, please go ahead :)

Other "free reverse geocoding APIs" include:

• Gisgraphy Gisgraphy: also OSM based. Doesn't seem to require an API key at all for its free service. You call the URL and get a JSON object returned. Should be pretty easy to use.
• Texas A&M Geoservices Reverse Geocoding engine: free, API key required – but (currently) US only.
• ArcGIS REST API: (paid) API key optional, needed if you want to store results in your own database; not needed if you discard results after showing them once.
• GeoNames Web Services seems to allow to use a shared key
• Mappify.io: 100 req/d per IP without API key, 2,500 r/d with free API key. If a user needs more, throw in cash. Seems nice for a backend: No API key needed to try it, free API key available if one needs more, affordable API key ($1 per 1.000 reqs exceeding the free 2,500) for the few users needing even more after that. Or throw in 1,000$/month for a dedicated server with unlimited requests (kidding – but it's possible).

I'm not an Android dev – but maybe someone with the required knowledge wants to pick some of those and implement them? If done in this backend, hopefully @mar-v-in will merge resulting PR(s)?

[LuccoJ]

There is now also an official Nominatim instance from OpenStreetMap at https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ and it does not require API keys, while having rate limiting of about a call per second or two.

Generally speaking, since the Nominatim software is open and anyone can potentially set up their own instance (although it does require having a full OSM dataset), it would be ideal if this backend simply provided a setting to change the URL to the user's preferred Nominatim instance, with the official OSM one as the default choice.

[ArchangeGabriel]

That would be awesome!

[Findus23]

@LuccoJ It seems like the nominatim url is already mentioned in https://github.com/microg/NominatimGeocoderBackend/blob/master/src/main/java/org/microg/nlp/backend/nominatim/BackendService.java#L29
but not used.

[LuccoJ]

@Findus23 It also has an extra space before "http". How can I trust @mar-v-in with this unacceptable sloppiness!

[ale5000-git]

It may be just a typo, it may happen to everyone.

[LuccoJ]

I was just teasing, of course I'm not serious. Anyway it does seem like it should just be a matter of recompiling with the changed URL (though user-configurable would be nicer).

[ArchangeGabriel]

This should be fixed by the next build now that #14 landed. ;)