java.lang.OutOfMemoryError when running bazel build - build

Question

I have been trying to install the ONOS controller on my Ubuntu VM on my MAC computer following the steps in this link: Download ONOS code & Build ONOS.
However, the building process is not successful after executing the following command:
~/onos$ bazel build onos
The above command outputs the following:
Starting local Bazel server and connecting to it...
INFO: Analysed target //:onos (759 packages loaded, 12923 targets configured).
INFO: Found 1 target...
.
.
.
enconfig-native; [2,128 / 2,367] //models/openconfig:onos-models-openconfig-native; ERROR: /home/mohamedzidan/onos/models/openconfig/BUILD:11:1: Building models/openconfig/libonos-models-openconfig-native-class.jar (2 source jars) failed (Exit 1)
[2,128 / 2,367] //models/openconfig:onos-models-openconfig-native; An exception has occurred in the compiler (10.0.1). Please file a bug against the Java compiler via the Java bug reporting page (http://bugreport.java.com) after checking the Bug Database (http://bugs.java.com) for duplicates. Include your program and the following diagnostic in your report. Thank you.
java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space
at jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.util.ArrayUtils.ensureCapacity(ArrayUtils.java:60)
at jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.util.SharedNameTable.fromUtf(SharedNameTable.java:132)
at jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.util.Names.fromUtf(Names.java:392)
at jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.util.ByteBuffer.toName(ByteBuffer.java:159)
at jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.jvm.ClassWriter$CWSignatureGenerator.toName(ClassWriter.java:320)
at jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.jvm.ClassWriter$CWSignatureGenerator.access$300(ClassWriter.java:266)
at jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.jvm.ClassWriter.typeSig(ClassWriter.java:335)
at jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.jvm.ClassWriter.writeMethod(ClassWriter.java:1153)
at jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.jvm.ClassWriter.writeMethods(ClassWriter.java:1653)
at jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.jvm.ClassWriter.writeClassFile(ClassWriter.java:1761)
at jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.jvm.ClassWriter.writeClass(ClassWriter.java:1679)
at jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.main.JavaCompiler.genCode(JavaCompiler.java:743)
at jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.main.JavaCompiler.generate(JavaCompiler.java:1641)
at jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.main.JavaCompiler.generate(JavaCompiler.java:1609)
at jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.main.JavaCompiler.compile(JavaCompiler.java:959)
at jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.api.JavacTaskImpl.lambda$doCall$0(JavacTaskImpl.java:100)
at jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.api.JavacTaskImpl$$Lambda$97/1225568095.call(Unknown Source)
at jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.api.JavacTaskImpl.handleExceptions(JavacTaskImpl.java:142)
at jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.api.JavacTaskImpl.doCall(JavacTaskImpl.java:96)
at jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.api.JavacTaskImpl.call(JavacTaskImpl.java:90)
at com.google.devtools.build.buildjar.javac.BlazeJavacMain.compile(BlazeJavacMain.java:113)
at com.google.devtools.build.buildjar.SimpleJavaLibraryBuilder$$Lambda$70/778731861.invokeJavac(Unknown Source)
at com.google.devtools.build.buildjar.ReducedClasspathJavaLibraryBuilder.compileSources(ReducedClasspathJavaLibraryBuilder.java:57)
at com.google.devtools.build.buildjar.SimpleJavaLibraryBuilder.compileJavaLibrary(SimpleJavaLibraryBuilder.java:116)
at com.google.devtools.build.buildjar.SimpleJavaLibraryBuilder.run(SimpleJavaLibraryBuilder.java:123)
at com.google.devtools.build.buildjar.BazelJavaBuilder.processRequest(BazelJavaBuilder.java:105)
at com.google.devtools.build.buildjar.BazelJavaBuilder.runPersistentWorker(BazelJavaBuilder.java:67)
at com.google.devtools.build.buildjar.BazelJavaBuilder.main(BazelJavaBuilder.java:45)
[2,128 / 2,367] //models/openconfig:onos-models-openconfig-native; Target //:onos failed to build
Use --verbose_failures to see the command lines of failed build steps.
INFO: Elapsed time: 1386.685s, Critical Path: 117.31s
INFO: 379 processes: 125 linux-sandbox, 254 worker.
**FAILED: Build did NOT complete successfully**

Answer 1

Your output shows java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space. You can increase the amount of memory available to javac with something like this:
BAZEL_JAVAC_OPTS="-J-Xms384m -J-Xmx512m"
If that still doesn't work, try progressively increasing sizes for -Xmx. This issue is discussed further at:
https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/issues/1308

Answer 2

Summary
If bazel runs out of memory while building, and you see this error:
java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space
...then do this:
Increase your RAM or your virtual memory swap file size, to emulate having more RAM (details on how to do this are below).
From now on, build with this bazel command, for example, to give Bazel more heap space (RAM) while building. In this case I am giving it 32GB maximum RAM:
# Do this to give Bazel up to 32GB of RAM wile building
time bazel --host_jvm_args=-Xmx32g build //...
# ...instead of doing this
time bazel build //...
Details
If Bazel fails with any versions of the following error, it's because it ran out of heap space while trying to build.
Example error:
java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space
I see that error in your output you pasted. Although very much not well-known, some monster-sized projects and mono-repos can require a heap of 16GB or more, so I recommend you just create a massive 32GB~64GB swap file (virtual memory) on your Linux build machine and let it run with it! Give it the whole thing to build!
CAUTION: if you have a standard HDD (spinning Hard Disk Drive), this may cause the build to run dozens or even hundreds of times slower than using physical RAM to build! This is because HDDs are HORRIBLY HORRIBLY HORRIBLY SLOW!
BUUUUT: If you have a 2.5" or 3.5" SSD (Solid State Drive), then it works ok, or 100x BETTER STILL IF YOU HAVE AN m.2 form-factor SSD! This is because an m.2 form-factor SSD is INCREDIBLY FAST, so you can get away with HUGE swap files being used in place of RAM all the time because these disks operate so fast!
If using a top-of-the-line internal m.2 form-factor SSD, I expect the following build with virtual memory to be only ~2x slower than using physical RAM only (of the same size) to build. If you have a super slow spinning HDD, however, the same build which takes 2 hrs using a swap file on the internal m.2 SSD might take up to multiple days or more using a swap file on a spinning HDD.
Your results may vary, of course, but favor a smaller JVM bazel heap (to use less of your virtual memory), the slower you expect your virtual memory (swap file) to be.
Increase your system’s swap file (virtual memory) to at least 32~64 GB. To add or remove a swapfile, follow the detailed instructions here: https://linuxize.com/post/how-to-add-swap-space-on-ubuntu-18-04/. UPDATE: use my own instructions here instead: How do I increase the size of swapfile without removing it in the terminal?. My instructions avoid the pitfalls of fallocate by using dd instead, as I explain in my answer there.
In short, here is how to add a swapfile:
sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/swapfile count=64 bs=1G # Create a 64 GiB file
sudo mkswap /swapfile # turn this new file into swap space
sudo chmod 0600 /swapfile # only let root read from/write to it,
# for security
sudo swapon /swapfile # enable it
swapon --show # verify this new 64GB swap file is
# now active
sudo gedit /etc/fstab # edit the /etc/fstab file to make these
# changes persistent (load them each boot)
# ADD this line to bottom (w/out the # comment symbol):
# /swapfile none swap sw 0 0
cat /proc/sys/vm/swappiness # not required: verify your systems
# "swappiness" value. Note: values now range 0 to 200 (they used to only
# go up to 100), and have a default value of 60. I highly recommend
# you follow my instructions here to set your swappiness to 0,
# however, to improve your system's performance:
# https://askubuntu.com/a/1445347/327339
To resize or delete your swapfile: if you ever need to resize your swap file you just made above, you can delete it like this:
sudo swapoff -v /swapfile # turn swap file off
sudo swapon --show # verify the swap file is off
free -h # you can also look at this as an
# indication the swap file is off
sudo rm /swapfile # remove the swap file
Then, you can either follow the instructions above again to recreate it at a new size, or if you are permanently deleting it you'll need to edit your /etc/fstab file to remove the /swapfile none swap sw 0 0 line you previously added to the bottom of it.
Add --host_jvm_args=-Xmx32g to any bazel command, right after the word bazel. This sets the max Java Virtual Memory, or bazel build heap in this case, to 32GB, which goes into your swap file once your physical RAM is full. If you have a high-speed SSD drive, which will operate surprisingly well with swap, expect to wait a few hrs max for your build to complete, depending on the repo size. If you have an old spinning HDD, expect a repo that takes 2 hrs to buld with a swap file on an internal m.2 SSD to take maybe up to several days perhaps to build with a swap file on a slow spinning HDD--especially if it's an external instead of internal HDD.
Here is a sample full bazel command with this bazel startup option added, to build an entire repo:
time bazel --host_jvm_args=-Xmx32g build //...
...instead of this:
time bazel build //...
The time addition there just prints out a more readable printout of how long the build took is all (I like it). Just be sure to set your max Java Virtual Memory allotted to bazel for any bazel build command by putting --host_jvm_args=-Xmx32g (or similar) after the word bazel any time you need it.
Note that setting the max heap like we are doing here with -Xmx is NOT the same thing as setting the default heap like others might do with -Xms. Setting the max heap still starts with the default heap but lets it grow if needed. The other answer shows setting both via an environment variable.
Done!
References:
*****[my own answer] Ask Ubuntu: How do I increase the size of swapfile without removing it in the terminal?
https://linuxize.com/post/how-to-add-swap-space-on-ubuntu-18-04/
https://serverfault.com/questions/684771/best-way-to-disable-swap-in-linux/684792#684792
My answer: How do I configure swappiness?
See also:
https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/issues/1308