Try disabling caching and re-enabling the daemon

.gitlab-ci.yml

@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@ stages:
   - build
 
 variables:
-    # Disabling the daemon is necessary for correctness
-    GRADLE_OPTS: "-Dorg.gradle.daemon=false"
+    # Apparently the daemon should be enabled for gradle v 3+
+    # we'll see how that goes...
+    # https://stackoverflow.com/questions/37171043/gradle-build-daemon-disappeared-unexpectedly-it-may-have-been-killed-or-may-hav
+    GRADLE_OPTS: "-Dorg.gradle.daemon=true"
     # Pull core when building
     GIT_SUBMODULE_STRATEGY: recursive
 
@@ -24,15 +26,15 @@ build compileAndMerge_18_1 1/2:
     script: ./gradlew build -PmcVer=1.18.1 --gradle-user-home cache/; ./gradlew merge --gradle-user-home cache/
     # build using Java 17
     image: eclipse-temurin:17
-    cache:
-        # The cached folders should only be used for this job.
-        # This should prevent jobs from using the same folder(s) and overwriting each other
-        key: "${CI_JOB_ID}-18-1"
-        policy: pull-push
-        paths:
-            - .gradle
-            - cache/
-            - Merged
+    # cache:
+    #     # The cached folders should only be used for this job.
+    #     # This should prevent jobs from using the same folder(s) and overwriting each other
+    #     key: "${CI_JOB_ID}-18-1"
+    #     policy: pull-push
+    #     paths:
+    #         - .gradle
+    #         - cache/
+    #         - Merged
     artifacts:
       name: "Merged_NightlyBuild_1_18_1-${CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA}-${CI_COMMIT_TIMESTAMP}"
       paths:
@@ -45,13 +47,13 @@ build compileAndMerge_18_2 2/2:
     stage: build
     script: ./gradlew build -PmcVer=1.18.2 --gradle-user-home cache/; ./gradlew merge --gradle-user-home cache/
     image: eclipse-temurin:17
-    cache:
-        key: "${CI_JOB_ID}-18-2"
-        policy: pull-push
-        paths:
-            - .gradle
-            - cache/
-            - Merged
+    # cache:
+    #     key: "${CI_JOB_ID}-18-2"
+    #     policy: pull-push
+    #     paths:
+    #         - .gradle
+    #         - cache/
+    #         - Merged
     artifacts:
         name: "Merged_NightlyBuild_1_18_2-${CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA}-${CI_COMMIT_TIMESTAMP}"
         paths: