title: Very simple Xamarin.Forms app won't Archive
body: <p>I am working toward my first Android app and am having trouble. I am trying to Build and Archive the simplest possible Android app and can't get the Archive step to work.</p>
  
  <p>Here is what I am doing...</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>Start VS2017 Preview with Xamarin Preview extension and Xamarin Updater (everything fully updated)</li>
  <li><p>Run Android SDK Manager and install the following</p>
  
  <pre><code>Android SDK Tools 25.2.5
  Android SDK Platform-tools 26
  Android SDK Build-tools 26
  Android SDK Build-tools 25.0.3
  Android SDK Build-tools 25.0.2
  Android SDK Build-tools 25.0.1
  Android SDK Build-tools 25
  SDK Platform 25.3
  Android Support Repository 47
  Google Play Services 42
  Instant Apps Development SDK 1
  Google Play Licensing Library 1
  Google Play Billing Library 5
  Google USB Driver 11
  Google Web Driver 2
  Emulator 26
  </code></pre></li>
  <li><p>Create a new Cross Platform (App1) using defaults (Xamarin.Forms - Blank App - Shared Project), I make no changes to the code.</p></li>
  <li><p>Open App1.Android Poperties</p>
  
  <pre><code>Compile using Android version: Android 7.1 (Nougat)
  Package Name: App1
  Version number: 1
  Version name: 1.0
  Minimum Android version: Android 7.1 (API Level 25 - Nougat)
  Target Android version: Android 7.1 (API Level 25 - Nougat)
  Linking: Sdk Assemblies Only
  Everything else are default values
  </code></pre></li>
  <li><p>Set for Release and Build:  Success</p></li>
  <li><p>Archive: The "LinkAssemblies" task failed unexpectedly.</p>
  
  <pre><code> Mono.Linker.MarkException: Error processing method: 'TNativeView Xamarin.Forms.Platform.Android.ViewRenderer'2::get_Control()' in assembly: 'Xamarin.Forms.Platform.Android.dll' ---&gt; System.ArgumentNullException: Value cannot be null.
  Parameter name: instruction
     at Mono.Cecil.Cil.InstructionOffset..ctor(Instruction instruction)
     at Mono.Cecil.Cil.CodeReader.ReadScope(ScopeDebugInformation scope)
     at Mono.Cecil.Cil.CodeReader.ReadScopes(Collection'1 scopes)
     at Mono.Cecil.Cil.CodeReader.ReadScope(ScopeDebugInformation scope)
     at Mono.Cecil.Cil.CodeReader.ReadScopes(Collection'1 scopes)
     at Mono.Cecil.Cil.CodeReader.ReadScope(ScopeDebugInformation scope)
     at Mono.Cecil.Cil.CodeReader.ReadDebugInfo()
     at Mono.Cecil.Cil.CodeReader.ReadMethodBody()
     at Mono.Cecil.Cil.CodeReader.ReadMethodBody(MethodDefinition method)
     at Mono.Cecil.MethodDefinition.&lt;&gt;c.&lt;get_Body&gt;b__41_0(MethodDefinition method, MetadataReader reader)
     at Mono.Cecil.ModuleDefinition.Read[TItem,TRet](TRet&amp; variable, TItem item, Func'3 read)
     at Mono.Cecil.MethodDefinition.get_Body()
     at Mono.Linker.Steps.MarkStep.ProcessMethod(MethodDefinition method)
     at Mono.Linker.Steps.MarkStep.ProcessQueue()
     --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
     at Mono.Linker.Steps.MarkStep.ProcessQueue()
     at Mono.Linker.Steps.MarkStep.Process()
     at Mono.Linker.Steps.MarkStep.Process(LinkContext context)
     at Mono.Linker.Pipeline.Process(LinkContext context)
     at MonoDroid.Tuner.Linker.Process(LinkerOptions options, LinkContext&amp; context)
     at Xamarin.Android.Tasks.LinkAssemblies.Execute(DirectoryAssemblyResolver res)
     at Xamarin.Android.Tasks.LinkAssemblies.Execute()
     at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.TaskExecutionHost.Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.ITaskExecutionHost.Execute()
     at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.TaskBuilder.&lt;ExecuteInstantiatedTask&gt;d__26.MoveNext()
  </code></pre></li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>Where am I going wrong? How can I be messing up such a simple blank template app?</p>