React Native error Unable to extract native debug metadata - Gradle 7.X +

Question

i am facing some annoying issue. I am working in a project, where the base is kotlin with a external module in react (0.61.5). Works perfect with config: Plugin 4.0.1 & Gradle 6.6, but we implemented a new module (this module is in compose), so we had to update to gradle 7.X + and app started crashing.

Error: Unable to load script.Make sure you are either running a Metro server or that your bundle 'index.android.bundle' is packaged correctly for release & Unable to extract native debug metadata.

Current Config: Plugin 7.2.2 & Gradle 7.5.2 React: 0.61.5

Please let me know if is fixed, need help!!!!!

PS: For release build, we use a docker image, follow

FROM ubuntu:20.04

ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive

# Replace shell with bash so we can source files
RUN rm /bin/sh && ln -s /bin/bash /bin/sh

# Aliases
RUN alias l="ls -altr"

# set default build arguments
ARG SDK_VERSION=commandlinetools-linux-8512546_latest.zip
ARG ANDROID_BUILD_VERSION=31
ARG ANDROID_TOOLS_VERSION=31.0.0
ARG BUCK_VERSION=2022.05.05.01
ARG NDK_VERSION=21.4.7075529
ARG NODE_VERSION=10.16.3
ARG WATCHMAN_VERSION=4.9.0
ARG CMAKE_VERSION=3.18.1

# nvm environment variables
ENV NVM_DIR /usr/local/nvm

# set default environment variables, please don't remove old env for compatibilty issue
ENV ADB_INSTALL_TIMEOUT=10
ENV ANDROID_HOME=/opt/android
ENV ANDROID_SDK_ROOT=${ANDROID_HOME}
ENV ANDROID_NDK=${ANDROID_HOME}/ndk/$NDK_VERSION
ENV JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-11-openjdk-amd64
ENV CMAKE_BIN_PATH=${ANDROID_HOME}/cmake/$CMAKE_VERSION/bin
ENV PATH=${ANDROID_NDK}:${CMAKE_BIN_PATH}:${ANDROID_HOME}/cmdline-tools/latest/bin:${ANDROID_HOME}/emulator:${ANDROID_HOME}/platform-tools:${ANDROID_HOME}/tools:${ANDROID_HOME}/tools/bin:/opt/buck/bin/:${PATH}

# Install system dependencies
RUN apt update -qq && apt install -qq -y --no-install-recommends \
        apt-transport-https \
        curl \
        file \
        gcc \
        git \
        g++ \
        gnupg2 \
        libc++1-10 \
        libgl1 \
        libtcmalloc-minimal4 \
        make \
        openjdk-11-jdk-headless \
        openssh-client \
        patch \
        python3 \
        python3-distutils \
        rsync \
        ruby \
        ruby-dev \
        tzdata \
        unzip \
        sudo \
        ninja-build \
        zip \
        # Dev libraries requested by Hermes
        libicu-dev \
        # Emulator & video bridge dependencies
        libc6 \
        libdbus-1-3 \
        libfontconfig1 \
        libgcc1 \
        libpulse0 \
        libtinfo5 \
        libx11-6 \
        libxcb1 \
        libxdamage1 \
        libnss3 \
        libxcomposite1 \
        libxcursor1 \
        libxi6 \
        libxext6 \
        libxfixes3 \
        zlib1g \
        libgl1 \
        pulseaudio \
        socat \
    && gem install bundler \
    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*;

# Install nvm
RUN curl --silent -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/creationix/nvm/v0.31.2/install.sh | bash

# Install node and npm
RUN source $NVM_DIR/nvm.sh \
    && nvm install $NODE_VERSION \
    && nvm alias default $NODE_VERSION \
    && nvm use default \
    && ln -s "$(which node)" /usr/local/bin/node

# Add node and npm to path so the commands are available
ENV NODE_PATH $NVM_DIR/v$NODE_VERSION/lib/node_modules
ENV PATH $NVM_DIR/versions/node/v$NODE_VERSION/bin:$PATH

# Install NPM Stuff
RUN npm install -g yarn
RUN npm install -g firebase-tools

 # download and install buck using the java11 pex from Jitpack
 RUN curl -L https://jitpack.io/com/github/facebook/buck/v${BUCK_VERSION}/buck-v${BUCK_VERSION}-java11.pex -o /tmp/buck.pex \
    && mv /tmp/buck.pex /usr/local/bin/buck \
    && chmod +x /usr/local/bin/buck

# Install SDK & NDK
RUN curl -sS https://dl.google.com/android/repository/${SDK_VERSION} -o /tmp/sdk.zip \
    && mkdir -p ${ANDROID_HOME}/cmdline-tools \
    && unzip -q -d ${ANDROID_HOME}/cmdline-tools /tmp/sdk.zip \
    && mv ${ANDROID_HOME}/cmdline-tools/cmdline-tools ${ANDROID_HOME}/cmdline-tools/latest \
    && rm /tmp/sdk.zip \
    && yes | sdkmanager --licenses \
    && yes | sdkmanager "platform-tools" \
        "emulator" \
        "platforms;android-$ANDROID_BUILD_VERSION" \
        "build-tools;$ANDROID_TOOLS_VERSION" \
        "cmake;$CMAKE_VERSION" \
        "system-images;android-21;google_apis;armeabi-v7a" \
        "ndk;$NDK_VERSION" \
    && rm -rf ${ANDROID_HOME}/.android \
    && chmod 777 -R /opt/android \
    && ln -s ${ANDROID_NDK}/toolchains/llvm/prebuilt/linux-x86_64/lib64/clang/9.0.9 ${ANDROID_NDK}/toolchains/llvm/prebuilt/linux-x86_64/lib64/clang/9.0.8

Answer 1

Try this:

1- add classpath('com.android.tools.build:gradle:7.0.3') in your dependencies located in android/build.gradle

basically the gradle version is not compatible with react native on android at the time of posting this answer.

2- If that doesn't work, before doing build, run:

npx react-native bundle --platform android --dev false --entry-file index.js --bundle-output android/app/src/main/assets/index.android.bundle

then:

cd android
./gradlew assembleRelease

This github issue can give you more information.