libsonivox.so library cannot be used in Android 7.0

[rublinetsky]

The code that runs fine on Android 5.1.1 fails on Android 7.0. The error is:

 JNI DETECTED ERROR IN APPLICATION: JNI NewGlobalRef called with pending exception java.lang.LinkageError: dlopen libsonivox.so failed
   at java.lang.String java.lang.Runtime.nativeLoad(java.lang.String, java.lang.ClassLoader, java.lang.String) (Runtime.java:-2)
   at java.lang.String java.lang.Runtime.doLoad(java.lang.String, java.lang.ClassLoader) (Runtime.java:1060)
   at void java.lang.Runtime.loadLibrary0(java.lang.ClassLoader, java.lang.String) (Runtime.java:975)
   at void java.lang.System.loadLibrary(java.lang.String) (System.java:1530)
   at void org.billthefarmer.mididriver.MidiDriver.<clinit>() (MidiDriver.java:30)
   ...

Seems to be related to the following change in Android: https://developer.android.com/about/versions/nougat/android-7.0-changes.html#ndk

Any workaround suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[billthefarmer]

I haven't tested on Android 7. Judging by your link above, the obvious fix is to include copies of libsonivox.so in the app in the relevant folders. I will build a new release with copies of the library included. I think there is an element of bloody mindedness by Google in that in that there has been an issue raised about the lack of a streaming midi API in Android since 2010. https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=8201.

[billthefarmer]

I have updated the NDK/SDK version (master), which just worked. The gradle version (smarek) fails to compile with an apparently unrelated error. I updated the gradle build script to the latest version which then fails with a different apparently unrelated error. Work in progress...

[billthefarmer]

I have released a new version with updated .aar files. These files contain extra spurious copies of libsonivox.so added by the gradle plugin. I can't find a way of stopping it. They can be removed with 7-Zip, or any other zip tool that will open the .aar files.

[rublinetsky]

Bill, thank you for the quick turnaround. I tried to use the new MidiDriver-all-release.aar on a Nexus 5X running Android 7.0 and I am getting basically the same error:

A/art: art/runtime/java_vm_ext.cc:470] JNI DETECTED ERROR IN APPLICATION: JNI NewGlobalRef called with pending exception java.lang.LinkageError: dlopen libsonivox.so failed
A/art: art/runtime/java_vm_ext.cc:470]   at java.lang.String java.lang.Runtime.nativeLoad(java.lang.String, java.lang.ClassLoader, java.lang.String) (Runtime.java:-2)
A/art: art/runtime/java_vm_ext.cc:470]   at java.lang.String java.lang.Runtime.doLoad(java.lang.String, java.lang.ClassLoader) (Runtime.java:1060)
A/art: art/runtime/java_vm_ext.cc:470]   at void java.lang.Runtime.loadLibrary0(java.lang.ClassLoader, java.lang.String) (Runtime.java:975)
A/art: art/runtime/java_vm_ext.cc:470]   at void java.lang.System.loadLibrary(java.lang.String) (System.java:1530)
A/art: art/runtime/java_vm_ext.cc:470]   at void org.billthefarmer.mididriver.MidiDriver.<clinit>() (MidiDriver.java:42)
...

The error occurs at the following line in my code

midi = new MidiDriver();

The same build runs fine on Android 5.1.1 (both - real devices, not emulators)

I looked inside the APK and libsonivox.so is included inside each of the /lib/[platform] folders

Here is how I installed it - I completely deleted the old version directory from the project tree (it contained AAR, gradle file, and IML file), and removed the dependency from the app settings. Then I used Android Studio's File->New Module->Import AAR/JAR to import the MidiDriver-all-release.aar from inside the https://github.com/billthefarmer/mididriver/releases/download/v1.07/Mididriver-1.07.aar.zip. I haven't change my application code.

Am I doing something wrong?

[rublinetsky]

I was able to reproduce the issue on emulators - works with Android 6 and fails on Android 7.

[billthefarmer]

I have done some testing with this issue. The libsonivox.so files should end up with the libmidi.so files in lib/[platform] like you said.

Unfortunately, I get a pop-up that complains about unauthorized access to libutils.so and libutils.so from libsonivox.so, with entries in the log.

09-28 09:37:27.137  1478  1727 I ActivityManager: Start proc 2729:org.billthefarmer.mididriver/u0a62 for activity org.billthefarmer.mididriver/.MainActivity
09-28 09:37:27.500  2729  2729 W linker  : library "libutils.so" ("/system/lib/libutils.so") needed or dlopened by "/data/app/org.billthefarmer.mididriver-1/lib/x86/libsonivox.so" is not accessible for the namespace "classloader-namespace" - the access is temporarily granted as a workaround for http://b/26394120, note that the access will be removed in future releases of Android.
09-28 09:37:27.500  2729  2729 W linker  : library "libcutils.so" ("/system/lib/libcutils.so") needed or dlopened by "/data/app/org.billthefarmer.mididriver-1/lib/x86/libsonivox.so" is not accessible for the namespace "classloader-namespace" - the access is temporarily granted as a workaround for http://b/26394120, note that the access will be removed in future releases of Android.
09-28 09:37:28.734  1478  1500 I ActivityManager: Displayed org.billthefarmer.mididriver/.MainActivity: +1s609ms

I can't see a way around it other than rebuilding the sonivox library so it doesn't use unsupported libraries. Or using an alternative midi library like FluidSynth.

[billthefarmer]

New version released which includes rebuilt Sonivox library and includes 64 bit native code as Google have fixed the reverb bug.

[cameronkkk]

Hi Bill,

Sorry for bugging, I have the same error message as I run the debug process on my Android 8 (OREO Go) device. What can I do to solve it? I've been using Sonivox since Android 4, using FluidSynth is not a good idea. Thank you for your time and reply.

[billthefarmer]

The latest versions of the driver have the Sonivox synthesizer built in to solve the above problems. You should be using it via JitPack.