[Bug] latest Firebase .tgz files cannot be imported by Unity: TAR_ENTRY_INVALID: invalid base256 encoding

[dorn-gerhard]

Description

When trying to install the Firebase Unity SDK via Unity Package Manager using the .tgz packages from the official Google archive, Unity fails to resolve the packages with:

TAR_ENTRY_INVALID: invalid base256 encoding

This happens for both com.google.firebase.app and com.google.firebase.messaging (and also with different versions (13.6.0, 13.5.0, 12.10.1), even though the .tgz files are downloaded directly from the official download URLs and referenced via file: as documented.

Same procedure for external-dependency-manager-1.2.186 works fine.

I ended up falling back to the .unitypackage installation method, which works, but the .tgz UPM flow appears to be broken.

Reproducing the issue

---

Environment

• Unity: Unity 6.2 / 6000.2.6f2
• OS: Windows 11
• Firebase Unity SDK version: 13.6.0
• Installation method attempted: Unity Package Manager, via .tgz files + manifest.json
• Products:
  • com.google.firebase.app
  • com.google.firebase.messaging
  • com.google.external-dependency-manager (EDM)

---

Packages / Files Used

Downloaded the .tgz archives from the official Google packages for Unity archive (linked from the Firebase docs “Additional Unity installation options”):

• com.google.external-dependency-manager-1.2.186.tgz (worked)
• com.google.firebase.app-13.6.0.tgz (failed)
• com.google.firebase.messaging-13.6.0.tgz (failed)

Placed them in a folder next to the Unity project, e.g.:

• ../GooglePackages/com.google.external-dependency-manager-1.2.186.tgz
• ../GooglePackages/com.google.firebase.app-13.6.0.tgz
• ../GooglePackages/com.google.firebase.messaging-13.6.0.tgz

---

manifest.json snippet

Packages/manifest.json (simplified):

{
  "dependencies": {
    "com.google.external-dependency-manager": "file:../GooglePackages/com.google.external-dependency-manager-1.2.186.tgz",
    "com.google.firebase.app": "file:../GooglePackages/com.google.firebase.app-13.6.0.tgz",
    "com.google.firebase.messaging": "file:../GooglePackages/com.google.firebase.messaging-13.6.0.tgz"

    // plus the usual com.unity.* entries...
  }
}

### Firebase Unity SDK Version

13.6.0

### Unity editor version

6000.2.6f2

### Installation Method

Unity Package Manager

### Problematic Firebase Component(s)

Messaging

### Other Firebase Component(s) in use

_No response_

### Additional SDKs you are using

_No response_

### Targeted Platform(s)

Android, Apple Platforms, Desktop

### Unity editor platform

Windows

### Scripting Runtime

IL2CPP, Mono

### Release Distribution Type

Open-source from this repo

### Relevant Log Output

```shell

If using CocoaPods for Apple platforms, the project's Podfile.lock

Expand Podfile.lock snippet

👀 Replace this line with the contents of your Podfile.lock!

[google-oss-bot]

I couldn't figure out how to label this issue, so I've labeled it for a human to triage. Hang tight.

[niccolo-hare]

Hi @dorn-gerhard, thanks for reaching out. I tried setting up this sample project for Google Analytics, but I didn't encounter any issues with importing the .tgz file for the Analytics SDK. Though I did my testing on an M1 MacOS machine.

I think this might be more of an issue with the machine you're using, similar to this issue (#1363). Just to confirm, could you check if you're able to reproduce this on a different machine, or if the workaround using curl commands mentioned here helps resolve the issue?

[Shenrak]

This is a really bug issue for me as well as i nées to upgrade those packages for 16kb pages requirements