microg/GmsCore · error · IllegalArgumentException

Missing package name

Error message

Missing package name

What it means

LocationManagerService.handleServiceRequest throws IllegalArgumentException('Missing package name') when PackageUtils.getAndCheckCallingPackage returns null — i.e. the GetServiceRequest carried no/blank packageName, or the calling package could not be resolved/verified against the actual binder caller. microG requires a verified client package name before handing out the location binder.

Source

Thrown at play-services-location/core/src/main/kotlin/org/microg/gms/location/manager/LocationManagerService.kt:49

            val location = intent.getParcelableExtra<Location>(EXTRA_LOCATION)
            if (location != null) {
                locationManager.updateNetworkLocation(location)
            }
        }
        if (intent != null && IntentCacheManager.isCache(intent)) {
            locationManager.handleCacheIntent(intent)
        }
        return super.onStartCommand(intent, flags, startId)
    }

    override fun onDestroy() {
        locationManager.stop()
        super.onDestroy()
    }

    override fun handleServiceRequest(callback: IGmsCallbacks, request: GetServiceRequest, service: GmsService?) {
        val packageName = PackageUtils.getAndCheckCallingPackage(this, request.packageName)
            ?: throw IllegalArgumentException("Missing package name")
        locationManager.start()
        callback.onPostInitCompleteWithConnectionInfo(
            CommonStatusCodes.SUCCESS,
            LocationManagerInstance(this, locationManager, packageName, lifecycle).asBinder(),
            ConnectionInfo().apply { features = FEATURES }
        )
    }

    override fun dump(fd: FileDescriptor?, writer: PrintWriter, args: Array<out String>?) {
        super.dump(fd, writer, args)
        locationManager.dump(writer)
    }

    companion object {
        const val ACTION_REPORT_LOCATION = "org.microg.gms.location.manager.ACTION_REPORT_LOCATION"
    }
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 157c9d86ac)

Solutions

1. Ensure the GMS client is created with a valid context so the request packageName is populated with the app's real package.
2. Check that the app's package name resolves: adb shell pm list packages | grep <pkg>; reinstall if missing.
3. Update the play-services-base client / microG versions so package verification (getAndCheckCallingPackage) succeeds.

Example fix

// before
// request built manually without packageName
GetServiceRequest().apply { services = ... }
// after
GetServiceRequest().apply {
    packageName = context.packageName // real, resolvable package
    services = ...
}

val name = PackageUtils.getAndCheckCallingPackage(context, request.packageName)
requireNotNull(name) { "Calling package could not be verified" }

fun hasVerifiedPackageName(ctx: Context, claimed: String?): Boolean =
    !claimed.isNullOrBlank() && runCatching { ctx.packageManager.getPackageInfo(claimed, 0) }.isSuccess

try {
    bindLocationService(request)
} catch (e: IllegalArgumentException) {
    if (e.message == "Missing package name") {
        // rebuild request with context.packageName and retry binding
    }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Binding to the location service with a GetServiceRequest whose packageName field is null or empty; calling from a process whose package cannot be resolved (e.g. shared-uid isolation contexts, instrumentation, or spoofed package name that fails PackageUtils verification).

Common situations: Client SDK builds the GetServiceRequest without setting the app package name; running under a test runner with an unusual uid; custom ROM/clone apps with mismatched package metadata; microG unable to resolve calling package because of work-profile isolation.

Understand the failure class

Background: "missing required argument" and "the following required arguments were not provided": what required-argument errors mean and how to fix them — this error's family across 20 libraries.

Related errors

• deleteAll was set to true but keys were also provided
• Element in keys cannot be null or empty
• retrieveAll was set to true but other constraint(s) was also
• Element in keys cannot be null or empty
• UID [

AI-assisted analysis of microg/GmsCore@157c9d86ac (2026-09-06). Data as JSON: /api/errors/92ce089522dc6ede. Report an issue: GitHub.