APK built using Android.mk mm command not running in device after install

Question

I am following https://wladimir-tm4pda.github.io/porting/build_cookbook.html and have modified Building a simple APK

The Android.mk file is at the top level.

LOCAL_PATH := $(call my-dir)
include $(CLEAR_VARS)

LOCAL_STATIC_ANDROID_LIBRARIES += \
    android-arch-lifecycle-extensions \
    android-support-v7-recyclerview \
    android-support-v7-appcompat \
    android-support-constraint-layout \

# Build all java files in the java subdirectory
#LOCAL_SRC_FILES := $(call all-subdir-java-files)
#Commented line just made a ~17kB apk file
LOCAL_SRC_FILES := $(call all-java-files-under, app/src/main/java)
LOCAL_RESOURCE_DIR += $(LOCAL_PATH)/app/src/main/res

# Name of the APK to build
LOCAL_PACKAGE_NAME := LocalPackage

LOCAL_SDK_VERSION := current
#Otherwise build failing

# Tell it to build an APK
include $(BUILD_PACKAGE)

I have included it in Android 10 AOSP and built using mm command in terminal.

The output apk is 1MB big (should be 5 MB) and after doing adb install -r -t -f LocalPackage.apk it does not show up in the apps list. When built in Android Studio it is working fine.

My aim is to make this app a system app but first step is making mm build succeed. How to rectify this?

UPDATE:

I now changed the location of Android.mk file to where AndroidManifest.xml is present and also changed my Android.mk.

ifeq ($(TARGET_FWK_SUPPORTS_FULL_VALUEADDS),true)
ifeq ($(TARGET_BUILD_JAVA_SUPPORT_LEVEL),platform)

LOCAL_PATH := $(call my-dir)

include $(CLEAR_VARS)

res_dir := res $(LOCAL_PATH)/res

LOCAL_MODULE_TAGS := optional
#LOCAL_SDK_VERSION := current

LOCAL_SRC_FILES := $(call all-java-files-under, java)

LOCAL_RESOURCE_DIR := $(addprefix $(LOCAL_PATH)/, $(res_dir))
LOCAL_USE_AAPT2 := true
LOCAL_JAVA_LIBRARIES := com.google.android.material_material \

LOCAL_STATIC_ANDROID_LIBRARIES := \
    androidx.core_core \
    androidx.appcompat_appcompat \
    androidx.fragment_fragment \
    android-support-constraint-layout \

LOCAL_DEX_PREOPT := false
LOCAL_CERTIFICATE := platform
LOCAL_PRIVILEGED_MODULE := true
#LOCAL_PRODUCT_MODULE := true
LOCAL_PACKAGE_NAME := mediadecode
LOCAL_PRIVATE_PLATFORM_APIS := true

include $(BUILD_PACKAGE)

endif
endif

Now I am getting a 2MB app and the app shows up on the device after install but crashes as soon as I run it with the error

--------- beginning of crash
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: main
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime: Process: com.example.mediadecode, PID: 4319
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime: java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to instantiate activity ComponentInfo{com.example.mediadecode/com.example.mediadecode.MainActivity}: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: Didn't find class "com.example.mediadecode.MainActivity" on path: DexPathList[[zip file "/data/app/com.example.mediadecode-vTqIZ9aZv0FsEDQ8xzj4GA==/base.apk"],nativeLibraryDirectories=[/data/app/com.example.mediadecode-vTqIZ9aZv0FsEDQ8xzj4GA==/lib/arm64, /system/lib64, /system/product/lib64]]
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:3195)
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:3410)
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.app.servertransaction.LaunchActivityItem.execute(LaunchActivityItem.java:83)
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.app.servertransaction.TransactionExecutor.executeCallbacks(TransactionExecutor.java:135)
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.app.servertransaction.TransactionExecutor.execute(TransactionExecutor.java:95)
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:2017)
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:107)
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:214)
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:7397)
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime:        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(RuntimeInit.java:492)
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:935)
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime: Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: Didn't find class "com.example.mediadecode.MainActivity" on path: DexPathList[[zip file "/data/app/com.example.mediadecode-vTqIZ9aZv0FsEDQ8xzj4GA==/base.apk"],nativeLibraryDirectories=[/data/app/com.example.mediadecode-vTqIZ9aZv0FsEDQ8xzj4GA==/lib/arm64, /system/lib64, /system/product/lib64]]
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime:        at dalvik.system.BaseDexClassLoader.findClass(BaseDexClassLoader.java:196)
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime:        at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:379)
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime:        at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:312)
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.app.AppComponentFactory.instantiateActivity(AppComponentFactory.java:95)
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime:        at androidx.core.app.CoreComponentFactory.instantiateActivity(CoreComponentFactory.java:41)
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.app.Instrumentation.newActivity(Instrumentation.java:1251)
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:3183)
04-21 21:43:20.852  4319  4319 E AndroidRuntime:        ... 11 more

The contents of the apk formed are

The contents on building with Gradle is

How can I build my apk with mm and run it successfully?

Comment on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/androiddev/comments/p0zs1h/apk_built_using_androidmk_mm_command_not_visible/ — zeitgeist, Aug 11 '21 at 06:00
Two possible reason: 1, com.example.mediadecode.MainActivity is not inlcuded in the class.dex. Use dex2jar to check MainActivity class is included. If not included, the apk has been odexed, and "LOCAL_DEX_PREOPT := false" has not works, you can just flash the whole system img to verify you app. 2, If com.example.mediadecode.MainActivity class is included in class.dex, check you manifest file, make sure that there is no misspelling — Yong, Aug 12 '21 at 07:43
I checked my apk with dex2jar and there is no MainActivity in the contents. I think this is where the problem lies. — zeitgeist, Aug 16 '21 at 14:49
I found this link that Android.mk is not supported with Kotlin https://groups.google.com/g/android-platform/c/2TykGjNzYMc Is Soong an alternative? https://github.com/jzoran/kotlin-privapp — zeitgeist, Aug 16 '21 at 15:08

zeitgeist · Accepted Answer · 2021-09-17T12:33:29.383

I was able to use Soong compilation for my Kotlin Android app. I used the following Android.bp file.

android_app {
  name: "Camera2Video2",
  manifest: "AndroidManifest.xml",
  privileged: true,
  platform_apis: true,
  certificate: "platform",

  srcs: [
    "java/com/example/android/camera2/video/*.kt",
    "java/com/example/android/camera2/video/fragments/*.kt",
    "java/com/example/android/camera2/video/overlay/*.kt",
    "java/com/example/android/camera2/video/utils/*.kt",
  ],

  resource_dirs: [
    "res/",
  ],

  static_libs: [
    "androidx-constraintlayout_constraintlayout",
    "androidx.appcompat_appcompat",
    "androidx.localbroadcastmanager_localbroadcastmanager",
    "com.google.android.material_material",
    "androidx.exifinterface_exifinterface",
    "androidx.core_core",
    "androidx.preference_preference",
    "androidx.fragment_fragment",
  ],

  libs: [
    "telephony-common",
  ],
  optimize: {
        enabled: false,
  },
  dex_preopt: {
    enabled: false,
  },
}

I also tried compiling my Android app after converting it fully to Java. Here is the Android.mk file

LOCAL_PATH := $(call my-dir)

include $(CLEAR_VARS)

res_dir := res $(LOCAL_PATH)/res

LOCAL_MODULE_TAGS := optional
#LOCAL_SDK_VERSION := current

LOCAL_SRC_FILES := $(call all-java-files-under, java)

LOCAL_RESOURCE_DIR := $(addprefix $(LOCAL_PATH)/, $(res_dir))
LOCAL_USE_AAPT2 := true

LOCAL_JAVA_LIBRARIES := com.google.android.material_material \

LOCAL_STATIC_ANDROID_LIBRARIES := \
        androidx.appcompat_appcompat \
        androidx-constraintlayout_constraintlayout \
        androidx.preference_preference \
        androidx.fragment_fragment \
        androidx.core_core \

#LOCAL_DEX_PREOPT := false
LOCAL_CERTIFICATE := platform
LOCAL_PRIVILEGED_MODULE := true
#LOCAL_PRODUCT_MODULE := true
LOCAL_PACKAGE_NAME := QMedia
LOCAL_PRIVATE_PLATFORM_APIS := true

include $(BUILD_PACKAGE)

APK built using Android.mk mm command not running in device after install

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