How to Install Apache Groovy on Ubuntu Linux

Prepare Ubuntu

Preparing your Ubuntu system before you install Apache Groovy Ubuntu ensures your package lists are current and removes old files that might cause conflicts. Run update and upgrade commands in your terminal to refresh your software sources and get your system ready for the installation process.

sudo apt update
sudo apt dist-upgrade
sudo apt autoremove

These commands refresh package lists and remove obsolete software. Reboot the 🔄 system once they finish.

Install OpenJDK 8

Installing 💿 OpenJDK 8 (an open-source implementation of the Java Platform) gives your system the Java environment required to run Groovy on Ubuntu. You need this software package installed and working before you can set up Groovy itself.

For this tutorial, we’re going to install OpenJDK.

Run the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt-get install openjdk-8-jdk openjdk-8-doc

After installing Java, you can verify it by running the commands below:

java -version

It should output something similar, as shown below:

Output:
openjdk version "1.8.0_242"
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_242-8u242-b08-0ubuntu3~18.04-b08)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.242-b08, mixed mode)

With Java installed and your system updated, you're ready to install Apache Groovy.

Download Apache Groovy

Downloading Apache Groovy on Ubuntu relies on SDKMAN (a tool for managing Software Development Kits) to handle the setup process. You need to install curl (a command-line tool for transferring data using URLs) first so you can fetch and run the SDKMAN installation script.

Run the following commands:

sudo apt install curl
curl -s get.sdkman.io | bash

This command downloads any necessary supporting software (dependencies) and prepares your system for Groovy.

After a successful installation, you should get a similar message as shown below:

Extract script archive…
Install scripts…
Set version to 5.7.4+362 …
Attempt update of interactive bash profile on regular UNIX…
Added sdkman init snippet to /home/richard/.bashrc
Attempt update of zsh profile…
Updated existing /home/richard/.zshrc
All done!
Please open a new terminal, or run the following in the existing one:
source "/home/richard/.sdkman/bin/sdkman-init.sh"
Then issue the following command:
sdk help
Enjoy!!!

After running the previous commands, execute these to set the Groovy environment:

source "$HOME/.sdkman/bin/sdkman-init.sh"

Finally, run these commands to install Groovy.

sdk install groovy

This installs Groovy and should display a similar message afterwards:

==== BROADCAST =================================================================
2020-04-03: Grails 4.0.3 released on SDKMAN! #grailsfw
2020-04-03: Micronaut 1.3.4 released on SDKMAN! #micronautfw
* 2020-04-02: Micronaut 2.0.0.M2 released on SDKMAN! #micronautfw
Downloading: groovy 3.0.2
In progress…
############################################################################ 100.0%
Installing: groovy 3.0.2
Done installing!
Setting groovy 3.0.2 as default.

That completes the installation.

After installation, check Groovy's version number.

groovy -version

It should then display a similar line as shown below:

Groovy Version: 3.0.2 JVM: 1.8.0_242 Vendor: Private Build OS: Linux

This is how to install Apache Groovy on Ubuntu.

To launch Groovy, run the command below:

groovysh

That should open Groovy shell.

Apr 05, 2020 5:10:31 PM java.util.prefs.FileSystemPreferences$1 run
INFO: Created user preferences directory.
Groovy Shell (3.0.2, JVM: 1.8.0_242)
Type ':help' or ':h' for help.
groovy:000>

Wrapping up, installing Apache Groovy on Ubuntu expands your development toolkit without unnecessary hurdles.

• Installing Apache Groovy on Ubuntu is a straightforward process that enhances your development capabilities.
• Groovy's syntax is easy to learn, making it accessible for both new and experienced developers.
• By integrating Groovy with Java, developers can create more dynamic applications and scripts.
• Using Ubuntu as your operating system allows for efficient software management and installation.
• The process involves updating your system, installing Java, and using a simple script to install Groovy.
• After installation, you can easily access Groovy through the command line, enabling you to start developing right away.