MuntashirAkon/AppManager · error · BackupException

Invalid source compression type:

Error message

Invalid source compression type: 

What it means

backupApkFile() decompresses the source APK archive based on the source metadata's tarType (TAR_GZIP or TAR_BZIP2). If the tarType matches neither, it deletes the staging directory and throws this BackupException. It means the source backup uses a compression scheme the converter doesn't handle.

Source

Thrown at app/src/main/java/io/github/muntashirakon/AppManager/backup/convert/TBConverter.java:199

    public void cleanup() {
        for (Path file : mFilesToBeDeleted) {
            file.delete();
        }
    }

    private void backupApkFile() throws BackupException {
        // Decompress APK file
        Path baseApkFile = FileUtils.getTempPath(mPackageName, mDestMetadata.metadata.apkName);
        try (InputStream pis = getApkFile(mSourceMetadata.apkName, mSourceMetadata.tarType).openInputStream();
             BufferedInputStream bis = new BufferedInputStream(pis)) {
            CompressorInputStream is;
            if (TAR_GZIP.equals(mSourceMetadata.tarType)) {
                is = new GzipCompressorInputStream(bis, true);
            } else if (TAR_BZIP2.equals(mSourceMetadata.tarType)) {
                is = new BZip2CompressorInputStream(bis, true);
            } else {
                baseApkFile.requireParent().delete();
                throw new BackupException("Invalid source compression type: " + mSourceMetadata.tarType);
            }
            try (OutputStream fos = baseApkFile.openOutputStream()) {
                // The whole file is the APK
                IoUtils.copy(is, fos);
            } finally {
                is.close();
            }
        } catch (IOException e) {
            baseApkFile.requireParent().delete();
            throw new BackupException("Couldn't decompress " + mSourceMetadata.apkName, e);
        }
        // Get certificate checksums
        try {
            String[] checksums = ConvertUtils.getChecksumsFromApk(baseApkFile, mDestMetadata.info.checksumAlgo);
            for (int i = 0; i < checksums.length; ++i) {
                mChecksum.add(CERT_PREFIX + i, checksums[i]);
            }
        } catch (Exception ignore) {

View on GitHub (pinned to 0152f468fc)

Solutions

1. Check mSourceMetadata.tarType before converting; add a branch (e.g. new TarArchiveInputStream without compressor) if uncompressed TAR is expected.
2. Recreate the source backup using GZIP or BZIP2 compression.
3. Upgrade the converter/library to a version supporting the source compression type.
4. Fix corrupted metadata so tarType reflects the actual archive compression.

Example fix

// before
} else {
    baseApkFile.requireParent().delete();
    throw new BackupException("Invalid source compression type: " + mSourceMetadata.tarType);
}
// after
} else if (TAR.equals(mSourceMetadata.tarType)) {
    is = new TarArchiveInputStream(bis);
} else {
    baseApkFile.requireParent().delete();
    throw new BackupException("Invalid source compression type: " + mSourceMetadata.tarType);
}

String t = sourceMetadata.tarType;
if (!"TAR_GZIP".equals(t) && !"TAR_BZIP2".equals(t)) {
    throw new IllegalArgumentException("Converter supports TAR_GZIP/TAR_BZIP2 only, got: " + t);
}

fun String?.isSupportedCompression(): Boolean =
    this != null && (equals("TAR_GZIP") || equals("TAR_BZIP2"))

try {
    converter.convert();
} catch (BackupException e) {
    if (e.getMessage() != null && e.getMessage().startsWith("Invalid source compression type")) {
        // offer recompressing the source archive to gzip or switching converter mode
    }
}

When it happens

Trigger: mSourceMetadata.tarType is neither TAR_GZIP nor TAR_BZIP2 when extracting the APK file — e.g. tarType is TAR (no compression), TAR_XZ, TAR_LZMA, TAR_ZSTD, or an unknown/corrupted value.

Common situations: Converting backups created with different compression settings (e.g. uncompressed TAR or zstd backups from newer versions) that this converter doesn't support; corrupted source metadata where tarType was lost.

Related errors

• APK files backup is requested but no source directory has be
• Failed to backup data directory at
• Could not backup KeyStore item.
• Failed to extract the apk file(s).
• Failed to restore data files for index ${index}.

AI-assisted analysis of MuntashirAkon/AppManager@0152f468fc (2026-09-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/bcb129bf36487bce. Report an issue: GitHub.