Starting an Android service from a different package - service

Question

I can't seem to start my android service when the service code is in another package that is not the same package as the MainActivity of the main app.
I have tried many many ways, even the AIDL method, and I can't get it to work at all.
MainActivity code
ServiceIntent.setComponent(new ComponentName("com.service.luna","com.service.luna.VService" ));
bindService(ServiceIntent, mServiceConnection, Context.BIND_AUTO_CREATE);
MainActivty Manifest
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- <uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="19" android:targetSdkVersion="19" /> This is set from Gradle -->
<!-- Needed for camera passthrough -->
<!--<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA" />-->
<!-- Needed to write thumbs -->
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<!-- Needed to for volume -->
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS" />
<!-- Needed for Google Play Services GPS -->
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION"/>
<uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera" />
<uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.usb.host" />
<!-- Needed for uploading crash reports -->
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE"/>
<uses-feature android:glEsVersion="0x00030000" android:required="true" />
<application android:allowBackup="true" android:icon="#drawable/ic_launcher" android:label="#string/app_name"
android:hardwareAccelerated="true" android:theme="#android:style/Theme.Black.NoTitleBar.Fullscreen">
<meta-data android:name="com.samsung.android.vr.application.mode" android:value="vr_only" />
<!-- singleTask launchMode because we never want multiple copies of the app running, -->
<!-- but we might want to internally spawn other activities -->
<!-- Theme.DeviceDefault.NoActionBar.Fullscreen gives solid black instead of a (bad stereoscopic) gradient on app transition -->
<activity android:name="com.main.luna.MainActivity"
android:theme="#android:style/Theme.Black.NoTitleBar.Fullscreen"
android:label="#string/app_name"
android:launchMode="singleTask"
android:screenOrientation="landscape"
android:configChanges="screenSize|orientation|keyboardHidden|keyboard"
>
<!-- this filter lets the apk show up as a launchable icon -->
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
<action android:name="com.service.luna.VService" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
</intent-filter>
</activity>
<service android:name="com.service.luna.VService" android:process=":VServiceRemote" android:exported="true" android:enabled="true">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="com.service.luna.VService"/>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.DOWNLOAD_COMPLETE"/>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.USER_PRESENT" />
<action android:name="android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
</intent-filter>
</service>
<receiver android:name="com.main.luna.ConnectivityChangeReceiver" >
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.net.conn.CONNECTIVITY_CHANGE"/>
</intent-filter>
</receiver>
</application>
Service Code
public class VService extends Service implements Serializable{
....
Service Manifest
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" package="com.service.luna">
<application
android:allowBackup="true"
android:label="#string/app_name"
android:supportsRtl="true">
</application>
When My code finally runs, I receive a
bindService callerProcessName:com.main.luna, calleePkgName: com.service.luna, action: null
Unable to start service Intent { pkg=com.service.luna cmp=com.service.luna/.VService } U=0: not found
The name of the main package is com.main.luna and the service is in package com.service.luna
If someone has solved this before, please let me know.

Answer 1

Try to enable the exported option in your manifest while adding your service ( android:exported="true")
<service android:enabled=["true" | "false"]
android:exported=["true" | "false"]
android:icon="drawable resource"
android:isolatedProcess=["true" | "false"]
android:label="string resource"
android:name="string"
android:permission="string"
android:process="string" >
. . .
</service>
and make sure you are using the Correct name of your Package name
Also check this post having similar situation
How do I start a service which is defined in a different package?