Espresso server process unexpectedly terminated

[Stephane-Tostivin]

Environment:

• Appium 2.0.0-beta.46
• Espresso driver espresso@2.13.8
• Java 11

Appium capabilities:

  "platformName": "Android",
  "appium:platformVersion": "11.0",
  "appium:automationName": "Espresso",
  "appium:deviceName": "emulator-5554",
  "appium:app": "xxx.apk,
  "appium:espressoBuildConfig": "xxx/src/test/resources/espressoBuildConfig.json",
  "appium:showGradleLog": true,
  "appium:noReset": false,
  "appium:fullReset": false,
  "appium:forceEspressoRebuild": true
}

espressoBuildConfig:

{
  "toolsVersions": {
    "gradle": "7.5.1",
    "androidGradlePlugin": "7.2.2",
    "kotlin": "1.7.0",
    "buildTools": "32.0.0",
    "compileSdk": 32,
    "minSdk": 26,
    "targetSdk": 32,
    "composeVersion": "1.2.1"
  },
  "additionalAppDependencies": [
    "androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.2.0",
    [...]
    "androidx.annotation:annotation:1.3.0"
  ],
  "additionalAndroidTestDependencies": [
    "androidx.test:runner:1.4.0",
    "androidx.compose.ui:ui-test-junit4:1.2.1",
    "androidx.compose.ui:ui-test-manifest:1.2.1",
    "androidx.test.ext:junit:1.1.3",
    "org.mockito.kotlin:mockito-kotlin:4.0.0",
    "org.mockito:mockito-core:4.9.0",
    "org.mockito:mockito-inline:4.9.0"
  ]
}

Description:
When the espresso driver start it crashes when instantiating the instrumented app

[EspressoDriver@bcc9 (08363154)] Waiting up to 10000ms for Espresso server to be online
[debug] [EspressoDriver@bcc9 (08363154)] Matched '/status' to command name 'getStatus'
[debug] [EspressoDriver@bcc9 (08363154)] Proxying [GET /status] to [GET http://127.0.0.1:8300/status] with no body
[EspressoDriver@bcc9 (08363154)] socket hang up
[debug] [EspressoDriver@bcc9 (08363154)] Matched '/status' to command name 'getStatus'
[debug] [EspressoDriver@bcc9 (08363154)] Proxying [GET /status] to [GET http://127.0.0.1:8300/status] with no body
[EspressoDriver@bcc9 (08363154)] socket hang up
[debug] [EspressoDriver@bcc9 (08363154)] [Instrumentation] INSTRUMENTATION_RESULT: shortMsg=Process crashed.
[debug] [EspressoDriver@bcc9 (08363154)] INSTRUMENTATION_CODE: 0

Logcat:

    Process: com.praxedo.pm3.prerelease, PID: 9693
    java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to instantiate instrumentation ComponentInfo{io.appium.espressoserver.test/androidx.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner}: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: Didn't find class "androidx.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner" on path: DexPathList[[zip file "/system/framework/android.test.runner.jar", zip file "/system/framework/android.test.mock.jar", zip file "/system/framework/android.test.base.jar", zip file "/data/app/~~kt06wzWTpuc_1s6Jv0gUaw==/io.appium.espressoserver.test-3L_Qos4xGbuUCQsjaSsYKg==/base.apk", zip file "/data/app/~~P0LRx0uRi4whV04lZC4FcQ==/com.praxedo.pm3.prerelease-zN1-dx3u9i8CA6UhsqV2-w==/base.apk"],nativeLibraryDirectories=[/system/lib64, /system_ext/lib64]]
        at android.app.ActivityThread.handleBindApplication(ActivityThread.java:6647)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.access$1300(ActivityThread.java:237)
        at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1913)
        at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:106)
        at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:223)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:7656)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
        at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(RuntimeInit.java:592)
        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:947)
     Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: Didn't find class "androidx.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner" on path: DexPathList[[zip file "/system/framework/android.test.runner.jar", zip file "/system/framework/android.test.mock.jar", zip file "/system/framework/android.test.base.jar", zip file "/data/app/~~kt06wzWTpuc_1s6Jv0gUaw==/io.appium.espressoserver.test-3L_Qos4xGbuUCQsjaSsYKg==/base.apk", zip file "/data/app/~~P0LRx0uRi4whV04lZC4FcQ==/com.praxedo.pm3.prerelease-zN1-dx3u9i8CA6UhsqV2-w==/base.apk"],nativeLibraryDirectories=[/system/lib64, /system_ext/lib64]]
        at dalvik.system.BaseDexClassLoader.findClass(BaseDexClassLoader.java:207)
        at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:379)
        at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:312)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.handleBindApplication(ActivityThread.java:6643)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.access$1300(ActivityThread.java:237) 
        at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1913) 
        at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:106) 
        at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:223) 
        at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:7656) 
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method) 
        at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(RuntimeInit.java:592) 
        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:947) 
2022-12-07 23:52:22.382 9693-9693/? I/Process: Sending signal. PID: 9693 SIG: 9

It seems the espresso server can't find the testrunner from the androidx package, but I don't see why and if is something is missing or incorrect in my configuration.

[KazuCocoa]

Not my env, but i saw similar behavior before. Then, the local gradle cache broke the build package. Ran ./gradlew clean and reboot the machine fixed at that time, but not entirely clear what caused such missing androidx's own package. It is not in Appium's package stuff, so I assume something androidx's dependencies stuff though...

[Stephane-Tostivin]

Hello @KazuCocoa , tried what you suggested: ./gradlew clean and reboot, with no effect. I've doubled/tripled checked the dependencies declared in buildEspressConfig and tested changes without positive result as well.
Could it be something incorrect or missing in the app under test?

[KazuCocoa]

hm, then i have no idea right now, unfortunately...

Could it be something incorrect or missing in the app under test?

The package is in general androidx package, so I assume missing something should not be.