# Gradle Docker Images

version 9.6.1

Gradle publishes Docker Official Images for running Gradle builds inside containers. The images are maintained by Gradle, Inc. in the gradle/docker-gradle repository on GitHub.

| Gradle assumed ownership of the official Docker image from its long-time community maintainer in September 2025. See the announcement blog post for background.

## When to use the Gradle image vs. a plain JDK image

The `gradle` image bundles a pre-installed Gradle distribution alongside a JDK. This is convenient for quick experiments and for CI systems that do not check out your project’s source tree (and therefore cannot use the Gradle Wrapper).

| You should not use it for production builds.

For projects that include the Gradle Wrapper (the recommended practice), a plain JDK image such as `eclipse-temurin:21` is sufficient — the Wrapper downloads the correct Gradle distribution automatically. Using a JDK-only image keeps the container layer smaller and avoids a potential version mismatch between the image’s pre-installed Gradle and the version declared in `gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties`.

## Image variants

Every image tag follows the pattern `gradle:<gradle-version>-jdk<jdk-version>-<base>`. Omitting a segment selects the default: the latest Gradle version, the current LTS JDK, and the `noble` (Ubuntu) base.

### Base images

Base | Description
--- | ---
`noble` (default) | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS with Eclipse Temurin JDK. The most broadly compatible choice.
`jammy` | Ubuntu 22.04 LTS with Eclipse Temurin JDK. Available for teams that have not yet moved to Noble.
`alpine` | Alpine Linux with Eclipse Temurin JDK. Produces the smallest image, but uses musl libc — some native libraries may require additional work.
`corretto` | Amazon Linux 2023 with Amazon Corretto JDK. Well suited for AWS workloads.
`ubi` / `ubi9` / `ubi10` | Red Hat Universal Base Image. Required for OpenShift and Red Hat-certified environments.
`graal` | GraalVM-based image for projects that need native-image or polyglot capabilities.

### JDK versions

The following JDK versions are available across base image variants. Not every JDK/base combination is published — see the Docker Hub tags page for the full matrix.

JDK | Notes
--- | ---
25 | Current release. Default for `latest` and unqualified tags.
21 | Long-term support (LTS). Widely used in production.
17 | Long-term support (LTS). Still common in existing projects.
11 | Legacy LTS. Available only on Gradle 8.x and 7.x images.
8 | Legacy. Available only on Gradle 8.x, 7.x, and 6.x images.

### Multi-JDK images

Tags matching `jdk-lts-and-current` bundle both the current LTS JDK and the latest GA JDK in a single image. These are useful for projects that compile against one JDK and test against another.

### Supported architectures

All images are published for `amd64`, `arm64v8`, `arm32v7`, `ppc64le`, `riscv64`, and `s390x` where the underlying JDK and base image provide support.

## Running a build

Mount your project directory and invoke Gradle:

    docker run --rm -u gradle \
      -v "$PWD":/home/gradle/project \
      -w /home/gradle/project \
      gradle gradle build

- `-u gradle` runs the build as the non-root `gradle` user created by the image.

- `-v "$PWD":/home/gradle/project` bind-mounts the project source into the container.

- `-w /home/gradle/project` sets the working directory.

If your project includes the Gradle Wrapper, use `./gradlew` instead:

    docker run --rm -u gradle \
      -v "$PWD":/home/gradle/project \
      -w /home/gradle/project \
      eclipse-temurin:21 ./gradlew build

## Using Gradle Docker images in CI

Most CI platforms allow you to specify a container image for each job. The examples below show how to reference the Gradle Docker image on popular platforms.

### GitHub Actions

    jobs:
      build:
        runs-on: ubuntu-latest
        container: gradle:jdk21
        steps:
          - uses: actions/checkout@v4
          - run: gradle build

In practice, the `setup-gradle` action with a plain runner is preferred over a container job because it provides caching, Build Scan integration, and Wrapper validation. See Gradle on GitHub Actions.

### GitLab CI

    build:
      image: gradle:jdk21
      script:
        - gradle build

See Gradle on GitLab CI.

### Jenkins (Pipeline)

    pipeline {
        agent {
            docker { image 'gradle:jdk21' }
        }
        stages {
            stage('Build') {
                steps {
                    sh 'gradle build'
                }
            }
        }
    }

See Gradle on Jenkins.

## Caching and performance

Containers are typically ephemeral, so the Gradle User Home (`~/.gradle`) is discarded after every run unless you take steps to preserve it.

### Mount a persistent volume

Bind-mount a host directory to `GRADLE_USER_HOME` so downloaded dependencies and Wrapper distributions survive between runs:

    docker run --rm -u gradle \
      -v "$PWD":/home/gradle/project \
      -v gradle-cache:/home/gradle/.gradle \
      -w /home/gradle/project \
      gradle gradle build

The named volume `gradle-cache` persists across container restarts.

### CI-specific caching

Each CI platform has its own caching mechanism:

- GitHub Actions — `setup-gradle` handles Gradle User Home caching automatically.

- GitLab CI — use the `cache:` directive with `GRADLE_USER_HOME` inside `$CI_PROJECT_DIR`.

- Jenkins — agents are typically long-lived, so `~/.gradle` persists on the agent host.

For distributed or ephemeral agents, a Gradle Remote Build Cache provides the best build-time savings across all CI platforms.

### Disabling the daemon

The Gradle daemon improves performance across consecutive builds on the same machine. In short-lived containers that execute a single build, the daemon provides no benefit and adds startup overhead. Disable it by passing `--no-daemon` or setting the environment variable:

    docker run --rm -u gradle \
      -e GRADLE_OPTS="-Dorg.gradle.daemon=false" \
      -v "$PWD":/home/gradle/project \
      -w /home/gradle/project \
      gradle gradle build

## Publishing Build Scans

To publish a Build Scan® from a containerized build, apply the Develocity plugin in `settings.gradle[.kts]` and accept the terms of use:

    plugins {
        id("com.gradle.develocity") version "3.18.1"
    }

    develocity {
        buildScan {
            termsOfUseUrl = "https://gradle.com/help/legal-terms-of-use"
            termsOfUseAgree = "yes"
            publishing.onlyIf { true }
        }
    }

The Build Scan URL is printed to the build log. No additional container configuration is required — the container needs only outbound HTTPS access.

## Building a custom image

For production CI pipelines, building a project-specific image locks the JDK, Gradle version, and any additional tools your build needs:

    FROM eclipse-temurin:21-noble

    # Copy Gradle Wrapper
    COPY gradlew /app/gradlew
    COPY gradle /app/gradle
    RUN /app/gradlew --version   # pre-download the distribution

    COPY . /app
    WORKDIR /app

Using the Gradle Wrapper in the custom image is preferred over the `gradle` base image because the Wrapper version is pinned in your repository and is not affected by Docker image updates.

## Environment variables

The `gradle` image respects the standard Gradle environment variables:

Variable | Purpose
--- | ---
`GRADLE_USER_HOME` | Location for caches, Wrapper distributions, and init scripts. Defaults to `/home/gradle/.gradle`.
`GRADLE_OPTS` | JVM arguments for the Gradle client and daemon, e.g. `-Xmx2g -Dorg.gradle.daemon=false`.
`JAVA_HOME` | Set by the base image. Override only when an alternative JDK is mounted into the container.

## Security considerations

- Run as the non-root `gradle` user (`-u gradle`) to avoid creating root-owned files on the bind-mounted host directory.

- Pin image tags to a specific Gradle and JDK version (e.g. `gradle:9.3.1-jdk21-noble`) rather than using `latest` to ensure reproducible builds.

- Verify image provenance with `docker trust inspect gradle` or review the image metadata published by Docker.