Build Failure Diagnosis and Fix Skill

Expert guidance for diagnosing and fixing Flutter build failures in Android projects, including dependency conflicts, Gradle errors, and compilation issues.

When to Use This Skill

• Flutter build fails (flutter build apk or flutter build appbundle)
• Gradle sync/build errors
• Dependency resolution failures
• Compilation errors (Dart or Kotlin/Java)
• Native build failures
• Plugin integration issues
• Version conflicts

Build Failure Diagnostic Workflow

Step 1: Identify the Build Stage

Flutter Android builds go through several stages:

1. Dependency Resolution (flutter pub get)
2. Dart Compilation (flutter build)
3. Gradle Configuration (Android build system setup)
4. Resource Processing (R8, ProGuard, resources)
5. Native Compilation (Kotlin/Java code)
6. Packaging (APK/AAB creation)

Identify which stage is failing to narrow down the issue.

Step 2: Clean Build First

Always try a clean build first:

# Nuclear option - clean everything
flutter clean
cd android
./gradlew clean
cd ..
rm -rf ~/.gradle/caches  # Only if really stuck
flutter pub get
flutter build apk --verbose

Step 3: Analyze Error Messages

Look for key error patterns:

• Gradle: "BUILD FAILED", "Could not resolve", "Deprecated"
• Dart: "Error:", "Warning:", "Unhandled exception"
• R8/ProGuard: "shrinking", "Missing class"
• Dependencies: "version conflict", "incompatible"

Common Build Failures and Solutions

1. Dependency Conflicts

Issue: Version Conflicts

Error: Version conflict between dependencies

Diagnosis:

cd android
./gradlew app:dependencies

Solution:

• Review pubspec.yaml - update conflicting dependencies
• Check android/app/build.gradle.kts for Android dependency versions
• Use version ranges carefully: ^1.0.0 vs >=1.0.0 <2.0.0
• Run flutter pub upgrade --major-versions if needed

Issue: Missing Dependencies

Error: Could not find dependency

Solution:

• Check dependency name spelling in pubspec.yaml
• Verify dependency exists on pub.dev
• Check internet connection
• Clear pub cache: flutter pub cache repair

2. Gradle Build Errors

Issue: Gradle Version Incompatibility

Error: Gradle version X.X is required

Solution:

• Update Gradle wrapper: cd android && ./gradlew wrapper --gradle-version=8.0
• Check android/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
• Ensure Java 17 is installed: java -version

Issue: Gradle Daemon Issues

Error: Gradle daemon stopped unexpectedly

Solution:

• Stop daemon: cd android && ./gradlew --stop
• Clear Gradle cache: rm -rf ~/.gradle/caches
• Check memory settings in gradle.properties
• For CI, use android/gradle-ci.properties

Issue: Deprecated Gradle Configuration

Warning: The following Gradle features are deprecated

Solution:

• Review android/build.gradle.kts and android/app/build.gradle.kts
• Update Gradle plugin version
• Check for deprecated DSL usage
• Run ./gradlew --warning-mode all for details

3. Java/JVM Issues

Issue: Wrong Java Version

Error: Compilation failed: java.lang.UnsupportedClassVersionError

Solution:

• This project requires Java 17
• Check: java -version
• Set JAVA_HOME: export JAVA_HOME=/path/to/java17
• Verify in gradle files: JavaVersion.VERSION_17

Issue: Out of Memory

Error: GC overhead limit exceeded

Solution:

• Increase heap size in android/gradle.properties:

  org.gradle.jvmargs=-Xmx4g -XX:MaxMetaspaceSize=1g
  

• For CI, use android/gradle-ci.properties (3GB limit)
• Enable parallel GC: -XX:+UseParallelGC

4. R8/ProGuard Issues

Issue: Class Not Found After R8 Shrinking

Error: Missing class referenced from: ...

Solution:

• Add ProGuard rules in android/app/proguard-rules.pro:

  -keep class com.your.package.** { *; }
  -dontwarn com.problematic.library.**
  

• Check if library provides ProGuard rules
• Disable shrinking temporarily to test: shrinkResources false

Issue: R8 Fails

Error: R8 task failed

Solution:

• Update Android Gradle Plugin
• Check for incompatible ProGuard rules
• Try R8 full mode: android.enableR8.fullMode=true
• Use --verbose flag to see details

5. Native Code Issues

Issue: Kotlin Compilation Fails

Error: Kotlin compilation failed

Solution:

• Check Kotlin version in android/build.gradle.kts
• Review Kotlin code in android/app/src/main/kotlin/
• Ensure Kotlin plugin version matches Gradle
• Update to latest stable Kotlin version

Issue: NDK/Native Library Issues

Error: Could not find NDK

Solution:

• Install NDK via Android Studio or SDK Manager
• Set ANDROID_NDK_HOME environment variable
• Check if dependency actually needs NDK
• Consider excluding unwanted ABIs in build.gradle.kts

6. Resource Issues

Issue: Duplicate Resources

Error: Duplicate resources

Solution:

• Check android/app/src/main/res/ for duplicates
• Review resource merging in build.gradle.kts
• Use resource prefixes to avoid conflicts
• Exclude duplicates from dependencies

Issue: Missing Resources

Error: Resource not found

Solution:

• Verify resource files exist in correct folders
• Check resource naming (lowercase, no special chars)
• Ensure resources are in appropriate density folders
• Run flutter pub get to regenerate

7. Plugin Integration Issues

Issue: Plugin Registration Fails

Error: Unhandled Exception: MissingPluginException

Solution:

• Run flutter clean && flutter pub get
• Check .flutter-plugins-dependencies
• Verify plugin in pubspec.yaml
• Rebuild native code: flutter build apk --verbose

Issue: Plugin Version Conflict

Error: Plugin version incompatible

Solution:

• Check plugin's minimum Flutter/Android versions
• Update Flutter SDK if needed
• Update plugin to compatible version
• Review plugin's changelog for breaking changes

8. Manifest Issues

Issue: Manifest Merge Fails

Error: Manifest merger failed

Solution:

• Check android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
• Review plugin manifests causing conflicts
• Add merge rules if needed:

  <uses-sdk tools:overrideLibrary="conflicting.package" />
  

• Use tools:replace or tools:merge attributes

Issue: Permission Issues

Error: Permission denied

Solution:

• Add required permissions to AndroidManifest.xml
• Check permission compatibility with minSdkVersion
• Review runtime permission handling in code

Project-Specific Build Configuration

This Template Uses

• Java 17: Required for optimal performance
• Gradle 8.0+: Modern build system
• Flutter 3.10.1+: Latest stable features
• Kotlin: For Android native code
• R8: Code shrinking enabled
• Parallel builds: Optimized for performance
• Build cache: Enabled for faster rebuilds

Key Files

1. pubspec.yaml: Flutter dependencies
2. android/build.gradle.kts: Root Gradle config
3. android/app/build.gradle.kts: App-specific Gradle config
4. android/gradle.properties: Local build settings
5. android/gradle-ci.properties: CI-optimized settings
6. android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml: App manifest

Systematic Debug Approach

Level 1: Quick Fixes (Try First)

flutter clean
flutter pub get
flutter build apk --verbose

Level 2: Gradle Reset

cd android
./gradlew clean
./gradlew --stop
cd ..
flutter clean
flutter pub get
flutter build apk --verbose

Level 3: Cache Clear

flutter clean
rm -rf ~/.gradle/caches/
rm -rf ~/.pub-cache/
flutter pub get
flutter build apk --verbose

Level 4: Deep Dive

# Check Flutter setup
flutter doctor -v

# Verify Java version
java -version

# Check Gradle dependencies
cd android
./gradlew app:dependencies

# Build with stacktrace
./gradlew assembleRelease --stacktrace --info

# Or with Flutter verbose
flutter build apk --verbose --debug

Build Performance Optimization

If builds work but are slow:

Local Development

• Use android/gradle.properties
• Enable parallel builds: org.gradle.parallel=true
• Increase workers: org.gradle.workers.max=4
• More memory: org.gradle.jvmargs=-Xmx4g
• Enable configuration cache: org.gradle.configuration-cache=true

CI Environment

• Use android/gradle-ci.properties
• Fewer workers: org.gradle.workers.max=2
• Less memory: org.gradle.jvmargs=-Xmx3g
• Disable daemon: org.gradle.daemon=false
• Disable configuration cache: org.gradle.configuration-cache=false

Troubleshooting Checklist

• Run flutter doctor -v - all checks pass?
• Java version is 17? (java -version)
• Flutter version matches project requirements?
• Run flutter clean && flutter pub get
• Try cd android && ./gradlew clean
• Check for conflicting dependencies
• Review pubspec.yaml for errors
• Verify android/app/build.gradle.kts settings
• Check AndroidManifest.xml is valid
• Look for file permission issues
• Test on different machine if possible
• Review full error message with --verbose
• Check GitHub Issues for similar problems

Quick Reference Commands

# Clean build
flutter clean && flutter pub get && flutter build apk

# Verbose build
flutter build apk --verbose

# Check dependencies
flutter pub outdated
cd android && ./gradlew app:dependencies

# Gradle info
cd android && ./gradlew --version
./gradlew tasks --all

# Fix common issues
dart fix --apply
flutter analyze

# Update dependencies
flutter pub upgrade

# Check Flutter setup
flutter doctor -v

# Test specific build type
flutter build apk --debug
flutter build apk --profile
flutter build apk --release

When to Seek Help

If after trying all solutions the build still fails:

1. Document the issue:

   • Full error message
   • Build command used
   • Flutter doctor output
   • Java version
   • Steps already tried

2. Check resources:

   • Project's TROUBLESHOOTING.md
   • Flutter GitHub Issues
   • Stack Overflow
   • Plugin's GitHub Issues

3. Create minimal reproduction:

   • Start with flutter create test_app
   • Add dependencies one by one
   • Identify which dependency causes issue

Additional Resources

• Flutter Build Modes
• Gradle Performance Guide
• Android Build Configuration
• Project docs: BUILD_OPTIMIZATION.md, TROUBLESHOOTING.md