Hmbown/CodeWhale · error · anyhow::Error

Android {authority} reported non-absolute loaded-image path

Error message

Android {authority} reported non-absolute loaded-image path `{}`

What it means

validate_android_reported_path rejected a loaded-image path because it is not absolute. Both dladdr's dli_fname and /proc/self/maps paths are expected to be absolute; a relative one means the process runs under a transformed filesystem view (chroot/proot) or the loader produced a nonconforming path, and the updater refuses to resolve it ambiguously.

Source

Thrown at crates/cli/src/update.rs:449

            "Android loaded image `{}` is not an executable regular file; refusing to select an update target",
            resolved_mapping.display()
        );
    }

    validate_android_mapping_identity(&mapping, &resolved_mapping)?;
    Ok(AndroidExecutableProof {
        path: resolved_mapping,
        device_major: mapping.device_major,
        device_minor: mapping.device_minor,
        inode: mapping.inode,
        proof_kind: AndroidExecutableProofKind::DladdrAndProcMaps,
    })
}

#[cfg(any(target_os = "android", all(test, unix)))]
fn validate_android_reported_path(authority: &str, path: &Path) -> Result<()> {
    if !path.is_absolute() {
        bail!(
            "Android {authority} reported non-absolute loaded-image path `{}`",
            path.display()
        );
    }
    if path.to_string_lossy().ends_with(" (deleted)") {
        bail!(
            "Android {authority} reported deleted loaded image `{}`",
            path.display()
        );
    }
    if is_android_linker_name(path) {
        bail!(
            "Android {authority} identifies runtime linker `{}`; refusing to use the linker as an update target",
            path.display()
        );
    }
    Ok(())
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 0c42157ee5)

Solutions

Run the CLI and its self-update outside chroot/proot, on the normal Android filesystem
If a container is required, update by replacing the binary from outside the container
Report the relative path from the message together with the sandbox setup

Defensive patterns

Strategy: try-catch

Try / catch

Catch the error, detect the chroot/proot context, and either re-run outside the transformed root or perform a manual binary replacement.

Prevention

Run self-update on the host filesystem, not inside chroot/proot
Update containers by rebuilding or replacing files from outside
Prefer documented install locations on the normal Android filesystem

When it happens

Trigger: Android self-update inside a chroot/proot sandbox or with loaders that record paths relative to an altered root, making the reported image path relative.

Common situations: proot-based Linux distros on Android, chrooted development environments, custom containers.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of Hmbown/CodeWhale@0c42157ee5 (2026-08-20). Data as JSON: /api/errors/7bcafa7dbf386f64. Report an issue: GitHub.