Getting java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: net/bytebuddy/dynamic/VisibilityBridgeStrategy in my Mobile automation Code

Question

I have set up a mobile automation project in Serenity BDD Cucumber Maven. Following is the pom.xml used. Facing this error java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: net/bytebuddy/dynamic/VisibilityBridgeStrategy

Not sure why this error is thrown? I have been facing a number of errors while using an Appium latest version with unmatched selenium versions, later changed and update the version as per the sources in internet - Stackeroverflow mostly, but now I have no clue on this error.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
    xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
    xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

    <groupId>org.example</groupId>
    <artifactId>RateAppAutomation</artifactId>
    <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
    <packaging>jar</packaging>

    <name> Serenity BDD Framework for Rate App Test Automation</name>

    <properties>
        <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
        <serenity.version>4.0.14</serenity.version>
        <junit-vintage-engine.version>5.9.3</junit-vintage-engine.version>
        <junit-platform-suite.version>1.9.3</junit-platform-suite.version>
        <cucumber-junit-platform-engine.version>7.11.1</cucumber-junit-platform-engine.version>
        <appium.version>8.3.0</appium.version>
        <selenium.version>3.141.59</selenium.version>
        <encoding>UTF-8</encoding>
        <tags/>
        <maven.compiler.source>8</maven.compiler.source>
        <maven.compiler.target>8</maven.compiler.target>
    </properties>

    <dependencies>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>io.appium</groupId>
            <artifactId>java-client</artifactId>
            <version>${appium.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.seleniumhq.selenium</groupId>
            <artifactId>selenium-remote-driver</artifactId>
            <version>${selenium.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.seleniumhq.selenium</groupId>
            <artifactId>selenium-server</artifactId>
            <version>${selenium.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>net.serenity-bdd</groupId>
            <artifactId>serenity-core</artifactId>
            <version>${serenity.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>net.serenity-bdd</groupId>
            <artifactId>serenity-cucumber</artifactId>
            <version>${serenity.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>net.serenity-bdd</groupId>
            <artifactId>serenity-screenplay</artifactId>
            <version>${serenity.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>net.serenity-bdd</groupId>
            <artifactId>serenity-screenplay-webdriver</artifactId>
            <version>${serenity.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>net.serenity-bdd</groupId>
            <artifactId>serenity-ensure</artifactId>
            <version>${serenity.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.junit.platform</groupId>
            <artifactId>junit-platform-launcher</artifactId>
            <version>${junit-platform-suite.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>io.cucumber</groupId>
            <artifactId>cucumber-junit-platform-engine</artifactId>
            <version>${cucumber-junit-platform-engine.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>io.cucumber</groupId>
            <artifactId>cucumber-junit</artifactId>
            <version>7.14.0</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.junit.platform</groupId>
            <artifactId>junit-platform-suite</artifactId>
            <version>${junit-platform-suite.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.junit.jupiter</groupId>
            <artifactId>junit-jupiter-engine</artifactId>
            <version>${junit-vintage-engine.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.junit.vintage</groupId>
            <artifactId>junit-vintage-engine</artifactId>
            <version>${junit-vintage-engine.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>ch.qos.logback</groupId>
            <artifactId>logback-classic</artifactId>
            <version>1.4.7</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.assertj</groupId>
            <artifactId>assertj-core</artifactId>
            <version>3.24.2</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.yaml</groupId>
            <artifactId>snakeyaml</artifactId>
            <version>2.2</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>io.netty</groupId>
            <artifactId>netty-transport</artifactId>
            <version>4.1.92.Final</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>io.rest-assured</groupId>
            <artifactId>rest-assured</artifactId>
            <version>5.3.2</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>net.serenity-bdd</groupId>
            <artifactId>serenity-rest-assured</artifactId>
            <version>${serenity.version}</version>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>


    <build>
        <plugins>
            <plugin>
                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
                <version>3.0.0-M5</version>
                <configuration>
                    <useSystemClassLoader>true</useSystemClassLoader>
                    <useManifestOnlyJar>false</useManifestOnlyJar>
                </configuration>
            </plugin>
            <plugin>
                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                <artifactId>maven-failsafe-plugin</artifactId>
                <version>3.1.2</version>
                <configuration>
                    <includes>
                        <include>**/RunnerClass.java</include>
                    </includes>
                    <parallel>classes</parallel>
                    <parallel>methods</parallel>
                    <useUnlimitedThreads>true</useUnlimitedThreads>
                </configuration>
                <executions>
                    <execution>
                        <goals>
                            <goal>integration-test</goal>
                            <goal>verify</goal>
                        </goals>
                    </execution>
                </executions>
            </plugin>
            <plugin>
                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
                <version>3.8.1</version>
                <configuration>
                    <source>1.8</source>
                    <target>1.8</target>
                </configuration>
            </plugin>
            <plugin>
                <groupId>net.serenity-bdd.maven.plugins</groupId>
                <artifactId>serenity-maven-plugin</artifactId>
                <version>${serenity.version}</version>
                <configuration>
                    <tags>${tags}</tags>
                </configuration>
                <executions>
                    <execution>
                        <id>serenity-reports</id>
                        <phase>post-integration-test</phase>
                        <goals>
                            <goal>aggregate</goal>
                        </goals>
                    </execution>
                </executions>
            </plugin>
        </plugins>
    </build>

</project>

Any help will be much appreciated. Also noticed this error is thrown from the runner class file. My runner class file looks like below.

import io.cucumber.junit.CucumberOptions;
import net.serenitybdd.cucumber.CucumberWithSerenity;
import org.junit.runner.RunWith;

@RunWith(CucumberWithSerenity.class)
@CucumberOptions(
    features = {"src/test/resources/features/uiautomationfeatures"},
    glue = {"com.gr.rateapp.stepdefinitions.uistepdefintions", "com.gr.rateapp.runners"},
    plugin = {"pretty", "html:target/cucumber-html-report.html"}
)

public class RunnerClassUI { }

The stacktrace of the error looks like below:

    at net.thucydides.core.steps.StepEventBus.clear(StepEventBus.java:411)
    at net.thucydides.core.steps.StepEventBus.testStarted(StepEventBus.java:241)
    at io.cucumber.core.plugin.SerenityReporter.startScenario(SerenityReporter.java:631)
    at io.cucumber.core.plugin.SerenityReporter.startOfScenarioLifeCycle(SerenityReporter.java:623)
    at io.cucumber.core.plugin.SerenityReporter.handleTestCaseStarted(SerenityReporter.java:270)
    at io.cucumber.core.eventbus.AbstractEventPublisher.send(AbstractEventPublisher.java:51)
    at io.cucumber.core.eventbus.AbstractEventBus.send(AbstractEventBus.java:12)
    at io.cucumber.core.runtime.SynchronizedEventBus.send(SynchronizedEventBus.java:47)
    at io.cucumber.core.runtime.ThreadLocalRunnerSupplier$LocalEventBus.send(ThreadLocalRunnerSupplier.java:62)
    at io.cucumber.core.runner.TestCase.emitTestCaseStarted(TestCase.java:206)
    at io.cucumber.core.runner.TestCase.run(TestCase.java:72)
    at io.cucumber.core.runner.Runner.runPickle(Runner.java:75)
    at io.cucumber.junit.PickleRunners$NoStepDescriptions.lambda$run$0(PickleRunners.java:151)
    at io.cucumber.core.runtime.CucumberExecutionContext.lambda$runTestCase$5(CucumberExecutionContext.java:137)
    at io.cucumber.core.runtime.RethrowingThrowableCollector.executeAndThrow(RethrowingThrowableCollector.java:23)
    at io.cucumber.core.runtime.CucumberExecutionContext.runTestCase(CucumberExecutionContext.java:137)
    at io.cucumber.junit.PickleRunners$NoStepDescriptions.run(PickleRunners.java:148)
    at io.cucumber.junit.FeatureRunner.runChild(FeatureRunner.java:144)
    at io.cucumber.junit.FeatureRunner.runChild(FeatureRunner.java:28)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$4.run(ParentRunner.java:331)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$1.schedule(ParentRunner.java:79)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runChildren(ParentRunner.java:329)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.access$100(ParentRunner.java:66)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$2.evaluate(ParentRunner.java:293)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$3.evaluate(ParentRunner.java:306)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.run(ParentRunner.java:413)
    at io.cucumber.junit.FeatureRunner.run(FeatureRunner.java:137)
    at io.cucumber.junit.CucumberSerenityBaseRunner.runChild(CucumberSerenityBaseRunner.java:332)
    at io.cucumber.junit.CucumberSerenityBaseRunner.runChild(CucumberSerenityBaseRunner.java:53)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$4.run(ParentRunner.java:331)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$1.schedule(ParentRunner.java:79)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runChildren(ParentRunner.java:329)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.access$100(ParentRunner.java:66)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$2.evaluate(ParentRunner.java:293)
    at io.cucumber.junit.CucumberSerenityBaseRunner$RunCucumber.evaluate(CucumberSerenityBaseRunner.java:363)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$3.evaluate(ParentRunner.java:306)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.run(ParentRunner.java:413)
    at org.junit.runner.JUnitCore.run(JUnitCore.java:137)
    at org.junit.runner.JUnitCore.run(JUnitCore.java:115)
    at org.junit.vintage.engine.execution.RunnerExecutor.execute(RunnerExecutor.java:42)
    at org.junit.vintage.engine.VintageTestEngine.executeAllChildren(VintageTestEngine.java:80)
    at org.junit.vintage.engine.VintageTestEngine.execute(VintageTestEngine.java:72)
    at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.EngineExecutionOrchestrator.execute(EngineExecutionOrchestrator.java:147)
    at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.EngineExecutionOrchestrator.execute(EngineExecutionOrchestrator.java:127)
    at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.EngineExecutionOrchestrator.execute(EngineExecutionOrchestrator.java:90)
    at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.EngineExecutionOrchestrator.lambda$execute$0(EngineExecutionOrchestrator.java:55)
    at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.EngineExecutionOrchestrator.withInterceptedStreams(EngineExecutionOrchestrator.java:102)
    at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.EngineExecutionOrchestrator.execute(EngineExecutionOrchestrator.java:54)
    at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.DefaultLauncher.execute(DefaultLauncher.java:114)
    at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.DefaultLauncher.execute(DefaultLauncher.java:86)
    at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.DefaultLauncherSession$DelegatingLauncher.execute(DefaultLauncherSession.java:86)
    at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.SessionPerRequestLauncher.execute(SessionPerRequestLauncher.java:53)
    at org.apache.maven.surefire.junitplatform.JUnitPlatformProvider.execute(JUnitPlatformProvider.java:188)
    at org.apache.maven.surefire.junitplatform.JUnitPlatformProvider.invokeAllTests(JUnitPlatformProvider.java:154)
    at org.apache.maven.surefire.junitplatform.JUnitPlatformProvider.invoke(JUnitPlatformProvider.java:128)
    at org.apache.maven.surefire.booter.ForkedBooter.runSuitesInProcess(ForkedBooter.java:428)
    at org.apache.maven.surefire.booter.ForkedBooter.execute(ForkedBooter.java:162)
    at org.apache.maven.surefire.booter.ForkedBooter.run(ForkedBooter.java:562)
    at org.apache.maven.surefire.booter.ForkedBooter.main(ForkedBooter.java:548)
Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: net.bytebuddy.dynamic.VisibilityBridgeStrategy
    at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.loadClass(BuiltinClassLoader.java:641)
    at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.ClassLoaders$AppClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoaders.java:188)
    at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:526)
    ... 59 more
[ERROR] Tests run: 2, Failures: 0, Errors: 2, Skipped: 0, Time elapsed: 0.45 s <<< FAILURE! - in com.gr.rateapp.runners.RunnerClassUI
[ERROR] Create Account Functionality Android and iOS.User creates account with username and password and sees the welcome message in the home page  Time elapsed: 0.074 s  <<< ERROR!
java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: net/bytebuddy/dynamic/VisibilityBridgeStrategy
Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: net.bytebuddy.dynamic.VisibilityBridgeStrategy
[ERROR] com.gr.rateapp.runners.RunnerClassUI  Time elapsed: 0.45 s  <<< ERROR!
java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: net/bytebuddy/dynamic/VisibilityBridgeStrategy
Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: net.bytebuddy.dynamic.VisibilityBridgeStrategy ```

Answer 1

Code Worked after updating the appium version to 8.6.0 and removing selenium server dependency, still unaware what could have caused the issue. But this worked.