have you done any customization on the unit-test-utils:compileGroovy task? If yes, can you provide the buildfile for unit-test-utils. Do you set fork=true in your setup? Can you run it with fork disabled?

regards,
René

Can you run with --full-stacktrace and post the resulting stack trace, please?

org.gradle.api.tasks.TaskExecutionException: Execution failed for task ':test-utils:unit-test-utils:compileGroovy'.
at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeActions(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:68)
at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.execute(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:46)
at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.PostExecutionAnalysisTaskExecuter.execute(PostExecutionAnalysisTaskExecuter.java:34)
at org.gradle.api.internal.changedetection.CacheLockHandlingTaskExecuter$1.run(CacheLockHandlingTaskExecuter.java:34)
at org.gradle.cache.internal.DefaultCacheAccess$2.create(DefaultCacheAccess.java:200)
at org.gradle.cache.internal.DefaultCacheAccess.longRunningOperation(DefaultCacheAccess.java:172)
at org.gradle.cache.internal.DefaultCacheAccess.longRunningOperation(DefaultCacheAccess.java:198)
at org.gradle.cache.internal.DefaultPersistentDirectoryStore.longRunningOperation(DefaultPersistentDirectoryStore.java:111)
at org.gradle.api.internal.changedetection.DefaultTaskArtifactStateCacheAccess.longRunningOperation(DefaultTaskArtifactStateCacheAccess.java:83)
at org.gradle.api.internal.changedetection.CacheLockHandlingTaskExecuter.execute(CacheLockHandlingTaskExecuter.java:32)
at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipUpToDateTaskExecuter.execute(SkipUpToDateTaskExecuter.java:55)
at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ValidatingTaskExecuter.execute(ValidatingTaskExecuter.java:57)
at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipEmptySourceFilesTaskExecuter.execute(SkipEmptySourceFilesTaskExecuter.java:41)
at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipTaskWithNoActionsExecuter.execute(SkipTaskWithNoActionsExecuter.java:51)
at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipOnlyIfTaskExecuter.execute(SkipOnlyIfTaskExecuter.java:52)
at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteAtMostOnceTaskExecuter.execute(ExecuteAtMostOnceTaskExecuter.java:42)
at org.gradle.api.internal.AbstractTask.executeWithoutThrowingTaskFailure(AbstractTask.java:247)
at org.gradle.execution.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.executeTask(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:192)
at org.gradle.execution.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.doExecute(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:177)
at org.gradle.execution.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.execute(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:83)
at org.gradle.execution.SelectedTaskExecutionAction.execute(SelectedTaskExecutionAction.java:36)
at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.execute(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:61)
at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.access$200(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:23)
at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter$2.proceed(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:67)
at org.gradle.api.internal.changedetection.TaskCacheLockHandlingBuildExecuter$1.run(TaskCacheLockHandlingBuildExecuter.java:31)
at org.gradle.cache.internal.DefaultCacheAccess$1.create(DefaultCacheAccess.java:111)
at org.gradle.cache.internal.DefaultCacheAccess.useCache(DefaultCacheAccess.java:126)
at org.gradle.cache.internal.DefaultCacheAccess.useCache(DefaultCacheAccess.java:109)
at org.gradle.cache.internal.DefaultPersistentDirectoryStore.useCache(DefaultPersistentDirectoryStore.java:103)
at org.gradle.api.internal.changedetection.DefaultTaskArtifactStateCacheAccess.useCache(DefaultTaskArtifactStateCacheAccess.java:79)
at org.gradle.api.internal.changedetection.TaskCacheLockHandlingBuildExecuter.execute(TaskCacheLockHandlingBuildExecuter.java:29)
at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.execute(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:61)
at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.access$200(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:23)
at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter$2.proceed(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:67)
at org.gradle.execution.DryRunBuildExecutionAction.execute(DryRunBuildExecutionAction.java:32)
at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.execute(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:61)
at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.execute(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:54)
at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.doBuildStages(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:155)
at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.doBuild(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:110)
at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.run(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:78)
at org.gradle.launcher.cli.ExecuteBuildAction.run(ExecuteBuildAction.java:38)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.protocol.Build.run(Build.java:68)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.protocol.Build.run(Build.java:64)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.ExecuteBuild.doBuild(ExecuteBuild.java:45)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.BuildCommandOnly.execute(BuildCommandOnly.java:34)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:122)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.WatchForDisconnection.execute(WatchForDisconnection.java:45)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:122)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.ResetDeprecationLogger.execute(ResetDeprecationLogger.java:24)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:122)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.StartStopIfBuildAndStop.execute(StartStopIfBuildAndStop.java:28)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:122)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.ReturnResult.execute(ReturnResult.java:34)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:122)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.ForwardClientInput$4.call(ForwardClientInput.java:116)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.ForwardClientInput$4.call(ForwardClientInput.java:114)
at org.gradle.util.Swapper.swap(Swapper.java:38)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.ForwardClientInput.execute(ForwardClientInput.java:114)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:122)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.LogToClient.doBuild(LogToClient.java:60)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.BuildCommandOnly.execute(BuildCommandOnly.java:34)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:122)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.EstablishBuildEnvironment.doBuild(EstablishBuildEnvironment.java:61)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.BuildCommandOnly.execute(BuildCommandOnly.java:34)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:122)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.StartBuildOrRespondWithBusy.doBuild(StartBuildOrRespondWithBusy.java:49)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.BuildCommandOnly.execute(BuildCommandOnly.java:34)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:122)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.HandleStop.execute(HandleStop.java:34)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:122)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.CatchAndForwardDaemonFailure.execute(CatchAndForwardDaemonFailure.java:32)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:122)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.HandleClientDisconnectBeforeSendingCommand.execute(HandleClientDisconnectBeforeSendingCommand.java:21)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:122)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.StopConnectionAfterExecution.execute(StopConnectionAfterExecution.java:27)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.DaemonCommandExecution.proceed(DaemonCommandExecution.java:122)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.exec.DefaultDaemonCommandExecuter.executeCommand(DefaultDaemonCommandExecuter.java:55)
at org.gradle.launcher.daemon.server.Daemon$1$1.run(Daemon.java:123)
at org.gradle.messaging.concurrent.DefaultExecutorFactory$StoppableExecutorImpl$1.run(DefaultExecutorFactory.java:66)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:886)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:908)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:680)
Caused by: java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: junit/framework/TestCase
at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass1(Native Method)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClassCond(ClassLoader.java:631)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass(ClassLoader.java:615)
at java.security.SecureClassLoader.defineClass(SecureClassLoader.java:141)
at java.net.URLClassLoader.defineClass(URLClassLoader.java:283)
at java.net.URLClassLoader.access$000(URLClassLoader.java:58)
at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java:197)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(URLClassLoader.java:190)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:306)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:295)
at org.gradle.util.FilteringClassLoader.loadClass(FilteringClassLoader.java:59)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:247)
at org.gradle.util.MultiParentClassLoader.loadClass(MultiParentClassLoader.java:52)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:295)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:295)
at org.gradle.util.FilteringClassLoader.loadClass(FilteringClassLoader.java:59)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:295)
at groovy.lang.GroovyClassLoader.loadClass(GroovyClassLoader.java:696)
at groovy.lang.GroovyClassLoader.loadClass(GroovyClassLoader.java:564)
at org.codehaus.groovy.control.ResolveVisitor.resolveToClass(ResolveVisitor.java:709)
at org.codehaus.groovy.control.ResolveVisitor.resolve(ResolveVisitor.java:275)
at org.codehaus.groovy.control.ResolveVisitor.resolveFromDefaultImports(ResolveVisitor.java:466)
at org.codehaus.groovy.control.ResolveVisitor.resolve(ResolveVisitor.java:275)
at org.codehaus.groovy.control.ResolveVisitor.resolve(ResolveVisitor.java:243)
at org.codehaus.groovy.control.ResolveVisitor.resolveOrFail(ResolveVisitor.java:227)
at org.codehaus.groovy.control.ResolveVisitor.resolveOrFail(ResolveVisitor.java:239)
at org.codehaus.groovy.control.ResolveVisitor.resolveOrFail(ResolveVisitor.java:235)
at org.codehaus.groovy.control.ResolveVisitor.visitClass(ResolveVisitor.java:1271)
at org.codehaus.groovy.control.ResolveVisitor.startResolving(ResolveVisitor.java:148)
at org.codehaus.groovy.control.CompilationUnit$9.call(CompilationUnit.java:608)
at org.codehaus.groovy.control.CompilationUnit.applyToSourceUnits(CompilationUnit.java:846)
at org.codehaus.groovy.control.CompilationUnit.doPhaseOperation(CompilationUnit.java:551)
at org.codehaus.groovy.control.CompilationUnit.compile(CompilationUnit.java:500)
at org.codehaus.groovy.control.CompilationUnit.compile(CompilationUnit.java:483)
at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.compile.ApiGroovyCompiler.execute(ApiGroovyCompiler.java:109)
at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.compile.ApiGroovyCompiler.execute(ApiGroovyCompiler.java:35)
at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.compile.daemon.CompilerDaemonServer.execute(CompilerDaemonServer.java:52)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
at org.gradle.messaging.dispatch.ReflectionDispatch.dispatch(ReflectionDispatch.java:35)
at org.gradle.messaging.dispatch.ReflectionDispatch.dispatch(ReflectionDispatch.java:24)
at org.gradle.messaging.remote.internal.TypeCastDispatch.dispatch(TypeCastDispatch.java:30)
at org.gradle.messaging.remote.internal.WorkerProtocol.handleIncoming(WorkerProtocol.java:53)
at org.gradle.messaging.remote.internal.WorkerProtocol.handleIncoming(WorkerProtocol.java:31)
at org.gradle.messaging.remote.internal.ProtocolStack$ProtocolStage.handleIncoming(ProtocolStack.java:167)
at org.gradle.messaging.remote.internal.ProtocolStack$BottomStage.handleIncoming(ProtocolStack.java:277)
at org.gradle.messaging.remote.internal.ProtocolStack$BottomConnection$1.run(ProtocolStack.java:299)
at org.gradle.messaging.remote.internal.ProtocolStack$ExecuteRunnable.dispatch(ProtocolStack.java:120)
at org.gradle.messaging.remote.internal.ProtocolStack$ExecuteRunnable.dispatch(ProtocolStack.java:116)
at org.gradle.messaging.dispatch.AsyncDispatch.dispatchMessages(AsyncDispatch.java:132)
at org.gradle.messaging.dispatch.AsyncDispatch.access$000(AsyncDispatch.java:33)
at org.gradle.messaging.dispatch.AsyncDispatch$1.run(AsyncDispatch.java:72)
... 4 more
Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: junit.framework.TestCase
at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java:202)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(URLClassLoader.java:190)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:306)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:247)
... 59 more

Same error here

I'm seeing this behavior again in rc3 - rc2 works without any problems. Can you please reopen this ticket and fix before 1.0 release?

This was not reopened but a new ticket was created at GRADLE-2317 for those who run into the same issue.