Checkboxes background color issues - Pre-lollipop and newer devices

Question

I'm facing a problem regarding checkbox colors. I have to colorize two checkboxes (red and green). They are in a single XML with a LinearLayout. If I compile my app to run on API > 21, everything goes fine:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    android:background="@drawable/touch_selector">

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/code"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_gravity="center"
        android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge"
        android:gravity="left"
        android:textSize="18sp"
        android:text="TextView" />

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_gravity="center"
        android:gravity="right"
        android:orientation="horizontal">

        <CheckBox
            android:id="@+id/checkBoxRep"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:focusable="false"
            android:layout_gravity="center"
            android:gravity="right"
            android:focusableInTouchMode="false"
            android:text=""
            android:buttonTint="@color/qs_red"
            android:theme="@style/checkBoxStyle" />

        <CheckBox
            android:id="@+id/checkBox1"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:focusable="false"
            android:layout_gravity="center"
            android:gravity="right"
            android:focusableInTouchMode="false"
            android:text=""
            android:buttonTint="@color/qs_green"
            android:theme="@style/checkBoxStyle" />

    </LinearLayout>


</LinearLayout>

But this code does not work on devices pre-Lollipop. So, doing some research I found this question How to change the color of a CheckBox? So, the solution would be to change the checkbox to AppCompatCheckbox. But, when I do that, I face the following error:

Error inflating class android.support.v7.widget.AppCompatCheckBox

So, I believe my Activity must be a AppCompat one.

The question is: I need to keep only one code and have to dinamically solve this issue. The layout problem could be solved creating two XMLs in two folders (layout and layout-v21). But, how to solve the Java part? Any simple way to solve it without creating two activity classes or something like this?

Thank you.

The thing is once you are using an appcompat library you need to use an appcompat activity as well. — Rod_Algonquin, Jun 07 '16 at 21:20
Yes, but is there any easy way to do this or will I have to create two separated classes of the same activity and chose between them at running time? — Laerte, Jun 07 '16 at 21:35
That is not a good design to implement. Having 2 activity means having two different source code that does the same thing. — Rod_Algonquin, Jun 07 '16 at 21:40
But how do I solve this? Do I have to keep only AppCompat code and use it on newer Android versions too? — Laerte, Jun 07 '16 at 21:47
Yes you need to convert to appcompat and do small change if it has some. Basically appcompat will run on pre-lollipop and above. — Rod_Algonquin, Jun 07 '16 at 21:51

Checkboxes background color issues - Pre-lollipop and newer devices

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