gradle not working: symbol lookup error

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

I am having the same problem with oracle java 7.

Also: If I download the gradle 1.8 zip from the gradle website, unzip it into a directory, move to the bin directory, then type ./gradle, then gradle works without problems.

I found the bug in the Makefile for libnative-platform-java. Here's how to workaround it:

   sudo apt-get build-dep libnative-platform-java
   apt-get source libnative-platform-java
   cd libnative-platform-java-0.3~rc2/

Apply this patch:
--- Makefile.orig 2013-11-20 10:42:54.599476939 -0800
+++ Makefile 2013-11-20 10:43:04.879476606 -0800
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
  $(CXX) $(CFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) -shared -o $@ $^

 $(ODIR)/libnative-platform-curses.so: $(OBJ_CURSES)
- $(CXX) $(CFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) -lcurses -shared -o $@ $^
+ $(CXX) $(CFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) -shared -o $@ $^ -lcurses

 $(JCLASSESDIR)/%.class: javafiles-list
  mkdir -p $(JCLASSESDIR)

Run:
   dpkg-source --commit
   dpkg-buildpackage
   cd ..
   sudo dpkg -i libnative-platform-jni_0.3~rc2-2_amd64.deb

Test with
   gradle -v

It seems like the underlying cause is in libnative-platform-java, so I marked that package as also affected.

In addition, I added the "patch" tag, due to the patch included in the comment above.

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

This bug was fixed in the package libnative-platform-java - 0.3~rc2-2ubuntu1

---------------
libnative-platform-java (0.3~rc2-2ubuntu1) trusty; urgency=low

  * debian/patches/make_buildsystem.diff: move ld libs to end of linking
    command (LP: #1238322)
 -- ALEFHAHMEEMDAL ALEFLAMMEEMHAHMEEMWAWDALYEH (Ahmed El-Mahmoudy) <email address hidden> Sun, 12 Jan 2014 20:33:29 +0200

I think that there is an regression. I have just experienced this issue with the latest version of libnative-platform-jni (0.11-5).

$ gradle
java: symbol lookup error: /usr/lib/jni/libnative-platform-curses.so: undefined symbol: tgetent

FYI, gradle works with the previous version (0.10+dfsg-2), and also works in debian stretch with the latest version (0.11-5). So I believe that there is an regression of this ubuntu package.

I filed the regression in zesty as a new bug, since this one is old and was apparently fixed. See https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gradle/+bug/1683761