net6-android: Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable not shared with native library

[Falco20019]

Description

I just ported a Android library from MonoAndroid to net6-android. Sadly, the library (Grpc.Core.Xamarin) uses environment variables to pass the xds_bootstrap.json path over. There is no other way to set it.

On MonoAndroid, calling Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("GRPC_XDS_BOOTSTRAP", "...") did work. On net6-android, I get a runtime error from the library:

[DOTNET] [16:39:29 ERR MainFrame] 3149119968 /var/local/git/grpc/src/core/ext/filters/client_channel/resolver/xds/xds_resolver.cc:707: Failed to create xds client -- channel will remain in TRANSIENT_FAILURE: {"created":"@1655915969.698845100","description":"Environment variables GRPC_XDS_BOOTSTRAP or GRPC_XDS_BOOTSTRAP_CONFIG not defined","file":"/var/local/git/grpc/src/core/ext/xds/xds_client.cc","file_line":2359}

Reproduction Steps

1. Create Android application using <TargetFramework>net6.0-android</TargetFramework>
2. Add Grpc.Core.Xamarin using the following lines:

  <!-- Workaround for Grpc.Core.Xamarin -->
  <PropertyGroup>
    <Grpc_SkipNativeLibsCopy>true</Grpc_SkipNativeLibsCopy>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <!-- Use $(GrpcVersion) once packages are available! -->
    <PackageReference Include="Grpc.Core.Xamarin" Version="2.44.0" GeneratePathProperty="true" />
    <AndroidNativeLibrary Include="$(PkgGrpc_Core_Xamarin)\native\android\arm64-v8a\libgrpc_csharp_ext.so" />
    <AndroidNativeLibrary Include="$(PkgGrpc_Core_Xamarin)\native\android\armeabi-v7a\libgrpc_csharp_ext.so" />
    <AndroidNativeLibrary Include="$(PkgGrpc_Core_Xamarin)\native\android\x86\libgrpc_csharp_ext.so" />
  </ItemGroup>

3. Try to call any endpoint with a target that uses xds:///

Expected behavior

The call should be made using xDS name resolution.

Actual behavior

The call failed with the above given error message and will never return. Any non-xds calls work just fine. I have no way to check the environment on the native library side, but the message indicates that the environment variables are not shared anymore.

Regression?

No response

Known Workarounds

No response

Configuration

No response

Other information

No response

[dotnet-issue-labeler]

I couldn't figure out the best area label to add to this issue. If you have write-permissions please help me learn by adding exactly one area label.

[Falco20019]

@akoeplinger I assume this should be os-android.

[ghost]

Tagging subscribers to 'arch-android': @steveisok, @akoeplinger
See info in area-owners.md if you want to be subscribed.

Issue Details

---

Description

I just ported a Android library from MonoAndroid to net6-android. Sadly, the library (Grpc.Core.Xamarin) uses environment variables to pass the xds_bootstrap.json path over. There is no other way to set it.

On MonoAndroid, calling Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("GRPC_XDS_BOOTSTRAP", "...") did work. On net6-android, I get a runtime error from the library:

[DOTNET] [16:39:29 ERR MainFrame] 3149119968 /var/local/git/grpc/src/core/ext/filters/client_channel/resolver/xds/xds_resolver.cc:707: Failed to create xds client -- channel will remain in TRANSIENT_FAILURE: {"created":"@1655915969.698845100","description":"Environment variables GRPC_XDS_BOOTSTRAP or GRPC_XDS_BOOTSTRAP_CONFIG not defined","file":"/var/local/git/grpc/src/core/ext/xds/xds_client.cc","file_line":2359}

Reproduction Steps

1. Create Android application using <TargetFramework>net6.0-android</TargetFramework>
2. Add Grpc.Core.Xamarin using the following lines:

  <!-- Workaround for Grpc.Core.Xamarin -->
  <PropertyGroup>
    <Grpc_SkipNativeLibsCopy>true</Grpc_SkipNativeLibsCopy>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <!-- Use $(GrpcVersion) once packages are available! -->
    <PackageReference Include="Grpc.Core.Xamarin" Version="2.44.0" GeneratePathProperty="true" />
    <AndroidNativeLibrary Include="$(PkgGrpc_Core_Xamarin)\native\android\arm64-v8a\libgrpc_csharp_ext.so" />
    <AndroidNativeLibrary Include="$(PkgGrpc_Core_Xamarin)\native\android\armeabi-v7a\libgrpc_csharp_ext.so" />
    <AndroidNativeLibrary Include="$(PkgGrpc_Core_Xamarin)\native\android\x86\libgrpc_csharp_ext.so" />
  </ItemGroup>

3. Try to call any endpoint with a target that uses xds:///

Expected behavior

The call should be made using xDS name resolution.

Actual behavior

The call failed with the above given error message and will never return. Any non-xds calls work just fine. I have no way to check the environment on the native library side, but the message indicates that the environment variables are not shared anymore.

Regression?

No response

Known Workarounds

No response

Configuration

No response

Other information

No response

Author:	Falco20019
Assignees:	-
Labels:	os-android
Milestone:	-

[akoeplinger]

Yep but unfortunately this is expected in .NET 6, environment variables aren't propagated to native code (see the discussion in #9529 for some of the problems)

You can manually P/Invoke into setenv as a workaround.

[ghost]

Tagging subscribers to this area: @dotnet/area-system-runtime
See info in area-owners.md if you want to be subscribed.

Issue Details

---

Description

I just ported a Android library from MonoAndroid to net6-android. Sadly, the library (Grpc.Core.Xamarin) uses environment variables to pass the xds_bootstrap.json path over. There is no other way to set it.

On MonoAndroid, calling Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("GRPC_XDS_BOOTSTRAP", "...") did work. On net6-android, I get a runtime error from the library:

[DOTNET] [16:39:29 ERR MainFrame] 3149119968 /var/local/git/grpc/src/core/ext/filters/client_channel/resolver/xds/xds_resolver.cc:707: Failed to create xds client -- channel will remain in TRANSIENT_FAILURE: {"created":"@1655915969.698845100","description":"Environment variables GRPC_XDS_BOOTSTRAP or GRPC_XDS_BOOTSTRAP_CONFIG not defined","file":"/var/local/git/grpc/src/core/ext/xds/xds_client.cc","file_line":2359}

Reproduction Steps

1. Create Android application using <TargetFramework>net6.0-android</TargetFramework>
2. Add Grpc.Core.Xamarin using the following lines:

  <!-- Workaround for Grpc.Core.Xamarin -->
  <PropertyGroup>
    <Grpc_SkipNativeLibsCopy>true</Grpc_SkipNativeLibsCopy>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <!-- Use $(GrpcVersion) once packages are available! -->
    <PackageReference Include="Grpc.Core.Xamarin" Version="2.44.0" GeneratePathProperty="true" />
    <AndroidNativeLibrary Include="$(PkgGrpc_Core_Xamarin)\native\android\arm64-v8a\libgrpc_csharp_ext.so" />
    <AndroidNativeLibrary Include="$(PkgGrpc_Core_Xamarin)\native\android\armeabi-v7a\libgrpc_csharp_ext.so" />
    <AndroidNativeLibrary Include="$(PkgGrpc_Core_Xamarin)\native\android\x86\libgrpc_csharp_ext.so" />
  </ItemGroup>

3. Try to call any endpoint with a target that uses xds:///

Expected behavior

The call should be made using xDS name resolution.

Actual behavior

The call failed with the above given error message and will never return. Any non-xds calls work just fine. I have no way to check the environment on the native library side, but the message indicates that the environment variables are not shared anymore.

Regression?

No response

Known Workarounds

No response

Configuration

No response

Other information

No response

Author:	Falco20019
Assignees:	-
Labels:	area-System.Runtime, os-android
Milestone:	-

[Falco20019]

Thanks for the update. I also came up with invoking it and that indeed solved my issue.