[Android O] IllegalStateException: Not allowed to start service Intent

[cre8ivejp]

Hi,

From Android O, background tasks must call Context.startForegroundService instead of Context.startService ,but in this case you could just extend the PushService to JobIntentService to solve this.

Could you take a look at this issue please?

Migration guide:
https://developer.android.com/about/versions/oreo/android-8.0-changes.html#back-all

Model

Device: Google Pixel
OS: Android 8.0.0
SDK Version : 1.15.8

Error log

Fatal Exception: java.lang.RuntimeException
Unable to start receiver com.parse.GcmBroadcastReceiver: java.lang.IllegalStateException: Not allowed to start service Intent { act=com.google.android.c2dm.intent.REGISTRATION flg=0x10 pkg=com.example.sample cmp=com.example.sample/com.parse.PushService (has extras) }: app is in background uid UidRecord{ac05be6 u0a187 TRNB idle procs:1 seq(0,0,0)}


Caused by java.lang.IllegalStateException
--
  | android.app.ContextImpl.startServiceCommon (ContextImpl.java:1505)
  | android.app.ContextImpl.startService (ContextImpl.java:1461)
  | android.content.ContextWrapper.startService (ContextWrapper.java:644)
  | android.content.ContextWrapper.startService (ContextWrapper.java:644)
  | com.parse.ServiceUtils.runIntentInService (ServiceUtils.java:37)
  | com.parse.ServiceUtils.runWakefulIntentInService (ServiceUtils.java:68)
  | com.parse.GcmBroadcastReceiver.onReceive (GcmBroadcastReceiver.java:23)
  | android.app.ActivityThread.handleReceiver (ActivityThread.java:3252)
  | android.app.ActivityThread.-wrap17 (Unknown Source)
  | android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage (ActivityThread.java:1677)
  | android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage (Handler.java:105)
  | android.os.Looper.loop (Looper.java:164)
  | android.app.ActivityThread.main (ActivityThread.java:6541)
  | java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke (Method.java)
  | com.android.internal.os.Zygote$MethodAndArgsCaller.run (Zygote.java:240)
  | com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main (ZygoteInit.java:767)

[natario1]

More in depth reference:
https://developer.android.com/about/versions/oreo/background.html

[flovilmart]

@natario1 any easy win to release a fix?

[natario1]

@flovilmart I am taking a look right now!

[flovilmart]

@natario1 YOU === awesome

[natario1]

@flovilmart what's your take on ripping out PPNS?

I understand it might be supported by someone out there, but it looks really a thing of the past and is a burden here, over code complexity and maintainance.

For example, from wiki :

In the Android SDK, the client sends a ping message to the server every 15 minutes using a coalesced timer that wakes the device from sleep if necessary.

If this was kind of bad practice before, now it is impossible with newer versions, it won't work. Not even sure anyone wants that. The platform way to wake up the device upon network requests is using FCM messages, which is where we are heading. Removing PPNS would help a lot, even in fixing this issue.. I'd be glad to do it.

[flovilmart]

I recall @jeacott1 was using it, but I’m not sure where it stands, the reference server implementation is available in GO, but Hasn’t seen maintenance for a while. Let’s open a PR with ripping it out, let it sink a bit and see where we go from there. Android O compat is more important than PPNS if I had to choose

[cre8ivejp]

I also agree about the PPNS.
Since my project only uses GCM I forked the project I made modifications for it to work.
Thank god I could release my app in time.

I was thinking to send a PR, but I was too busy with release this week and also I didn't know what to do with PPNS.

[rogerhu]

Let's pull it and someone who wants to support it can offer a PR to make it work on newer devices..

[cre8ivejp]

I was in a hurry so I only did the minimal changes to make it work.
You can take a look here:
cre8ivejp#1

[milosonator]

I get a ton of reported app crashes on android O, only to lead me here. I'm not very deep into the parse code, but is there any way to work around this issue?

[cre8ivejp]

For now there is no workaround for this.
If you can't wait for an approached solution and
if you don't use PPNS, you can check my PR as reference and adjust it to your needs or just use it.
I'm using it on my app for a week and so far so good.

cre8ivejp#1

[milosonator]

Thanks for your answer @cre8ivejp. Unfortunatly PPNS is important to my use case. Currently I'm investigating the issue in more detail, perhaps disabling PPNS on just Android O until I can get a better solution in place or there is a patch for parse android.

[Jawnnypoo]

For now, you can target/compile with API 25 instead

[milosonator]

@Jawnnypoo even if I already rolled out a version targeting API 26?