Easy Steps To Install Gradle Build Automation Tool on Debian 12

In this guide, you will learn the Steps To Install Gradle Build Automation Tool on Debian 12. Gradle is a build automation tool primarily used for JVM languages like Java, Groovy, or Scala. It streamlines development by automating repetitive tasks. It can be configured to run Tasks that do things like compile jars, run tests, create documentation, and much more. This makes it an invaluable tool for managing projects of all sizes.

Before we begin, ensure you meet the following prerequisites:

Access to a Debian 12 server as a non-root user with sudo privileges. You can set this up by following a guide on Initial Server Setup with Debian 12 Bookworm.
OpenJDK installed on your server. Follow this guide to install it: How To Install Java with APT on Debian 12.

Now, let’s proceed with the steps to Install Gradle Build Automation Tool on Debian 12.

Step 1 – Install Gradle from Source on Debian 12

The first approach involves downloading and installing Gradle directly from its source distribution.

Visit the Gradle Downloads page to find the latest release.

Download the Gradle distribution using the wget command:

sudo wget https://downloads.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-8.2.1-bin.zip

Create a directory for Gradle in the /opt directory:

sudo mkdir /opt/gradle

Unzip the downloaded file into the Gradle directory:

unzip -d /opt/gradle gradle-8.2.1-bin.zip

Create a symbolic link named latest to point to the Gradle installation directory for easier version management:

sudo ln -s /opt/gradle/gradle-8.2.1  /opt/gradle/latest

Step 2 – Set up Gradle Environment Variables on Debian 12

Next, configure the system environment to recognize the Gradle installation. Add the Gradle bin directory to the system PATH environment variable. Create a new file in the /etc/profile.d/ directory:

sudo vi /etc/profile.d/gradle.sh

Add the following content to the file:

export GRADLE_HOME=/opt/gradle/latest
export PATH=${GRADLE_HOME}/bin:${PATH}

Save and close the file. Make the file executable:

sudo chmod +x /etc/profile.d/gradle.sh

Load the environment variables into the current shell session:

sudo source /etc/profile.d/gradle.sh

Step 3 – Verify Gradle Build Automation Tool Installation

Finally, verify the installation by checking the Gradle version:

gradle -v

**Output**
Welcome to Gradle 8.2.1!

Here are the highlights of this release:
 - Kotlin DSL: new reference documentation, assignment syntax by default
 - Kotlin DSL is now the default with Gradle init
 - Improved suggestions to resolve errors in console output
 - Reduced sync memory consumption

For more details see https://docs.gradle.org/8.2.1/release-notes.html

------------------------------------------------------------
Gradle 8.2.1
------------------------------------------------------------

Build time:   2023-07-10 12:12:35 UTC
Revision:     a38ec64d3c4612da9083cc506a1ccb212afeecaa

Kotlin:       1.8.20
Groovy:       3.0.17
Ant:          Apache Ant(TM) version 1.10.13 compiled on January 4 2023
JVM:          17.0.7 (Debian 17.0.7+7-Debian-1deb12u1)
OS:           Linux 6.1.0-10-amd64 amd64

That’s it! You have successfully installed Gradle on your Debian 12 system.

Alternative Installation Methods

While the above method works well, there are alternative approaches to install Gradle Build Automation Tool on Debian 12. Let’s explore two more.

1. Using SDKMAN!

SDKMAN! (Software Development Kit Manager) is a tool for managing parallel versions of multiple Software Development Kits on most Unix-like systems. It provides a convenient way to install, switch between, remove and manage Candidates. Gradle is one of the candidates that SDKMAN! supports.

Installation Steps:

Install SDKMAN!: Open your terminal and run the following command:
```
curl -s "https://get.sdkman.io" | bash
```
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. You may need to open a new terminal or source your shell configuration file (e.g., .bashrc or .zshrc) for SDKMAN! to be available.
Install Gradle using SDKMAN!: Once SDKMAN! is installed, use the following command to install the latest stable version of Gradle:
```
sdk install gradle
```
You can also install a specific version of Gradle if needed:
```
sdk install gradle 8.2.1
```
Verify Installation: Verify the installation using the same command as before:
```
gradle -v
```
SDKMAN! handles setting up the environment variables, so you don’t need to manually configure them.

Explanation:

SDKMAN! simplifies the process of installing and managing Gradle versions. It automatically handles downloading, extracting, and configuring the environment variables. This makes it easier to switch between different Gradle versions if you need to work on multiple projects with varying Gradle requirements.

2. Using Snap Package Manager

Snap is a package management system developed by Canonical. It provides a way to install and manage applications in a sandboxed environment. While not the most common approach for developer tools, it is a viable option.

Installation Steps:

Install Snapd: Ensure that Snapd is installed on your Debian 12 system. If it’s not installed by default, you can install it using:
```
sudo apt update
sudo apt install snapd
```
Install Gradle using Snap: Use the following command to install Gradle using Snap:
```
sudo snap install gradle
```
Verify Installation: Verify the installation using:
```
gradle -v
```
Note that because Snap applications are sandboxed, you might need to grant specific permissions to Gradle if it needs to access certain directories or files outside of its sandbox.

Explanation:

Snap provides a self-contained environment for Gradle. This can be advantageous in terms of dependency management, as it isolates Gradle and its dependencies from the rest of the system. However, the sandboxed nature can also introduce complexities if Gradle needs to interact with system resources or external tools. It’s crucial to test the functionality of your Gradle builds thoroughly when using Snap.

Conclusion

In this guide, you’ve learned the Steps To Install Gradle Build Automation Tool on Debian 12 from the source. You also explored alternative methods using SDKMAN! and Snap. SDKMAN! offers a flexible way to manage multiple Gradle versions, while Snap provides a sandboxed environment. Choose the method that best suits your development needs and preferences. This helps you easily install Gradle Build Automation Tool on Debian 12. Remember to visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Installing the Gradle Build Automation Tool on Debian 12 is now simple with this guide.