Installation Guide

Installing and configuring Gradle is a straightforward process once you understand the key steps and best practices. This guide walks you through the most common installation methods for Windows, macOS, and Linux, shows how to set up essential environment variables, and explains how to fine‑tune Gradle for faster, more reliable builds.

Prerequisites

• Java Development Kit (JDK): Gradle requires Java 8 or newer. Verify your installation with java -version.
• Environment variables: JAVA_HOME must point to the JDK installation directory, and the JDK’s bin directory should be on your system PATH.

---

1. Installation Methods

OS	Method	Commands	Notes
Windows	1. Manual ZIP	1. Download gradle-<version>-bin.zip from https://gradle.org/releases. 2. Extract to C:\Gradle. 3. Add C:\Gradle\gradle-<version>\bin to the system PATH.	Use setx to set environment variables permanently (requires a new shell).
	2. Chocolatey	choco install gradle	Installs the latest stable version automatically.
	3. SDKMAN (via WSL or Git Bash)	`curl -s "https://get.sdkman.io"	bash<br>sdk install gradle`
	4. Winget	winget install gradle	Alternative Windows package manager.
	5. Scoop	scoop install gradle	Another Windows package manager.
macOS	1. Homebrew	brew install gradle	Installs the latest stable release.
	2. Manual ZIP	Same as Windows, but extract to /opt/gradle. Add to PATH in .zshrc or .bash_profile.
	3. SDKMAN	`curl -s "https://get.sdkman.io"	bash<br>sdk install gradle`
Linux	1. SDKMAN	`curl -s "https://get.sdkman.io"	bash<br>sdk install gradle`
	2. Manual ZIP	Extract to /opt/gradle. Add to PATH in /etc/profile.d/gradle.sh.
	3. Package managers	sudo apt-get install gradle (Debian/Ubuntu) – may provide an older version. sudo dnf install gradle (Fedora/RHEL) sudo snap install gradle	Use SDKMAN for the latest.

---

2. Verify the Installation

Run gradle -v (or gradle --version). The output should display the Gradle version, the JVM in use, and operating system details. If you see an error about missing Java, double‑check that JAVA_HOME is correctly set and that the JDK’s bin directory is on your PATH.

---

3. Configuring Gradle

Configuration	How to Set	Typical Use
Gradle User Home (GRADLE_USER_HOME)	export GRADLE_USER_HOME=~/my-gradle	Custom cache location.
Gradle Daemon	org.gradle.daemon=true in gradle.properties	Improves build speed by reusing a JVM.
Parallel Execution	org.gradle.parallel=true	Enables parallel task execution.
Maximum Worker Count	org.gradle.workers.max=4	Limits CPU usage.
Build Cache	org.gradle.caching=true	Reuses outputs across builds.
Logging	org.gradle.logging.level=info	Controls verbosity.
Wrapper	./gradlew wrapper --gradle-version <ver>	Generates gradlew scripts for a project‑specific Gradle version.

Add these settings to a gradle.properties file in your project root or in the Gradle user home directory (~/.gradle/gradle.properties) to apply them globally.

---

4. Using the Gradle Wrapper

The wrapper is a small script that downloads the exact Gradle version your project requires. To generate it, run:

gradle wrapper

or, if you already have a wrapper, use:

./gradlew wrapper

Commit the generated gradlew, gradlew.bat, and the gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties file to version control. Team members can then build with:

• Unix/macOS: ./gradlew build
• Windows: gradlew.bat build

This eliminates the need for a global Gradle installation and guarantees consistent builds across environments.

---

5. Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Issue	Symptom	Fix
JAVA_HOME not set	“Could not find java home”	Set JAVA_HOME to the JDK root and add $JAVA_HOME/bin to PATH.
Permission errors on Linux/macOS	“Permission denied” when running gradle	Make the binary executable: chmod +x gradle.
Proxy settings	Gradle fails to download dependencies	Add systemProp.http.proxyHost, systemProp.http.proxyPort, etc., to gradle.properties.
Outdated Gradle	Build fails due to deprecated APIs	Use SDKMAN or the wrapper to upgrade to a newer version.

---

6. Best Practices

1. Use the Wrapper – Keeps the Gradle version consistent across all developers and CI environments.
2. Centralize Settings – Store project‑wide properties in gradle.properties.
3. Enable Daemon & Parallelism – Improves build times, especially for large multi‑module projects.
4. Clean the Cache Regularly – Run gradle cleanBuildCache to free disk space and avoid stale artifacts.
5. Keep Gradle Updated – Use SDKMAN or the wrapper to stay on the latest stable release.

---

7. Further Reading

• Official Gradle User Manual – Installation guide.
• Gradle Blog posts on installation tips.
• StackOverflow threads on common installation pitfalls.

These resources provide deeper dives into advanced configuration, troubleshooting, and performance tuning.