RN 0.72-rc.3 release builds crash on startup due to bytecode version mismatch

[MicroDroid]

Description

Release builds broken

React Native Version

0.72.0-rc.3

Output of npx react-native info

info Fetching system and libraries information...
System:
 OS: Linux 5.15 Arch Linux
 CPU: (16) x64 AMD Ryzen 7 5800H with Radeon Graphics
 Memory: 9.04 GB / 31.35 GB
 Shell:
 version: "5.9"
 path: /bin/zsh
Binaries:
 Node:
 version: 18.14.2
 path: ~/.nvm/versions/node/v18.14.2/bin/node
 Yarn:
 version: 1.22.19
 path: /usr/sbin/yarn
 npm:
 version: 9.5.0
 path: ~/.nvm/versions/node/v18.14.2/bin/npm
 Watchman:
 version: 20221016.020512.0
 path: /usr/sbin/watchman
SDKs:
 Android SDK:
 API Levels:
 - "31"
 - "33"
 - "33"
 Build Tools:
 - 30.0.2
 - 30.0.3
 - 31.0.0
 - 33.0.0
 - 33.0.2
 System Images:
 - android-33 | Google APIs Intel x86_64 Atom
 Android NDK: Not Found
IDEs:
 Android Studio: AI-222.4459.24.2221.9971841
Languages:
 Java:
 version: 11.0.17
 path: /usr/sbin/javac
 Ruby: Not Found
npmPackages:
 "@react-native-community/cli": Not Found
 react:
 installed: 18.2.0
 wanted: 18.2.0
 react-native:
 installed: 0.72.0-rc.3
 wanted: 0.72.0-rc.3
npmGlobalPackages:
 "*react-native*": Not Found
Android:
 hermesEnabled: true
 newArchEnabled: false
iOS:
 hermesEnabled: Not found
 newArchEnabled: Not found

Steps to reproduce

npx react-native@0.72.0-rc.3 init TestApp --version 0.72.0-rc.3
cd ./TestApp
yarn start
# new terminal
yarn android --mode release
# watch it crash on your phone...
# new terminal
adb logcat
# observe a log entry about bytecode verison mismatch

Snack, code example, screenshot, or link to a repository

Use the official demo template

[kelset]

wasn't able to repro on my machine:

does it work for you when not using release mode?

[MicroDroid]

@kelset yes you need to use the release mode, and I also use a physical device but presumably that shouldn't matter given the error.

[cortinico]

observe a log entry about bytecode verison mismatch

Can you share the crash please?

[MicroDroid]

@cortinico

05-15 15:07:39.031 12479 12505 E AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: mqt_js
05-15 15:07:39.031 12479 12505 E AndroidRuntime: Process: com.testapp, PID: 12479
05-15 15:07:39.031 12479 12505 E AndroidRuntime: com.facebook.jni.CppException: Compiling JS failed: Wrong bytecode version. Expected 94 but got 95 Buffer size 761500 starts with: c61fbc03c103191f5f0000009f3ef2b1
05-15 15:07:39.031 12479 12505 E AndroidRuntime: at com.facebook.jni.NativeRunnable.run(Native Method)
05-15 15:07:39.031 12479 12505 E AndroidRuntime: at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:938)
05-15 15:07:39.031 12479 12505 E AndroidRuntime: at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
05-15 15:07:39.031 12479 12505 E AndroidRuntime: at com.facebook.react.bridge.queue.MessageQueueThreadHandler.dispatchMessage(MessageQueueThreadHandler.java:27)
05-15 15:07:39.031 12479 12505 E AndroidRuntime: at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:236)
05-15 15:07:39.031 12479 12505 E AndroidRuntime: at com.facebook.react.bridge.queue.MessageQueueThreadImpl$4.run(MessageQueueThreadImpl.java:228)
05-15 15:07:39.031 12479 12505 E AndroidRuntime: at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:923)

[cortinico]

Thanks for that @MicroDroid we'll look into trying to reproduce this locally.
In the meanwhile:

1. Have you, by any reason, installed a version of Hermes globally? Specifically, could you share the output of npm list -g
2. Are you on any proxy like VPN or are you using a corp network that might intercept the HTTP call to Maven Central (i.e. you have your own Maven proxy in your organization)?

[MicroDroid]

@cortinico

1. npm list -g and yarn global list both show a few packages and none of them are related to React Native in any way
2. No, and no.

[MicroDroid]

By the way, I followed the steps I wrote above to reproduce the error when getting the logcat above for you, so yeah the repro steps are exact, at least on my machine.

[cortinico]

Could you try on RC2 and RC1 and report if the issue is still happening?
Also could you try also on 0.71?

I've just verified that RN Tester on RC3 works fine in Release mode, so I'm unsure what's causing this.

[MicroDroid]

Yes, I already tried all 0.72-* versions, it happens on all, but on 0.71* it works fine (that's what I am using right now).