A manager installed as an app from an older build reports itself inactive

[NMBlanco]

Steps to reproduce/复现步骤

I just updated to the most recent Ci build 3062 via the Vector app, rebooted my device, and saw that Vector was "not active".

All my modules still seemed to work though, and in KernelSU, Vector was installed successfully.
I couldn't save any logs though, it only created a 0 bytes file.
Whats also very weird, Gboard wasn't opening at all, I wasn't able to type anything.

I reverted back to Ci 3059 via flashing it in KernelSU, and Vector + my Keyboard was working again.

Expected behaviour/预期行为

Vector active after 3062 update

Actual behaviour/实际行为

Vector showing as not active after updating from 3059 to 3062.

Xposed Module List/Xposed 模块列表

\

Root implementation/Root 方案

KernelSU

System Module List/系统模块列表

\

Vector version/Vector 版本

3062

Android version/Android 版本

16

Version requirement/版本要求

• I am using the latest debug build from GitHub Actions./我正在使用 GitHub Actions 中最新的调试版本。

Logs/日志

Not possible

[JingMatrix]

I think you should open it from the status bar, open it. And the reinstall the manager app from the System Status page.

You were using an manager that is outdated with respect to the daemon.

[NMBlanco]

I think you should open it from the status bar, open it. And the reinstall the manager app from the System Status page.

You were using an manager that is outdated with respect to the daemon.

Ah okay, well in 3059 I chose the option to install Vector as app, not shortcut. Does that make the difference?

[NMBlanco]

So now I reinstalled 3062, opened Vector from the action button in KernelSU and it's showing as active again. I created the shortcut via the system status and its working normally now.
But when I open the previously installed Vector APK, it still shows Vector as inactive.
Is that a bug then? Or why does the option to install it as an app exist?

[JingMatrix]

Not a bug, and the two things are separate.

Parasitically the manager is not installed at all: it borrows another app's process, so the launcher has nothing to show. That is what #815 was, and it is why the option to install it as a real app exists — a genuine icon rather than a shortcut into the host.

The copy you installed earlier is a snapshot, though. Flashing a zip replaces the daemon and the manager it carries, but it never touches an installed package, and the daemon hands its binder only to an installed manager whose APK is signed with the same key as the flashed build. Yours came from an older one, so it is refused, gets no binder, and reports itself inactive — correctly, since nothing is injected into that process. Reinstalling it from System Status replaces it with the current APK; uninstalling it loses nothing now that you have the shortcut.

[NMBlanco]

Thank you for explaining, now it makes sense!