Android source code compile error: "Try increasing heap size with java option '-Xmx<size>'"

Question

Error happens when I try to compile Android source code(Sourcecode-version: 6.0.1; RAM: 6G; host system: ubuntu 14.04),log is below:

including ./system/netd/Android.mk ...
including ./system/security/keystore-engine/Android.mk ...
including ./system/security/keystore/Android.mk ...
including ./system/security/softkeymaster/Android.mk ...
including ./system/tools/aidl/Android.mk ...
including ./system/update_engine/Android.mk ...
including ./system/vold/Android.mk ...
including ./system/weaved/Android.mk ...
including ./system/webservd/Android.mk ...
including ./tools/external/fat32lib/Android.mk ...
Starting build with ninja
ninja: Entering directory `.'
[  0% 1/21275] Ensure Jack server is installed and started
Jack server already installed in "/home/eddy/.jack-server"
Launching Jack server java -Djava.io.tmpdir=/tmp -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 -XX:+TieredCompilation -cp /home/eddy/.jack-server/launcher.jar com.android.jack.launcher.ServerLauncher
[  0% 17/21275] host Java: conscrypt-host (out/host/common/obj/JAVA_LIBRARIES/conscrypt-host_intermediates/classes)
warning: [options] bootstrap class path not set in conjunction with -source 1.7
external/conscrypt/src/openjdk/java/org/conscrypt/Platform.java:39: warning: AlgorithmId is internal proprietary API and may be removed in a future release
import sun.security.x509.AlgorithmId;
                        ^
external/conscrypt/src/openjdk/java/org/conscrypt/Platform.java:243: warning: AlgorithmId is internal proprietary API and may be removed in a future release
            return AlgorithmId.get(oid).getName();
                   ^
Note: Some input files use or override a deprecated API.
Note: Recompile with -Xlint:deprecation for details.
Note: Some input files use unchecked or unsafe operations.
Note: Recompile with -Xlint:unchecked for details.
3 warnings
[  0% 18/21275] host Java: signapk (out/host/common/obj/JAVA_LIBRARIES/signapk_intermediates/classes)
warning: [options] bootstrap class path not set in conjunction with -source 1.7
1 warning
[  0% 73/21275] Building with Jack: out/target/common/obj/JAVA_LIBRARIES/framework_intermediates/with-local/classes.dex
FAILED: /bin/bash out/target/common/obj/JAVA_LIBRARIES/framework_intermediates/with-local/classes.dex.rsp
GC overhead limit exceeded
Try increasing heap size with java option '-Xmx<size>'
Warning: This may have produced partial or corrupted output.
ninja: build stopped: subcommand failed.
make: *** [ninja_wrapper] Error 1

#### make failed to build some targets (14:09 (mm:ss)) ####

eddy@eddy-OptiPlex-390:~/WORKING_DIRECTORY$ 

Anyone can tell me why the compiling failed?

Answer 1

I had the same problem. So I've tried to set JACK_SERVER_VM_ARGUMENTS to include -Xmx=4g, but when building again the log output showed that this was not included in the startup. Dunno why, seems like the env vars do not get passed to the build script correctly.

Solution

Before starting a clean android build set the JACK_SERVER_VM_ARGUMENTS to include -Xmx=4g, then stop and start the jack server manually. Given you're in the main source tree of AOSP run the following:

export JACK_SERVER_VM_ARGUMENTS="-Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 -XX:+TieredCompilation -Xmx4g"
./prebuilts/sdk/tools/jack-admin kill-server
./prebuilts/sdk/tools/jack-admin start-server

for cm you can use

export JACK_SERVER_VM_ARGUMENTS="-Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 -XX:+TieredCompilation -Xmx4g"
jack-admin kill-server && jack-admin start-server

This resolved the issue for me.