[Android] Can not test the example app in release mode

[ISnowFoxI]

Description

I have built a small library using nitro-modules but when I run yarn android --mode release command, the app doesn't build. It fails with the following error.

Type com.facebook.fbreact.specs.NativeAccessibilityInfoSpec is defined multiple times:

* What went wrong:
Execution failed for task ':app:mergeDexRelease'.
> A failure occurred while executing com.android.build.gradle.internal.tasks.DexMergingTaskDelegate
   > There was a failure while executing work items
      > A failure occurred while executing com.android.build.gradle.internal.tasks.DexMergingWorkAction
         > com.android.builder.dexing.DexArchiveMergerException: Error while merging dex archives: 
           Learn how to resolve the issue at https://developer.android.com/studio/build/dependencies#duplicate_classes.
           Type com.facebook.fbreact.specs.NativeAccessibilityInfoSpec is defined multiple times: /Users/user/Desktop/rn-sima-app-to-app/android/build/.transforms/fc48dddb342cbad626efc1aa92bb0c2f/transformed/bundleLibRuntimeToDirRelease/bundleLibRuntimeToDirRelease_dex/com/facebook/fbreact/specs/NativeAccessibilityInfoSpec.dex, /Users/user/Desktop/rn-sima-app-to-app/example/android/app/build/intermediates/external_libs_dex/release/mergeExtDexRelease/classes.dex

Packages

• create-react-native-library
• react-native-builder-bob

Selected options

Package name: rn-sima-app-to-app
Library type: Nitro modules

Link to repro

https://github.com/ISnowFoxI/rn-sima-app-to-app

Environment

System:
OS: macOS 15.3
CPU: (8) arm64 Apple M1 Pro
Memory: 273.69 MB / 16.00 GB
Shell:
version: "5.9"
path: /bin/zsh
Binaries:
Node:
version: 20.11.0
path: ~/.nvm/versions/node/v20.11.0/bin/node
Yarn:
version: 3.6.1
path: ~/.nvm/versions/node/v20.11.0/bin/yarn
npm:
version: 10.2.4
path: ~/.nvm/versions/node/v20.11.0/bin/npm
Watchman:
version: 2024.12.02.00
path: /opt/homebrew/bin/watchman
Managers:
CocoaPods:
version: 1.16.2
path: /opt/homebrew/bin/pod
SDKs:
iOS SDK:
Platforms:
- DriverKit 24.2
- iOS 18.2
- macOS 15.2
- tvOS 18.2
- visionOS 2.2
- watchOS 11.2
Android SDK:
API Levels:
- "30"
- "31"
- "32"
- "33"
- "34"
- "35"
Build Tools:
- 30.0.2
- 30.0.3
- 31.0.0
- 33.0.0
- 33.0.1
- 34.0.0
- 35.0.0
System Images:
- android-34 | Google APIs ARM 64 v8a
- android-34 | Google Play ARM 64 v8a
Android NDK: Not Found
IDEs:
Android Studio: 2024.2 AI-242.23726.103.2422.12816248
Xcode:
version: 16.2/16C5032a
path: /usr/bin/xcodebuild
Languages:
Java:
version: 17.0.12
path: /usr/bin/javac
Ruby:
version: 2.6.10
path: /usr/bin/ruby
npmPackages:
"@react-native-community/cli":
installed: 15.0.1
wanted: 15.0.1
react:
installed: 18.3.1
wanted: 18.3.1
react-native:
installed: 0.77.0
wanted: 0.77.0
react-native-macos: Not Found
npmGlobalPackages:
"react-native": Not Found
Android:
hermesEnabled: true
newArchEnabled: true
iOS:
hermesEnabled: true
newArchEnabled: false

[ISnowFoxI]

Commenting out the below code fixes it. The code is located in the build.gradle file of the library. I am curious whether this is important or not, if the example app has this already, why is it needed in the package file?

if (isNewArchitectureEnabled()) {
  apply plugin: "com.facebook.react"
}