CircleCI Android Unsupported major.minor version 52.0

Question

I've been spending a day for the CircleCI in Android Project and I keep getting java.lang.UnsupportedClassVersionError: com/android/build/gradle/AppPlugin : Unsupported major.minor version 52.0 when CircleCI runs gradle dependencies command. Here is an stacktrace that it shows:

* Where:
Build file '/home/ubuntu/MyProject/app/build.gradle' line: 1

* What went wrong:
A problem occurred evaluating project ':app'.
> java.lang.UnsupportedClassVersionError: com/android/build/gradle/AppPlugin : Unsupported major.minor version 52.0

* Try:
Run with --info or --debug option to get more log output.

* Exception is:
org.gradle.api.GradleScriptException: A problem occurred evaluating project ':app'.
    at org.gradle.groovy.scripts.internal.DefaultScriptRunnerFactory$ScriptRunnerImpl.run(DefaultScriptRunnerFactory.java:93)
    at org.gradle.configuration.DefaultScriptPluginFactory$ScriptPluginImpl$1.run(DefaultScriptPluginFactory.java:144)
    at org.gradle.configuration.ProjectScriptTarget.addConfiguration(ProjectScriptTarget.java:72)
    at org.gradle.configuration.DefaultScriptPluginFactory$ScriptPluginImpl.apply(DefaultScriptPluginFactory.java:149)
    at org.gradle.configuration.project.BuildScriptProcessor.execute(BuildScriptProcessor.java:38)
    at org.gradle.configuration.project.BuildScriptProcessor.execute(BuildScriptProcessor.java:25)
    at org.gradle.configuration.project.ConfigureActionsProjectEvaluator.evaluate(ConfigureActionsProjectEvaluator.java:34)
    at org.gradle.configuration.project.LifecycleProjectEvaluator.evaluate(LifecycleProjectEvaluator.java:55)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.project.AbstractProject.evaluate(AbstractProject.java:510)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.project.AbstractProject.evaluate(AbstractProject.java:90)
    at org.gradle.execution.TaskPathProjectEvaluator.configureHierarchy(TaskPathProjectEvaluator.java:47)
    at org.gradle.configuration.DefaultBuildConfigurer.configure(DefaultBuildConfigurer.java:35)
    at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher$2.run(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:125)
    at org.gradle.internal.Factories$1.create(Factories.java:22)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:90)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:52)
    at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.doBuildStages(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:122)
    at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.access$200(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:32)
    at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher$1.create(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:99)
    at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher$1.create(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:93)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:90)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:62)
    at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.doBuild(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:93)
    at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.run(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:82)
    at org.gradle.launcher.exec.InProcessBuildActionExecuter$DefaultBuildController.run(InProcessBuildActionExecuter.java:94)
    at org.gradle.tooling.internal.provider.ExecuteBuildActionRunner.run(ExecuteBuildActionRunner.java:28)
    at org.gradle.launcher.exec.ChainingBuildActionRunner.run(ChainingBuildActionRunner.java:35)
    at org.gradle.launcher.exec.InProcessBuildActionExecuter.execute(InProcessBuildActionExecuter.java:43)
    at org.gradle.launcher.exec.InProcessBuildActionExecuter.execute(InProcessBuildActionExecuter.java:28)
    at org.gradle.launcher.exec.ContinuousBuildActionExecuter.execute(ContinuousBuildActionExecuter.java:78)
    at org.gradle.launcher.exec.ContinuousBuildActionExecuter.execute(ContinuousBuildActionExecuter.java:48)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.ExecuteBuild.doBuild(ExecuteBuild.java:52)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.BuildCommandOnly.execute(BuildCommandOnly.java:36)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.api.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:120)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.WatchForDisconnection.execute(WatchForDisconnection.java:37)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.api.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:120)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.ResetDeprecationLogger.execute(ResetDeprecationLogger.java:26)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.api.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:120)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.RequestStopIfSingleUsedDaemon.execute(RequestStopIfSingleUsedDaemon.java:34)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.api.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:120)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.ForwardClientInput$2.call(ForwardClientInput.java:74)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.ForwardClientInput$2.call(ForwardClientInput.java:72)
    at org.gradle.util.Swapper.swap(Swapper.java:38)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.ForwardClientInput.execute(ForwardClientInput.java:72)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.api.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:120)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.health.DaemonHealthTracker.execute(DaemonHealthTracker.java:47)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.api.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:120)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.LogToClient.doBuild(LogToClient.java:66)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.BuildCommandOnly.execute(BuildCommandOnly.java:36)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.api.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:120)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.EstablishBuildEnvironment.doBuild(EstablishBuildEnvironment.java:72)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.BuildCommandOnly.execute(BuildCommandOnly.java:36)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.api.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:120)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.health.HintGCAfterBuild.execute(HintGCAfterBuild.java:41)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.api.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:120)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.StartBuildOrRespondWithBusy$1.run(StartBuildOrRespondWithBusy.java:50)
    at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.DaemonStateCoordinator$1.run(DaemonStateCoordinator.java:246)
    at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ExecutorPolicy$CatchAndRecordFailures.onExecute(ExecutorPolicy.java:54)
    at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.StoppableExecutorImpl$1.run(StoppableExecutorImpl.java:40)
Caused by: com.google.common.util.concurrent.ExecutionError: java.lang.UnsupportedClassVersionError: com/android/build/gradle/AppPlugin : Unsupported major.minor version 52.0
    at com.google.common.cache.LocalCache$Segment.get(LocalCache.java:2199)
    at com.google.common.cache.LocalCache.get(LocalCache.java:3934)
    at com.google.common.cache.LocalCache.getOrLoad(LocalCache.java:3938)
    at com.google.common.cache.LocalCache$LocalLoadingCache.get(LocalCache.java:4821)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.plugins.DefaultPluginRegistry.uncheckedGet(DefaultPluginRegistry.java:149)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.plugins.DefaultPluginRegistry.lookup(DefaultPluginRegistry.java:144)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.plugins.DefaultPluginRegistry.lookup(DefaultPluginRegistry.java:127)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.plugins.DefaultPluginManager.apply(DefaultPluginManager.java:108)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.plugins.DefaultObjectConfigurationAction.applyType(DefaultObjectConfigurationAction.java:112)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.plugins.DefaultObjectConfigurationAction.access$200(DefaultObjectConfigurationAction.java:35)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.plugins.DefaultObjectConfigurationAction$3.run(DefaultObjectConfigurationAction.java:79)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.plugins.DefaultObjectConfigurationAction.execute(DefaultObjectConfigurationAction.java:135)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.project.AbstractPluginAware.apply(AbstractPluginAware.java:46)
    at org.gradle.api.plugins.PluginAware$apply.call(Unknown Source)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.project.ProjectScript.apply(ProjectScript.groovy:35)
    at org.gradle.api.Script$apply$0.callCurrent(Unknown Source)
    at build_3t8kcqhef15uw367iarbj60nz.run(/home/ubuntu/MyProject/app/build.gradle:1)
    at org.gradle.groovy.scripts.internal.DefaultScriptRunnerFactory$ScriptRunnerImpl.run(DefaultScriptRunnerFactory.java:91)
    ... 58 more
Caused by: java.lang.UnsupportedClassVersionError: com/android/build/gradle/AppPlugin : Unsupported major.minor version 52.0
    at org.gradle.api.internal.plugins.DefaultPluginRegistry$1.load(DefaultPluginRegistry.java:71)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.plugins.DefaultPluginRegistry$1.load(DefaultPluginRegistry.java:51)
    at com.google.common.cache.LocalCache$LoadingValueReference.loadFuture(LocalCache.java:3524)
    at com.google.common.cache.LocalCache$Segment.loadSync(LocalCache.java:2317)
    at com.google.common.cache.LocalCache$Segment.lockedGetOrLoad(LocalCache.java:2280)
    at com.google.common.cache.LocalCache$Segment.get(LocalCache.java:2195)
    ... 75 more


BUILD FAILED

Total time: 33.396 secs

Here is my configuration in .yml file:

machine:
java:
version: openjdk7
environment:
ANDROID_HOME: /usr/local/android-sdk-linux

dependencies:
pre:
- echo y | android update sdk --no-ui --all --filter "tools"
- echo y | android update sdk --no-ui --all --filter "platform-tools"
- echo y | android update sdk --no-ui --all --filter "build-tools"
- echo y | android update sdk --no-ui --all --filter "android-24"
- echo y | android update sdk --no-ui --all --filter "extra-google-m2repository"
- echo y | android update sdk --no-ui --all --filter "extra-google-google_play_services"
- echo y | android update sdk --no-ui --all --filter "extra-android-support"
- echo y | android update sdk --no-ui --all --filter "extra-android-m2repository"
- (./gradlew -version):
timeout: 360
#override:
#- ANDROID_HOME=/usr/local/android-sdk-linux ./gradlew dependencies

checkout:
post:
- git submodule init
- git submodule update
test:
override:
- (./gradlew assemble -PdisablePreDex):
timeout: 360
- cp -r ${HOME}/${CIRCLE_PROJECT_REPONAME}/app/build/outputs/apk/ $CIRCLE_ARTIFACTS
- emulator -avd circleci-android22 -no-audio -no-window:
background: true
parallel: true
# wait for it to have booted
- circle-android wait-for-boot
# run tests against the emulator.
- ./gradlew connectedAndroidTest
deployment:
staging:
branch: staging
commands:
- (./gradlew clean assembleStaging crashlyticsUploadDistributionStaging -PdisablePreFex):
timeout: 720

I set java compileOptions in build.gradle to version 1.7 and enable the Databinding.

android {
...
compileOptions {
sourceCompatibility JavaVersion.VERSION_1_7
targetCompatibility JavaVersion.VERSION_1_7
}
}

Have anyone faced this problem before? Please give me some advices. Thanks.

Answer 1

I also meet the same situation because I don't fill in the 'Restrict where this project can be run' with a slave which has JDK 8.

Make sure that the slave you choose has JDK 8.
For me it helps.

Answer 2

You get this error because a Java 7 VM tries to load a class compiled for Java 8

Java 8 has the class file version 52.0 but a Java 7 VM can only load class files up to version 51.0

In your case the Java 7 VM is your gradle build and the class is com.android.build.gradle.AppPlugin

Please give me some advices.

Try to update your configuration .yml in order to use a Java 8 VM:

machine:
  java:
    version: openjdk8 # This line is what you need.
  environment:
    ANDROID_HOME: /usr/local/android-sdk-linux