Trying to build Android project with Glide package, throws "Unable to merge dex" error

Question

I am running Android Studio 3.0. I am currently trying to make Glide version 4.3.0 work, but had the same issues with version 4.2.0.

My project runs fine without adding the Glide package dependencies in my build.gradle file, downloaded from here https://github.com/bumptech/glide. I also followed the setup instructions here too. First I added the jar file to my libs folder, and then added the dependencies.

The full error is

Error:Execution failed for task 
':app:transformDexArchiveWithExternalLibsDexMergerForDebug'.
> com.android.builder.dexing.DexArchiveMergerException: Unable to merge dex

I've researched this issue a lot but only found solutions for other packages which provided specific fixes for those packages, but I wasn't able to find a solution for this specific package.

Here's the full gradle stack trace.

* Exception is:
org.gradle.api.tasks.TaskExecutionException: Execution failed for task ':app:transformClassesWithMultidexlistForDebug'.
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeActions(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:100)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.execute(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:70)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipUpToDateTaskExecuter.execute(SkipUpToDateTaskExecuter.java:63)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ResolveTaskOutputCachingStateExecuter.execute(ResolveTaskOutputCachingStateExecuter.java:54)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ValidatingTaskExecuter.execute(ValidatingTaskExecuter.java:58)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipEmptySourceFilesTaskExecuter.execute(SkipEmptySourceFilesTaskExecuter.java:88)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ResolveTaskArtifactStateTaskExecuter.execute(ResolveTaskArtifactStateTaskExecuter.java:52)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipTaskWithNoActionsExecuter.execute(SkipTaskWithNoActionsExecuter.java:52)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipOnlyIfTaskExecuter.execute(SkipOnlyIfTaskExecuter.java:54)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteAtMostOnceTaskExecuter.execute(ExecuteAtMostOnceTaskExecuter.java:43)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.CatchExceptionTaskExecuter.execute(CatchExceptionTaskExecuter.java:34)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter$EventFiringTaskWorker$1.run(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:248)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$RunnableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:336)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$RunnableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:328)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:197)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:107)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter$EventFiringTaskWorker.execute(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:241)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter$EventFiringTaskWorker.execute(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:230)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker.processTask(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:124)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker.access$200(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:80)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker$1.execute(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:105)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker$1.execute(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:99)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionPlan.execute(DefaultTaskExecutionPlan.java:625)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionPlan.executeWithTask(DefaultTaskExecutionPlan.java:580)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker.run(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:99)
    at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ExecutorPolicy$CatchAndRecordFailures.onExecute(ExecutorPolicy.java:63)
    at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ManagedExecutorImpl$1.run(ManagedExecutorImpl.java:46)
    at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ThreadFactoryImpl$ManagedThreadRunnable.run(ThreadFactoryImpl.java:55)
Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: java.io.IOException: Can't write [C:\Users\Alex\AndroidStudioProjects\ChanReader\app\build\intermediates\multi-dex\debug\componentClasses.jar] (Can't read [C:\Users\Alex\.gradle\caches\modules-2\files-2.1\com.github.bumptech.glide\glide\4.3.0\5ef2a3700ab3320576eab21ff504189e5a92a350\glide-4.3.0.jar(;;;;;;**.class)] (Duplicate zip entry [glide-4.3.0.jar:com/bumptech/glide/util/Synthetic.class]))
    at com.android.builder.profile.Recorder$Block.handleException(Recorder.java:55)
    at com.android.builder.profile.ThreadRecorder.record(ThreadRecorder.java:104)
    at com.android.build.gradle.internal.pipeline.TransformTask.transform(TransformTask.java:213)
    at org.gradle.internal.reflect.JavaMethod.invoke(JavaMethod.java:73)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.DefaultTaskClassInfoStore$IncrementalTaskAction.doExecute(DefaultTaskClassInfoStore.java:173)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.DefaultTaskClassInfoStore$StandardTaskAction.execute(DefaultTaskClassInfoStore.java:134)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.DefaultTaskClassInfoStore$StandardTaskAction.execute(DefaultTaskClassInfoStore.java:121)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter$1.run(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:122)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$RunnableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:336)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$RunnableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:328)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:197)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:107)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeAction(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:111)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeActions(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:92)
    ... 27 more
Caused by: java.io.IOException: Can't write [C:\Users\Alex\AndroidStudioProjects\ChanReader\app\build\intermediates\multi-dex\debug\componentClasses.jar] (Can't read [C:\Users\Alex\.gradle\caches\modules-2\files-2.1\com.github.bumptech.glide\glide\4.3.0\5ef2a3700ab3320576eab21ff504189e5a92a350\glide-4.3.0.jar(;;;;;;**.class)] (Duplicate zip entry [glide-4.3.0.jar:com/bumptech/glide/util/Synthetic.class]))
    at proguard.OutputWriter.writeOutput(OutputWriter.java:187)
    at proguard.OutputWriter.execute(OutputWriter.java:79)
    at proguard.ProGuard.writeOutput(ProGuard.java:427)
    at proguard.ProGuard.execute(ProGuard.java:175)
    at com.android.build.gradle.internal.transforms.BaseProguardAction.runProguard(BaseProguardAction.java:61)
    at com.android.build.gradle.internal.transforms.MainDexListTransform.shrinkWithProguard(MainDexListTransform.java:232)
    at com.android.build.gradle.internal.transforms.MainDexListTransform.transform(MainDexListTransform.java:184)
    at com.android.build.gradle.internal.pipeline.TransformTask$2.call(TransformTask.java:222)
    at com.android.build.gradle.internal.pipeline.TransformTask$2.call(TransformTask.java:218)
    at com.android.builder.profile.ThreadRecorder.record(ThreadRecorder.java:102)
    ... 39 more
Caused by: java.io.IOException: Can't read [C:\Users\Alex\.gradle\caches\modules-2\files-2.1\com.github.bumptech.glide\glide\4.3.0\5ef2a3700ab3320576eab21ff504189e5a92a350\glide-4.3.0.jar(;;;;;;**.class)] (Duplicate zip entry [glide-4.3.0.jar:com/bumptech/glide/util/Synthetic.class])
    at proguard.InputReader.readInput(InputReader.java:188)
    at proguard.InputReader.readInput(InputReader.java:158)
    at proguard.OutputWriter.writeOutput(OutputWriter.java:176)
    ... 48 more
Caused by: java.io.IOException: Duplicate zip entry [glide-4.3.0.jar:com/bumptech/glide/util/Synthetic.class]
    at proguard.io.JarWriter.getOutputStream(JarWriter.java:138)
    at proguard.io.FilteredDataEntryWriter.getOutputStream(FilteredDataEntryWriter.java:106)
    at proguard.io.FilteredDataEntryWriter.getOutputStream(FilteredDataEntryWriter.java:106)
    at proguard.io.FilteredDataEntryWriter.getOutputStream(FilteredDataEntryWriter.java:92)
    at proguard.io.ClassRewriter.read(ClassRewriter.java:68)
    at proguard.io.FilteredDataEntryReader.read(FilteredDataEntryReader.java:87)
    at proguard.io.FilteredDataEntryReader.read(FilteredDataEntryReader.java:87)
    at proguard.io.FilteredDataEntryReader.read(FilteredDataEntryReader.java:87)
    at proguard.io.JarReader.read(JarReader.java:65)
    at proguard.io.DirectoryPump.readFiles(DirectoryPump.java:65)
    at proguard.io.DirectoryPump.pumpDataEntries(DirectoryPump.java:53)
    at proguard.InputReader.readInput(InputReader.java:184)
    ... 50 more

Answer 1

The issue was adding the jar file to the libs folder of my project. Apparently, this created a duplication issue. After removing it, my application runs fine.

I naively did this because I used the Picasso library first in which I did this. I assumed it was standard practice.