Could not load Gradle version information

copied from https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode-docs/issues/1462#issuecomment-407154201
Reported by @SevastianGioanca who cannot get the gradle installed.

java version 1.8.0_181
Ubuntu 18.04
Linux & Java newbie here...I'm having the same problem with the tutorial. I noticed the following pops up in the OUTPUT view (Language Support for Java) when first loading the project in VS Code:
``[Warn - 9:07:20 PM] Jul 23, 2018 9:07:19 PM Could not load Gradle version information
Cannot download published Gradle versions.
org.gradle.api.UncheckedIOException: Cannot download published Gradle versions.
at com.gradleware.tooling.toolingutils.distribution.PublishedGradleVersions.downloadVersionInformation(PublishedGradleVersions.java:175)
at com.gradleware.tooling.toolingutils.distribution.PublishedGradleVersions.tryToDownloadAndCacheVersions(PublishedGradleVersions.java:159)
at com.gradleware.tooling.toolingutils.distribution.PublishedGradleVersions.create(PublishedGradleVersions.java:119)
at org.eclipse.buildship.core.util.gradle.PublishedGradleVersionsWrapper$LoadVersionsJob.run(PublishedGradleVersionsWrapper.java:66)
at org.eclipse.core.internal.jobs.Worker.run(Worker.java:60)
Caused by: javax.net.ssl.SSLException: java.lang.RuntimeException: Unexpected error: java.security.InvalidAlgorithmParameterException: the trustAnchors parameter must be non-empty
at sun.security.ssl.Alerts.getSSLException(Alerts.java:208)
at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.fatal(SSLSocketImpl.java:1964)
at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.fatal(SSLSocketImpl.java:1921)
at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.handleException(SSLSocketImpl.java:1904)
at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.startHandshake(SSLSocketImpl.java:1420)
at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.startHandshake(SSLSocketImpl.java:1397)
at sun.net.www.protocol.https.HttpsClient.afterConnect(HttpsClient.java:559)
at sun.net.www.protocol.https.AbstractDelegateHttpsURLConnection.connect(AbstractDelegateHttpsURLConnection.java:185)
at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.getInputStream0(HttpURLConnection.java:1564)
at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.getInputStream(HttpURLConnection.java:1492)
at sun.net.www.protocol.https.HttpsURLConnectionImpl.getInputStream(HttpsURLConnectionImpl.java:263)
at com.gradleware.tooling.toolingutils.distribution.PublishedGradleVersions.downloadVersionInformation(PublishedGradleVersions.java:172)
... 4 more
Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: Unexpected error: java.security.InvalidAlgorithmParameterException: the trustAnchors parameter must be non-empty
at sun.security.validator.PKIXValidator.(PKIXValidator.java:91)
at sun.security.validator.Validator.getInstance(Validator.java:181)
at sun.security.ssl.X509TrustManagerImpl.getValidator(X509TrustManagerImpl.java:312)
at sun.security.ssl.X509TrustManagerImpl.checkTrustedInit(X509TrustManagerImpl.java:171)
at sun.security.ssl.X509TrustManagerImpl.checkTrusted(X509TrustManagerImpl.java:184)
at sun.security.ssl.X509TrustManagerImpl.checkServerTrusted(X509TrustManagerImpl.java:124)
at sun.security.ssl.ClientHandshaker.serverCertificate(ClientHandshaker.java:1596)
at sun.security.ssl.ClientHandshaker.processMessage(ClientHandshaker.java:216)
at sun.security.ssl.Handshaker.processLoop(Handshaker.java:1052)
at sun.security.ssl.Handshaker.process_record(Handshaker.java:987)
at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.readRecord(SSLSocketImpl.java:1072)
at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.performInitialHandshake(SSLSocketImpl.java:1385)
at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.startHandshake(SSLSocketImpl.java:1413)
... 11 more
Caused by: java.security.InvalidAlgorithmParameterException: the trustAnchors parameter must be non-empty
at java.security.cert.PKIXParameters.setTrustAnchors(PKIXParameters.java:200)
at java.security.cert.PKIXParameters.(PKIXParameters.java:120)
at java.security.cert.PKIXBuilderParameters.(PKIXBuilderParameters.java:104)
at sun.security.validator.PKIXValidator.(PKIXValidator.java:89)
... 23 more

[Error - 9:07:21 PM] Jul 23, 2018 9:07:19 PM Initialization failed
Could not install Gradle distribution from 'https://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-4.6-bin.zip'.
org.gradle.tooling.GradleConnectionException: Could not install Gradle distribution from 'https://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-4.6-bin.zip'.
at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.DistributionFactory$ZippedDistribution.getToolingImplementationClasspath(DistributionFactory.java:137)
at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.loader.CachingToolingImplementationLoader.create(CachingToolingImplementationLoader.java:40)
at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.loader.SynchronizedToolingImplementationLoader.create(SynchronizedToolingImplementationLoader.java:43)
at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.connection.LazyConsumerActionExecutor.onStartAction(LazyConsumerActionExecutor.java:101)
at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.connection.LazyConsumerActionExecutor.run(LazyConsumerActionExecutor.java:83)
at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.connection.CancellableConsumerActionExecutor.run(CancellableConsumerActionExecutor.java:45)
at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.connection.ProgressLoggingConsumerActionExecutor.run(ProgressLoggingConsumerActionExecutor.java:58)
at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.connection.RethrowingErrorsConsumerActionExecutor.run(RethrowingErrorsConsumerActionExecutor.java:38)
at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.async.DefaultAsyncConsumerActionExecutor$1$1.run(DefaultAsyncConsumerActionExecutor.java:55)
at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ExecutorPolicy$CatchAndRecordFailures.onExecute(ExecutorPolicy.java:63)
at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ManagedExecutorImpl$1.run(ManagedExecutorImpl.java:46)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1149)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:624)
at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ThreadFactoryImpl$ManagedThreadRunnable.run(ThreadFactoryImpl.java:55)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:748)
at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.BlockingResultHandler.getResult(BlockingResultHandler.java:46)
at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.DefaultModelBuilder.get(DefaultModelBuilder.java:50)
at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.DefaultProjectConnection.getModel(DefaultProjectConnection.java:41)
at org.eclipse.buildship.core.workspace.internal.ConnectionAwareLauncherProxy.newModelBuilder(ConnectionAwareLauncherProxy.java:64)
at org.eclipse.buildship.core.workspace.internal.DefaultModelProvider.fetchModel(DefaultModelProvider.java:68)
at org.eclipse.buildship.core.workspace.internal.DefaultModelProvider.supportsCompositeBuilds(DefaultModelProvider.java:165)
at org.eclipse.buildship.core.workspace.internal.DefaultModelProvider.fetchModels(DefaultModelProvider.java:75)
at org.eclipse.buildship.core.workspace.internal.DefaultModelProvider.fetchEclipseGradleProjects(DefaultModelProvider.java:99)
at org.eclipse.jdt.ls.core.internal.managers.GradleProjectImporter.startSynchronization(GradleProjectImporter.java:152)
at org.eclipse.jdt.ls.core.internal.managers.GradleProjectImporter.importDir(GradleProjectImporter.java:99)
at org.eclipse.jdt.ls.core.internal.managers.GradleProjectImporter.lambda$0(GradleProjectImporter.java:91)
at java.util.ArrayList.forEach(ArrayList.java:1257)
at java.util.Collections$UnmodifiableCollection.forEach(Collections.java:1080)
at org.eclipse.jdt.ls.core.internal.managers.GradleProjectImporter.importToWorkspace(GradleProjectImporter.java:91)
at org.eclipse.jdt.ls.core.internal.managers.ProjectsManager.importProjects(ProjectsManager.java:132)
at org.eclipse.jdt.ls.core.internal.managers.ProjectsManager.access$1(ProjectsManager.java:126)
at org.eclipse.jdt.ls.core.internal.managers.ProjectsManager$2.run(ProjectsManager.java:120)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.core.BatchOperation.executeOperation(BatchOperation.java:38)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.core.JavaModelOperation.run(JavaModelOperation.java:733)
at org.eclipse.core.internal.resources.Workspace.run(Workspace.java:2289)
at org.eclipse.core.internal.resources.Workspace.run(Workspace.java:2316)
at org.eclipse.jdt.core.JavaCore.run(JavaCore.java:5733)
at org.eclipse.jdt.core.JavaCore.run(JavaCore.java:5690)
at org.eclipse.jdt.ls.core.internal.managers.ProjectsManager.initializeProjects(ProjectsManager.java:113)
at org.eclipse.jdt.ls.core.internal.handlers.InitHandler$1.runInWorkspace(InitHandler.java:217)
at org.eclipse.core.internal.resources.InternalWorkspaceJob.run(InternalWorkspaceJob.java:39)
at org.eclipse.core.internal.jobs.Worker.run(Worker.java:60)
Caused by: javax.net.ssl.SSLException: java.lang.RuntimeException: Unexpected error: java.security.InvalidAlgorithmParameterException: the trustAnchors parameter must be non-empty
at sun.security.ssl.Alerts.getSSLException(Alerts.java:208)
at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.fatal(SSLSocketImpl.java:1964)
at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.fatal(SSLSocketImpl.java:1921)
at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.handleException(SSLSocketImpl.java:1904)
at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.startHandshake(SSLSocketImpl.java:1420)
at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.startHandshake(SSLSocketImpl.java:1397)
at sun.net.www.protocol.https.HttpsClient.afterConnect(HttpsClient.java:559)
at sun.net.www.protocol.https.AbstractDelegateHttpsURLConnection.connect(AbstractDelegateHttpsURLConnection.java:185)
at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.getInputStream0(HttpURLConnection.java:1564)
at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.getInputStream(HttpURLConnection.java:1492)
at sun.net.www.protocol.https.HttpsURLConnectionImpl.getInputStream(HttpsURLConnectionImpl.java:263)
at org.gradle.wrapper.Download.downloadInternal(Download.java:66)
at org.gradle.wrapper.Download.download(Download.java:51)
at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.DistributionInstaller$1.run(DistributionInstaller.java:128)
Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: Unexpected error: java.security.InvalidAlgorithmParameterException: the trustAnchors parameter must be non-empty
at sun.security.validator.PKIXValidator.(PKIXValidator.java:91)
at sun.security.validator.Validator.getInstance(Validator.java:181)
at sun.security.ssl.X509TrustManagerImpl.getValidator(X509TrustManagerImpl.java:312)
at sun.security.ssl.X509TrustManagerImpl.checkTrustedInit(X509TrustManagerImpl.java:171)
at sun.security.ssl.X509TrustManagerImpl.checkTrusted(X509TrustManagerImpl.java:184)
at sun.security.ssl.X509TrustManagerImpl.checkServerTrusted(X509TrustManagerImpl.java:124)
at sun.security.ssl.ClientHandshaker.serverCertificate(ClientHandshaker.java:1596)
at sun.security.ssl.ClientHandshaker.processMessage(ClientHandshaker.java:216)
at sun.security.ssl.Handshaker.processLoop(Handshaker.java:1052)
at sun.security.ssl.Handshaker.process_record(Handshaker.java:987)
at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.readRecord(SSLSocketImpl.java:1072)
at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.performInitialHandshake(SSLSocketImpl.java:1385)
at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.startHandshake(SSLSocketImpl.java:1413)
... 9 more
Caused by: java.security.InvalidAlgorithmParameterException: the trustAnchors parameter must be non-empty
at java.security.cert.PKIXParameters.setTrustAnchors(PKIXParameters.java:200)
at java.security.cert.PKIXParameters.(PKIXParameters.java:120)
at java.security.cert.PKIXBuilderParameters.(PKIXBuilderParameters.java:104)
at sun.security.validator.PKIXValidator.(PKIXValidator.java:89)
... 21 more

Tái hiện thiết lập Ubuntu 18.04 và Java 8, sau đó theo dõi quá trình import Gradle qua GradleProjectImporter và quá trình tải xuống phiên bản đã phát hành được báo cáo trong stack trace. Xác nhận rằng dự án được khởi tạo và bản phân phối Gradle được tải mà không gặp lỗi trustAnchors.