log4j 2.25.0 cannot (directly) be used with Gradle on Java 8

[hankem]

Description

log4j 2.25.0's dependency com.github.spotbugs:spotbugs-annotations:4.9.3 is only compatible with JVM runtime version 11+

Configuration

Version: 2.25.0

Operating system: Linux 6.14.6-2-MANJARO

JDK: Oracle Java 1.8.0

Logs

from a ./gradlew build with a org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-api:2.25.0 dependency using Java 8:

> Task :compileJava FAILED

FAILURE: Build failed with an exception.

* What went wrong:
Execution failed for task ':compileJava'.
> Could not resolve all files for configuration ':compileClasspath'.
   > Could not resolve com.github.spotbugs:spotbugs-annotations:4.9.3.
     Required by:
         root project : > org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-api:2.25.0
      > Dependency resolution is looking for a library compatible with JVM runtime version 8, but 'com.github.spotbugs:spotbugs-annotations:4.9.3' is only compatible with JVM runtime version 11 or newer.

Reproduction

https://github.com/hankem/log4j-2.25.0-with-Java-8

[hankem]

Downgrading to SpotBugs < 4.9.0 solves the issue:

--- a/log4j-parent/pom.xml
+++ b/log4j-parent/pom.xml
@@ -130,7 +130,8 @@
     <osgi.annotation.versioning.version>1.1.2</osgi.annotation.versioning.version>
     <pax-exam.version>4.14.0</pax-exam.version>
     <plexus-utils.version>3.6.0</plexus-utils.version>
-    <spotbugs-annotations.version>4.9.3</spotbugs-annotations.version>
+    <!-- com.github.spotbugs:spotbugs-annotations:4.9.0+ requires Java 11 -->
+    <spotbugs-annotations.version>4.8.6</spotbugs-annotations.version>
     <spring-boot.version>2.7.18</spring-boot.version>
     <spring-framework.version>5.3.39</spring-framework.version>
     <system-stubs.version>2.0.3</system-stubs.version>

[vy]

@hankem, thanks so much for the report. We need to downgrade the dependency, pin it for dependabot, and see if we can come up with a check to avoid having the same problem again.

As a workaround, you can exclude com.github.spotbugs:spotbugs-annotations from log4j-api.