"Couldn't find app while installing" error

This is by far the most common crash reported by ACRA. It happens about an order of magnitude more than most other reports:

java.lang.IllegalStateException: Couldn't find app while installing
at org.fdroid.fdroid.AppDetails.getInstalledApk(AppDetails.java:996)
at org.fdroid.fdroid.AppDetails.uninstallApk(AppDetails.java:1007)
at org.fdroid.fdroid.AppDetails.access$2600(AppDetails.java:102)
at org.fdroid.fdroid.AppDetails$AppDetailsHeaderFragment$1.onClick(AppDetails.java:1674)
at android.view.View.performClick(View.java:4633)
at android.view.View$PerformClick.run(View.java:19274)
at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:733)
at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:95)
at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:146)
at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5593)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:515)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:1283)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:1099)
at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)

Here is a collection of comments some users provided when submitting their reports:

• i reinstalled the phone, bit the cache for f droid was still
• tried uninstalling an app from the interface
• Was uninstalling an app to switch from Play to F-Droid from
• just installed fdroid on phone that has been reset, but old
• tried to install termux styling and api. wont allow. keeps
• installing an app
• I chose to uninstall an App from f-droid which had already
• When app was uninstalled while opened in F-Droid, ""uninstall""
• tried to remove doom an
• trying to delete already deleted app
• i removed an app, it finished but it still showed the button
• Click on remove after removed a file
• uninstalling the Fosdem app
• uninstall

added ACRA bug crash labels

changed milestone to %0.102.1

mentioned in issue #855 (closed)

Managed to reproduce with the following steps:

• Install an app from the F-Droid client.
• Ensure the App Details screen for that app is open in F-Droid, and note that it shows the trash can icon in the action bar.
• Press the Home button on your device to take you to the launcher (hence pausing the App Details activity).
• Remove the app you just installed using your launcher (e.g. drag it from the list of apps in the launcher to an "Uninstall" button at the top of the screen).
• Open F-Droid again, where it should resume the App Details activity.
• Note how it incorrectly shows the trash can icon in the action bar.
• Press the trash can icon to uninstall

This should result in the (poorly worded) crash:

java.lang.IllegalStateException: Couldn't find app while installing
      at org.fdroid.fdroid.AppDetails.getInstalledApk(AppDetails.java:996)
      at org.fdroid.fdroid.AppDetails.uninstallApk(AppDetails.java:1007)
      at org.fdroid.fdroid.AppDetails.onOptionsItemSelected(AppDetails.java:867)
      at android.app.Activity.onMenuItemSelected(Activity.java:2885)
      at android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity.onMenuItemSelected(FragmentActivity.java:406)
      at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity.onMenuItemSelected(AppCompatActivity.java:195)
      at android.support.v7.view.WindowCallbackWrapper.onMenuItemSelected(WindowCallbackWrapper.java:103)
      at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatDelegateImplV9.onMenuItemSelected(AppCompatDelegateImplV9.java:667)
      at android.support.v7.view.menu.MenuBuilder.dispatchMenuItemSelected(MenuBuilder.java:810)
      at android.support.v7.view.menu.MenuItemImpl.invoke(MenuItemImpl.java:152)
      at android.support.v7.view.menu.MenuBuilder.performItemAction(MenuBuilder.java:957)
      at android.support.v7.view.menu.MenuBuilder.performItemAction(MenuBuilder.java:947)
      at android.support.v7.widget.ActionMenuView.invokeItem(ActionMenuView.java:616)
      at android.support.v7.view.menu.ActionMenuItemView.onClick(ActionMenuItemView.java:153)
      at android.view.View.performClick(View.java:4780)
      at android.view.View$PerformClick.run(View.java:19866)
      at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:739)
      at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:95)
      at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:135)
      at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5254)
      at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
      at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:372)
      at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:903)
      at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:698)

I could make it so that the getInstalledApk() method doesn't fail hard like this, but that would not be correct. This method should be dependable (and fail hard if it fails). The real bug is that when the activity resumes it does not correctly setup its state to reflect the fact it is no longer installed.

Its worth noting that the problem causing this (stale data when the activity resumes) is also the cause of a more begnign bug I discovered while investigating:

• Open app details for a particular app.
• Close F-Droid (so the AppDetails activity pauses).
• Sideload the app you were viewing via adb install.
• Open F-Droid again (resuming the AppDetails activity).

You will notice that it still shows the "Install" button. Tapping that will reinstall the application (which really upgrades it to the same version again). Package manager will say something like "Do you want to install this update. It doesn't require any additional permissions.".

If you leave F-Droid open while you sideload the app then everything works as expected and the activity updates. This is because it only receives broadcasts when it is not paused.

mentioned in merge request !429 (merged)

This sounds like something that should be handled in AppDetails2, no?

changed milestone to %0.103 - UX Overhaul

If I recall correctly, I tested my reproduction steps with AppDetails2, and it is not reproducible with that. As such, I'm closing this.

closed