Failure

[composite-fail-sscce]$ ./gradlew b%dependencies
> Configure project :j
Configuring j
> Task :b:dependencies FAILED
------------------------------------------------------------
Root project
------------------------------------------------------------
bConfig
FAILURE: Build failed with an exception.
* What went wrong:
A problem occurred configuring project ':a-root'.
> java.lang.IllegalStateException (no error message)
BUILD FAILED in 1s

Hang

[composite-fail-sscce]$ ./gradlew b%dumpFiles
> Configure project :j
Configuring j
> Task :j:compileJava UP-TO-DATE
> Task :j:processResources NO-SOURCE
> Task :j:classes UP-TO-DATE
> Task :j:jar UP-TO-DATE
<=======------> 60% CONFIGURING [43s]
> Resolve dependencies of :b:bConfig > :a-root

Make it Work #1

[composite-fail-sscce]$ sed -i 's/substitute/\/\/substitute/' settings.gradle

[composite-fail-sscce]$ ./gradlew b%dependencies
> Configure project :j
Configuring j
> Task :j:compileJava UP-TO-DATE
> Task :j:processResources NO-SOURCE
> Task :j:classes UP-TO-DATE
> Task :j:jar UP-TO-DATE
> Configure project :a-root
Configuring a
> Configure project :a-root:a
Configuring a:s
> Task :b:dependencies
------------------------------------------------------------
Root project
------------------------------------------------------------
bConfig
\--- org.example:a:+ -> project :a-root:a
> Task :b%dependencies
BUILD SUCCESSFUL in 5s

[composite-fail-sscce]$ ./gradlew b%dumpFiles
> Configure project :j
Configuring j
> Task :j:compileJava UP-TO-DATE
> Task :j:processResources NO-SOURCE
> Task :j:classes UP-TO-DATE
> Task :j:jar UP-TO-DATE
> Configure project :a-root
Configuring a
> Configure project :a-root:a
Configuring a:s
> Task :a-root:a:makeZip UP-TO-DATE
> Task :b:dumpFiles
/composite-fail-sscce/a/s/build/distributions/a-1.zip
> Task :b%dumpFiles
BUILD SUCCESSFUL in 927ms

[composite-fail-sscce]$ sed -i 's/\/\/substitute/substitute/' settings.gradle

Make it Work #2

[composite-fail-sscce]$ sed -i 's/classpath/\/\/classpath/' a/build.gradle

[composite-fail-sscce]$ ./gradlew b%dependencies
> Configure project :j
Configuring j
> Configure project :a-root
Configuring a
> Configure project :a-root:a
Configuring a:s
> Task :b:dependencies
------------------------------------------------------------
Root project
------------------------------------------------------------
bConfig
\--- org.example:a:+ -> project :a-root:a
> Task :b%dependencies
BUILD SUCCESSFUL in 1s

[composite-fail-sscce]$ ./gradlew b%dumpFiles
> Configure project :j
Configuring j
> Configure project :a-root
Configuring a
> Configure project :a-root:a
Configuring a:s
> Task :j:compileJava UP-TO-DATE
> Task :j:processResources NO-SOURCE
> Task :j:classes UP-TO-DATE
> Task :j:jar UP-TO-DATE
> Task :a-root:a:makeZip UP-TO-DATE
> Task :b:dumpFiles
/composite-fail-sscce/a/s/build/distributions/a-1.zip
> Task :b%dumpFiles
BUILD SUCCESSFUL in 884ms

[composite-fail-sscce]$ sed -i 's/\/\/classpath/classpath/' a/build.gradle