Files
jellytau/src-tauri/android/README_ANDROID_BUILD.md
T
dtourolle 521acc75fd build(android): add a side-by-side release build for validating R8
R8 has broken release APKs here before by stripping the JNI-loaded player
and security classes, and the only way to reproduce that was to build with
the real signing key and clobber the install you actually use.

`./scripts/build-and-deploy.sh release --device --debug` now builds a
fully minified release APK — exactly what ships — into the .debug
applicationId slot, signed with the local debug keystore:

  release            com.dtourolle.jellytau        0.5.5
  release --debug    com.dtourolle.jellytau.debug  0.5.5-debug-release
  debug              com.dtourolle.jellytau.debug  0.5.5-debug

It shares the applicationId *and* the signature with the plain debug
build, so the two replace each other cleanly rather than colliding, and
the versionName suffix says which is currently installed. No real key is
needed, so the side-by-side path deliberately skips
write-keystore-properties.sh.

The flag reaches Gradle as JT_SIDE_BY_SIDE=1. CI never sets it, and the
release manifest merges byte-identical without it — verified both ways
through processUniversalReleaseMainManifest.

deploy-android.sh and build-and-deploy.sh learned the flag too, since the
APK path is unchanged but the package to launch is not.
2026-08-16 10:42:59 +02:00

4.5 KiB

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Android Build File Locations

Critical Information for Future Development

DO NOT EDIT FILES IN src-tauri/gen/android/ DIRECTLY!

File Structure

This project has TWO sets of Android source files:

  1. src-tauri/android/ - SOURCE FILES (edit these!)

    • This is the template directory
    • Changes here need to be copied to the generated directory
  2. src-tauri/gen/android/ - GENERATED BUILD DIRECTORY (do not edit directly!)

    • This is where Gradle actually builds the APK
    • Files here may be overwritten during builds

How to Make Changes to Android Code

When you need to modify Android/Kotlin files:

  1. Edit the files in src-tauri/android/src/main/java/

  2. Build using the provided script (which auto-syncs files)

    ./scripts/build-android.sh
    

    The build script automatically runs ./scripts/sync-android-sources.sh which copies:

    • src-tauri/android/src/main/java/com/dtourolle/jellytau/player/ → generated directory
    • src-tauri/android/src/main/java/com/dtourolle/jellytau/security/ → generated directory
  3. Manual sync (if needed)

    ./scripts/sync-android-sources.sh
    

Why This Matters

  • If you only edit src-tauri/gen/android/, your changes will be lost
  • If you only edit src-tauri/android/, your changes won't be in the build
  • You must edit both (or edit source and copy to generated)

Debug and release install side by side

The debug build type sets applicationIdSuffix = ".debug" in app/build.gradle.kts, so a debug build is a genuinely separate Android app:

build applicationId launcher name versionName signed with
release com.dtourolle.jellytau jellytau 0.5.5 real key (.env)
release --debug com.dtourolle.jellytau.debug JellyTau Debug 0.5.5-debug-release debug keystore
debug com.dtourolle.jellytau.debug JellyTau Debug 0.5.5-debug debug keystore

release --debug is the side-by-side release: fully R8-minified, exactly what ships, but packaged into the debug slot and signed with the local debug keystore. It exists because R8 has broken release APKs here before (stripping JNI-loaded player/security classes), and reproducing that previously meant building with the real key and clobbering your working install. It shares the applicationId and signature with the plain debug build, so the two replace each other cleanly; only the versionName suffix tells you which is installed.

./scripts/build-and-deploy.sh release --device --debug   # build + install it

The flag is plumbed through as JT_SIDE_BY_SIDE=1, read by build.gradle.kts. CI never sets it, so distributable release builds are untouched.

That means:

  • No uninstall step. Debug builds are signed with the local auto-generated ~/.android/debug.keystore, release builds with the real key. Two different keys on the same package is INSTALL_FAILED_UPDATE_INCOMPATIBLE; two different packages is just two apps.
  • Each has its own data directory — separate settings, credentials, downloads and offline cache. A debug experiment cannot corrupt the state of the build you actually use. This is not optional and cannot be shared: Android gives each applicationId its own UID and enforces the boundary in the kernel. (sharedUserId is deprecated since API 29 and cannot be added to an already-installed app anyway.) You log in again in the debug app, once.
  • Only the application id changes. Kotlin classes stay in the namespace package com.dtourolle.jellytau, so the JNI class lookups in src-tauri/src/player/android/mod.rs, the manifest <service> entry and the R8 keep rules in proguard-jellytau.pro are all unaffected. The FileProvider authority is ${applicationId}.fileprovider, so it follows the suffix automatically.
  • The launcher labels come from the appLabel / activityLabel manifestPlaceholders (AndroidManifest.xml uses ${appLabel}), not from resValue, which would collide with Tauri's generated strings.xml.

Follow the right log stream with ./scripts/logcat.sh [debug|release] (defaults to debug).

Key Files

Player-related Kotlin files:

  • player/JellyTauPlayer.kt - Main player implementation
  • player/JellyTauPlaybackService.kt - MediaSession service for lockscreen controls
  • security/SecureStorage.kt - Android Keystore integration for secure credential storage

Always check BOTH locations exist and match after making changes!