i.Mx8MP : GUI Not Rendering with ENG Build in Android 14.1.2.0 BSP After Boot Animation

[Maruti]

Hello,

We have tested our hardware with the userdebug build (Android 14.1.2.0 BSP) and all interfaces work correctly. However, with the eng build, the GUI does not render completely after the boot animation—the screen stays black.The complete source is the same for both userdebug and eng builds.

Repeated log prints appear when boot animation starts.

[ 43.895856][ T1] init: Control message: Could not find 'aidl/activity' for ctl.interface_start from pid: 210 (/system/bin/servicemanager)
[ 43.913409][ T685] servicemanager: Caller(pid=463,uid=1041,sid=u:r:audioserver:s0) Tried to start aidl service activity as a lazy service, but was unable to. Usually this happens when a service is not installed, but if the service is intended to be used as a lazy service, then it may be configured incorrectly.
[ 44.895921][ T210] servicemanager: Caller(pid=463,uid=1041,sid=u:r:audioserver:s0) Since 'activity' could not be found trying to start it as a lazy AIDL service. (if it's not configured to be a lazy service, it may be stuck starting or still starting).
[ 44.939268][ T1] init: Control message: Could not find 'aidl/activity' for ctl.interface_start from pid: 210 (/system/bin/servicemanager)
[ 44.955168][ T687] servicemanager: Caller(pid=463,uid=1041,sid=u:r:audioserver:s0) Tried to start aidl service activity as a lazy service, but was unable to. Usually this happens when a service is not installed, but if the service is intended to be used as a lazy service, then it may be configured incorrectly.
[ 45.935838][ T210] servicemanager: Caller(pid=463,uid=1041,sid=u:r:audioserver:s0) Since 'activity' could not be found trying to start it as a lazy AIDL service. (if it's not configured to be a lazy service, it may be stuck starting or still starting).
[ 45.963901][ T1] init: Control message: Could not find 'aidl/activity' for ctl.interface_start from pid: 210 (/system/bin/servicemanager)
[ 45.979228][ T688] servicemanager: Caller(pid=463,uid=1041,sid=u:r:audioserver:s0) Tried to start aidl service activity as a lazy service, but was unable to. Usually this happens when a service is not installed, but if the service is intended to be used as a lazy service, then it may be configured incorrectly.
[ 46.963765][ T210] servicemanager: Caller(pid=463,uid=1041,sid=u:r:audioserver:s0) Since 'activity' could not be found trying to start it as a lazy AIDL service. (if it's not configured to be a lazy service, it may be stuck starting or still starting).
[ 46.987934][ T1] init: Control message: Could not find 'aidl/activity' for ctl.interface_start from pid: 210 (/system/bin/servicemanager)
[ 47.000965][ T689] servicemanager: Caller(pid=463,uid=1041,sid=u:r:audioserver:s0) Tried to start aidl service activity as a lazy service, but was unable to. Usually this happens when a service is not installed, but if the service is intended to be used as a lazy service, then it may be configured incorrectly.
[ 47.987624][ T210] servicemanager: Caller(pid=463,uid=1041,sid=u:r:audioserver:s0) Since 'activity' could not be found trying to start it as a lazy AIDL service. (if it's not configured to be a lazy service, it may be stuck starting or still starting).

Are there any specific changes needed for eng builds in this BSP?

Best regards,
Maruti Naik

[Bio_TICFSL]

Hello,

Is better to build again and burn your board and try it again, since the "Could not find 'aidl/activity'" error in Android development likely indicates that the build system cannot locate an AIDL file named activity within the aidl directory structure. This usually means the AIDL file or the directory structure is missing or incorrectly configured. To resolve this, ensure the AIDL file (e.g., activity.aidl) exists in the correct location and that the build system is configured to recognize AIDL files. 

Here's a breakdown of the potential issues and how to fix them:

1. Missing or Misplaced AIDL File:

• Check the file: Verify that an activity.aidl file exists.
• Check the directory: Ensure the activity.aidl file is placed within the src/main/aidl directory of your Android project, or the appropriate source set if you're using custom source sets.
• Package structure: The AIDL file's package declaration (e.g., package com.example.app.aidl;) must match the directory structure where it's located. If the file is in src/main/aidl/com/example/app/, the package declaration should be package com.example.app.aidl;. 

2. Build System Configuration (Android Gradle Plugin):

• Enable AIDL: Make sure the aidl build feature is enabled in your app/build.gradle file. 

Código

    android {
        buildFeatures {
            aidl true
        }
    }

• Source sets: If you are using custom source sets, you might need to specify the source directory for AIDL files in the sourceSets block. 

Código

    android {
        sourceSets {
            main {
                aidl {
                    srcDirs 'src/main/aidl'
                }
            }
        }
    }

3. Clean and Rebuild:

• After making changes to the AIDL file or build configuration, clean and rebuild your project to ensure the changes are applied.
  • In Android Studio, go to Build > Clean Project and then Build > Rebuild Project. 

• . Incremental Build (Android Studio):

  Android Studio's incremental build usually handles AIDL files efficiently, but if you encounter issues, try a full rebuild. 

5. Stable AIDL:

• If you're working with stable AIDL, ensure that all dependencies of your AIDL interface are also defined as stable AIDL.
• Convert any parcelables to stable parcelables by defining their structure directly in AIDL files. 

Example:

Let's say you have an AIDL interface called IMyInterface and you want to use it in your activity.

1. Create IMyInterface.aidl:

Código

    // IMyInterface.aidl
    package com.example.app.aidl;

    interface IMyInterface {
        void doSomething();
    }

1. Place it in src/main/aidl/com/example/app/:

Código

    my_app/
    ├── src/
    │   └── main/
    │       ├── aidl/
    │       │   └── com/
    │       │       └── example/
    │       │           └── app/
    │       │               └── IMyInterface.aidl

1. Enable AIDL in app/build.gradle: 

Código

    android {
        buildFeatures {
            aidl true
        }
    }

1. Clean and Rebuild. 

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the "Could not find 'aidl/activity'" error and successfully use your AIDL interface in your Android project. 

Regards

[Maruti]

Hello,

I have tried flashing the eng images multiple times, but the same issue persists.

Interestingly, with the userdebug build, the same log messages appear about 4–5 times and then stop, after which the GUI renders successfully. However, in the eng build, those messages keep appearing in a continuous loop, and the GUI never fully loads.

Could you please confirm if there's any specific configuration or limitation in eng mode that might affect GUI rendering?

[Bio_TICFSL]

Hello,

Yes, I confirm that you have better and optimized code when you are on ENG, but with both selection you should be able to work with it.

Regards

[Maruti]

Dear @Bio_TICFSL 

Thank you for the clarification.

Yes, I understood that the optimized code performs better when using the ENG build, but functionality should still be available with both builds.

Could you please confirm if, on the i.MX8MP EVK running Android 14 with the eng build, the GUI renders properly without any issues?

Best regards

[Bio_TICFSL]

Hello,

Yes it builds nicely in the EVK.

Regards

[Maruti]

Hello,

Thanks for confirming the build.

Just to clarify—could you please confirm if the GUI loads/renders properly when using the eng mode binaries?

Regards

[Bio_TICFSL]

Hello,

Which GUI do you refer? I can boot the android animation with GPU acceleration in ENG mode.

Regards

[Maruti]

Hello,

Thanks for the update.

Just to confirm—are you able to fully boot into the Android GUI (home screen) in ENG mode?
It would be helpful if you could share a screenshot of the Build number from Settings > System > About > Build number for reference.

Best regards