Crashlytics for Android generates conflicting provider

[deckerst]

Crashlytics aar manifest relies on ${applicationId} for its providers. One of them is misinterpreted and replaced by dollar_openBracket_applicationId_closeBracket in the final app manifest:

        <provider
            android:name="com.crashlytics.android.CrashlyticsInitProvider"
            android:exported="false"
            android:authorities="bpu.aimei.crashlyticsinitprovider"
            android:initOrder="100" />

        <provider
            android:name="com.crashlytics.android.CrashlyticsInitProvider"
            android:exported="false"
            android:authorities="dollar_openBracket_applicationId_closeBracket"
            android:initOrder="100" />

As this is a static string it is not unique to the app, so it conflicts with any other app that also uses Crashlytics. Installation of the second app will then fail with INSTALL_FAILED_CONFLICTING_PROVIDER. This is a blocker for us as we developed several Xamarin apps and we urgently need to replace Firebase Crash Reporting by Crashlytics in all of them.

[Redth]

After some investigation it looks like the original .aar file contains /aapt/AndroidManifest.xml which appears to be a 'sanitized' version of the manifest file for use with aapt, which removes unsupported characters (such as ${} found if using the ${applicationId} placeholder) (https://github.com/xamarin/Essentials/pull/416/files#diff-0402adc5e47d9aa94d7ccec496686a60R3).

This second manifest file is getting picked up by xamarin.android during the build process (this is evidenced by the fact that we see two <provider entries in the final merged manifest, one with the proper application id, and one with the escaped placeholder).

Given that Xamarin.Android rewrites these placeholders before sending to aapt anyway, I think it probably should be ignoring manifests found in the /aapt/ folder of .aar files.

In the meantime we can probably patch Xamarin.Build.Download to also drop these entries when embedding the .aar in the .dll at build time.

[jonathanpeppers]

This issue was moved to dotnet/android#2141

[Redth]

@deckerst can you please try the prerelease version of Xamarin.Build.Downoad (0.4.12-preview) which should ignore the duplicate (and incorrect) provider.

https://www.nuget.org/packages/Xamarin.Build.Download/0.4.12-preview

[deckerst]

Thanks for the quick release, but I've tried it and the final apk manifest still has the incorrect provider:

        <provider
            android:name="com.crashlytics.android.CrashlyticsInitProvider"
            android:exported="false"
            android:authorities="dollar_openBracket_applicationId_closeBracket"
            android:initOrder="100" />

I cleaned everything (bin/obj/packages) and I double-checked the XBD package version was right. Was the fix working for you?

[Redth]

Forgot one step. You'll need to wipe out your local nuget cache as well as any local packages folders. You need to get a fresh install of the nuget packages which haven't yet been altered by Xamarin.build.download since it skips the step this fix is in if it's already been done previously.

[deckerst]

I wiped the following and retried, to no avail (mac environment):

• ~/.local/share/NuGet
• ~/.nuget/packages
• solution packages
• project bin & obj

[Redth]

@deckerst apologies, there was still a bug in that release. 0.4.12-preview3 is now available and is working well locally for me: https://www.nuget.org/packages/Xamarin.Build.Download/0.4.12-preview3

Please:

1. Update the Nuget Package to 0.4.12-preview3
2. Restart the IDE
3. Delete all cached locations of NuGet Packages
4. Delete bin/obj
5. Rebuild

[jldubz]

I finally got this to work after some pain clearing and restoring the nuget cache.

The steps I followed were:

1. Updated the Nuget Package to 0.4.12-preview3
2. Restarted the IDE
3. Cleared the Nuget cache through Tools -> Option -> Nuget Package Manager -> General -> Clear All Nuget Cache(s)
4. Loaded the Solution
5. Restored Nuget Packages for the Solution
6. Rebuilt and ran

It was at this point that I started getting errors at the line of code that initializes Fabric with Crashlytics Fabric.Fabric.With(this, new Crashlytics.Crashlytics());
Saying that the package Fabric.io was missing. I had to install and then uninstall the Fabric, Xamarin.Android.Crashlytics.Answers, and Xamarin.Android.Crashlytics.Beta packages to get through a few of these errors, and now everything is up and running. I'm not sure why I have to manually load those packages into the Nuget Cache, but that has been the thorn in my side for the last day.

[SagarPanwala]

still able to reproduce on VS Mac
Followed all above steps.
still getting the same error. Xamarin.Build.Download version is 0.5.0-rc1

[Dooks123]

I'm still getting the issue where it generates the duplicate providers where one is correct but a second one with dollar_openBracket_applicationId_closeBracket is also added.

• Xamarin.Android.Fabric v1.4.3
• Xamarin.Android.Crashlytics.Core v2.6.3
• Xamarin.Android.Crashlytics.Beta v1.2.9
• Xamarin.Android.Crashlytics.Answers v1.4.2
• Xamarin.Android.Crashlytics v2.9.4.1
• Xamarin.Build.Download v0.4.11

[hemantbeast]

@Redth Still happening this issue with the XBD 0.9.0 version. Can't able to install the app.

• Xamarin.Android.Fabric v1.4.3.4
• Xamarin.Android.Crashlytics.Core v2.6.3.4
• Xamarin.Android.Crashlytics.Beta v1.2.9.4
• Xamarin.Android.Crashlytics.Answers v1.4.2.4
• Xamarin.Android.Crashlytics v2.9.4.4
• Xamarin.Build.Download v0.9.0

[Dooks123]

@Redth Still happening this issue with the XBD 0.9.0 version. Can't able to install the app.

• Xamarin.Android.Fabric v1.4.3.4
• Xamarin.Android.Crashlytics.Core v2.6.3.4
• Xamarin.Android.Crashlytics.Beta v1.2.9.4
• Xamarin.Android.Crashlytics.Answers v1.4.2.4
• Xamarin.Android.Crashlytics v2.9.4.4
• Xamarin.Build.Download v0.9.0

I have made a discovery to get around this issue here:
Crashlytics for Android generates conflicting provider #590

[jonathanpeppers]

@hemantbeast @Dooks123 this issue should be resolved by:

dotnet/android#2144

Can you file a new issue here: https://github.com/xamarin/xamarin-android/issues

Include a diagnostic MSBuild log or a sample project we can try, thanks!