Solving the Buildozer Conundrum: “Gradlew failed, Deprecated Gradle features were used in this build, making it incompatible with Gradle 9.0”

Are you tired of encountering the frustrating error message “Gradlew failed, Deprecated Gradle features were used in this build, making it incompatible with Gradle 9.0” when attempting to build your project with Buildozer and Gradle? Worry not, dear developer, for you’re about to embark on a journey to conquer this pesky issue once and for all!

What’s Behind the Error?

Before we dive into the solution, let’s take a step back and understand what’s causing this error. Gradle 9.0 introduced several breaking changes, rendering certain features deprecated and incompatible with the new version. These deprecated features might still be lurking in your project, causing the build to fail.

Buildozer, being a Python package, relies on Gradle to build and package your project. When you invoke `buildozer init` or `buildozer android debug`, it executes a Gradle build under the hood. If your project contains deprecated Gradle features, the build will fail, and you’ll be greeted with the infamous error message.

Diagnosing the Issue

To identify the root cause of the problem, you’ll need to analyze your project’s Gradle build. Follow these steps:

1. Open a terminal or command prompt and navigate to your project directory.
2. Run the command `gradle build –scan` to generate a build scan.
3. Once the build fails, open the generated build scan report in your web browser.
4. In the report, look for warnings or errors related to deprecated Gradle features.
5. Note down the specific deprecated features mentioned in the report.

Upgrading Your Project

Now that you’ve identified the deprecated features, it’s time to upgrade your project to be compatible with Gradle 9.0. Follow these steps:

1. Update Your Gradle Version

In your `build.gradle` file, update the Gradle version to 9.0 or later:

plugins {
    id 'com.android.application'
    id 'io.buildozer' version '1.1.1'
}

android {
    // ...
}

// Update Gradle version
gradle.startParameter.set('gradle-version', '9.0')

2. Replace Deprecated Features

Based on the build scan report, replace the deprecated features with their compatible alternatives. Here are some common fixes:

• android.compileSdkVersion instead of android.compileSdk:

  
  android {
      compileSdkVersion 31
      // ...
  }
  
  

• android.buildToolsVersion instead of android.buildTools:

  
  android {
      buildToolsVersion "31.0.0"
      // ...
  }
  
  

• android.ndkVersion instead of android.ndk:

  
  android {
      ndkVersion "21.3.6528145"
      // ...
  }
  
  

3. Update Your Android Gradle Plugin

In your `build.gradle` file, update the Android Gradle plugin version to 7.2.0 or later:

plugins {
    id 'com.android.application'
    id 'io.buildozer' version '1.1.1'
}

android {
    // ...
}

dependencies {
    classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:7.2.0'
}

Building Your Project Again

After making the necessary changes, it’s time to rebuild your project. Run the following command:

buildozer android debug

If everything goes smoothly, your project should build successfully, and you’ll be rid of the “Gradlew failed” error!

Troubleshooting Tips

In case you still encounter issues, here are some additional tips to help you troubleshoot:

• Verify that you’ve updated all instances of deprecated features in your `build.gradle` file.
• Check your project’s dependencies for any version conflicts or incompatibilities.
• Try running the command `gradle build –debug` to get more detailed error messages.
• Consult the official Gradle and Buildozer documentation for guidance on migrating to Gradle 9.0.

Deprecated Feature	Compatible Alternative
android.compileSdk	android.compileSdkVersion
android.buildTools	android.buildToolsVersion
android.ndk	android.ndkVersion

Conclusion

By following this comprehensive guide, you should be able to overcome the “Gradlew failed, Deprecated Gradle features were used in this build, making it incompatible with Gradle 9.0” error and successfully build your project with Buildozer and Gradle 9.0. Remember to stay vigilant, as new deprecated features may arise with future Gradle versions. Happy building!

Frequently Asked Question

Get ready to tackle the dreaded “Buildozer, gradlew failed, Deprecated Gradle features were used in this build, making it incompatible with Gradle 9.0” error! We’ve got you covered with these 5 FAQs.