iOS: How to get AIR application to launch in background?

[marchbold]

Hi all,

I've recently been experimenting with handling location updates with AIR on iOS. I'm using a native extension to register for region monitoring and all is working fine while the application is running (either in the foreground or background).

I'm having an issue with background startup of the AIR app, ie handling the case when the application isn't running, having being terminated either via the user or the OS. The iOS docs say:

In iOS, regions associated with your app are tracked at all times, including when the app isn’t running. If a region boundary is crossed while an app isn’t running, that app is relaunched into the background to handle the event.

And this appears to happen, however the AIR application doesn't seem to be able to start in this mode. I can see the application attempt to start and then crash on the main application thread:

Exception Type:  EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV)

Exception Subtype: KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS at 0x0000000000000001

Triggered by Thread:  0

Thread 0 name:  Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread

Thread 0 Crashed:

0   libGPUSupportMercury.dylib     0x000000018f05218c gpus_ReturnNotPermittedKillClient + 12

1   libGPUSupportMercury.dylib     0x000000018f053124 gpusSubmitDataBuffers + 160

2   GLEngine                       0x0000000189fc8260 gliPresentViewES_Exec + 192

3   GLEngine                       0x0000000189fc8164 gliPresentViewES + 80

4   OpenGLES                       0x0000000189fd7c7c -[EAGLContext presentRenderbuffer:] + 68

5   DistriqtTestBeacon             0x000000010033a508 0x1000c0000 + 2598152

6   DistriqtTestBeacon             0x000000010045fa50 0x1000c0000 + 3799632

7   DistriqtTestBeacon             0x000000010045fbc4 0x1000c0000 + 3800004

8   DistriqtTestBeacon             0x000000010045f568 0x1000c0000 + 3798376

9   DistriqtTestBeacon             0x0000000100258284 0x1000c0000 + 1671812

10  DistriqtTestBeacon             0x000000010028e3ec 0x1000c0000 + 1893356

11  DistriqtTestBeacon             0x000000010028d3b8 0x1000c0000 + 1889208

12  CoreFoundation                 0x0000000186404dd8 __CFNOTIFICATIONCENTER_IS_CALLING_OUT_TO_AN_OBSERVER__ + 16

13  CoreFoundation                 0x000000018634336c _CFXNotificationPost + 2056

14  Foundation                     0x000000018726751c -[NSNotificationCenter postNotificationName:object:userInfo:] + 68

15  DistriqtTestBeacon             0x00000001001abae0 0x1000c0000 + 965344

16  QuartzCore                     0x000000018a60d090 CA::Display::DisplayLinkItem::dispatch() + 28

17  QuartzCore                     0x000000018a60cf28 CA::Display::DisplayLink::dispatch_items(unsigned long long, unsigned long long, unsigned long long) + 320

18  IOKit                         0x00000001875f550c IODispatchCalloutFromCFMessage + 372

19  CoreFoundation                 0x00000001864018d8 __CFMachPortPerform + 176

20  CoreFoundation                 0x0000000186416544 __CFRUNLOOP_IS_CALLING_OUT_TO_A_SOURCE1_PERFORM_FUNCTION__ + 52

21  CoreFoundation                 0x00000001864164a4 __CFRunLoopDoSource1 + 432

22  CoreFoundation                 0x0000000186414424 __CFRunLoopRun + 1636

23  CoreFoundation                 0x00000001863411f0 CFRunLoopRunSpecific + 392

24  GraphicsServices               0x000000018f7636f8 GSEventRunModal + 164

25  UIKit                         0x000000018acd2108 UIApplicationMain + 1484

26  DistriqtTestBeacon             0x000000010028b89c 0x1000c0000 + 1882268

27  libdyld.dylib                 0x0000000197ab2a04 start + 0

Has anyone had any success in getting this to work or am I looking at a limitation of AIR here ? chris.campbell‌ any ideas?

Cheers

[marchbold]

I've created a bug report for this issue:

Bug#4026124 - Launching Application into Background fails on iOS

[Anki_AG_]

Thanks for reporting the issue. We will surely take a look at this issue. Meanwhile could you please upvote the bug so that this can get picked up on priority.

Thanks,

Adobe Air Team

[phonefusionryan]

Any updates on this? we've spent a good amount of time building an app only to just now realize this huge show stopper.

[ciaoamigos1973]

No solution from Adobe? No solution from Adobe?

[fullflash]

Adobe should fix such important bugs instead of making trash features

[phonefusionryan]

I've switched over to using Cordova to build apps because of this. Cordova actually generates a native xcode project when you recompile so LITERALLY nothing is stopping you. True VoIP apps are IMPOSSIBLE because of this in AIR. Never looking back

[fullflash]

I guess exerienced Adobe developers transfered to other companies we don't

get bugs fixes anymore even simple ones.

Instead of playing with crappy browser based htmljs technologies Adobe

should support and invest in air mobile development.

Air really has tons of pros over other technologies but because this lowQ

supports and dead bug fixes air will be buried like flash.