ApkTool 2.2.2 takes long to decode apk compared to 2.1.0

[amjadaziz817]

Information

1. Apktool Version (2.2.2) -
2. Operating System (Windows) -
3. APK From? (Other) -

I am trying to decode apk using latest apktool. It is taking longer than v2.1.0.
Current version 2.2.2 takes about 11 seconds to decode an apk however apktool v2.1.0 takes 4.5 seconds for same apk file at same machine with same load.

Please find the attachments decoding apk file using two different apktool versions.

Any comment will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Amjad

[iBotPeaches]

Quite a lot of changes between 2.1.0 & 2.2.2. Is 2.2.2 the first time you experienced this? If so I can start bissecting between 2.2.1 and 2.2.2

There is 2.1.0 -> 2.1.1 -> 2.2.0 -> 2.2.1 -> 2.2.2, so quite a lot to look into it.

[amjadaziz817]

Hi Connor,

Thanks for reply.

Initially I faced this issue from v2.1.1 to v2.2.0 but the delay was not much. It increased from 4.5 seconds to 5.5 seconds.
But for v2.2.1 the time increased two times( 5.5 seconds to 11 seconds ) from previous release v2.2.0.

It looks like the issue is with android-framework.jar which was updated in v2.2.1. Without uninstalling framework that was installed from previous release( v2.2.0 ), v2.2.1 takes almost same( 5.5 Seconds) as v2.2.0.

After uninstalling platform through apktool empty-framework-dir, v2.2.1 takes around 11 seconds to decode same apk.

Hope this information will help.

Let me know if you need more information.

Thanks,
Amjad

[iBotPeaches]

I looked into this, I can make 2.2.2 just as fast as 2.1.0 if I use the internal framework of 2.1.0. Frameworks are getting larger and this is slowing down apktool. There is really nothing I can do here, the design of apktool is how it is which is iterations over resources. This will increase time of execution as resource count increases (which it does with every release)

[amjadaziz817]

Thanks.
Just a quick question, is it safe to use framework of v2.1.0 in v2.2.2 ?

[iBotPeaches]

Not really. You lose support for Android N and M if you do that.

[amjadaziz817]

Thanks.