java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: org.jline.reader.History in SB 4 and Shell 4.0

[ullenboom]

After updating the POM for Shell 4 I got:

"C:\Program Files\Java\latest\bin\java.exe" -XX:TieredStopAtLevel=1 -Dspring.output.ansi.enabled=always -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote -Dspring.jmx.enabled=true -Dspring.liveBeansView.mbeanDomain -Dspring.application.admin.enabled=true "-Dmanagement.endpoints.jmx.exposure.include=*" "-javaagent:C:\Program Files\JetBrains\IntelliJ IDEA 2022.1.2\lib\idea_rt.jar=54909" -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 -Dsun.stdout.encoding=UTF-8 -Dsun.stderr.encoding=UTF-8 -classpath C:\Users\christian\Desktop\date4u\main\target\classes;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\springframework\boot\spring-boot-starter\4.0.1\spring-boot-starter-4.0.1.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\springframework\boot\spring-boot-starter-logging\4.0.1\spring-boot-starter-logging-4.0.1.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\ch\qos\logback\logback-classic\1.5.22\logback-classic-1.5.22.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\ch\qos\logback\logback-core\1.5.22\logback-core-1.5.22.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\apache\logging\log4j\log4j-to-slf4j\2.25.3\log4j-to-slf4j-2.25.3.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\apache\logging\log4j\log4j-api\2.25.3\log4j-api-2.25.3.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\slf4j\jul-to-slf4j\2.0.17\jul-to-slf4j-2.0.17.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\springframework\boot\spring-boot-autoconfigure\4.0.1\spring-boot-autoconfigure-4.0.1.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\springframework\boot\spring-boot\4.0.1\spring-boot-4.0.1.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\springframework\spring-context\7.0.2\spring-context-7.0.2.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\springframework\spring-aop\7.0.2\spring-aop-7.0.2.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\springframework\spring-beans\7.0.2\spring-beans-7.0.2.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\springframework\spring-expression\7.0.2\spring-expression-7.0.2.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\io\micrometer\micrometer-observation\1.16.1\micrometer-observation-1.16.1.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\io\micrometer\micrometer-commons\1.16.1\micrometer-commons-1.16.1.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\jakarta\annotation\jakarta.annotation-api\3.0.0\jakarta.annotation-api-3.0.0.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\yaml\snakeyaml\2.5\snakeyaml-2.5.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\springframework\shell\spring-shell-starter\4.0.0\spring-shell-starter-4.0.0.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\springframework\shell\spring-shell-core-autoconfigure\4.0.0\spring-shell-core-autoconfigure-4.0.0.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\springframework\shell\spring-shell-core\4.0.0\spring-shell-core-4.0.0.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\hibernate\validator\hibernate-validator\9.0.1.Final\hibernate-validator-9.0.1.Final.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\jakarta\validation\jakarta.validation-api\3.1.1\jakarta.validation-api-3.1.1.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\jboss\logging\jboss-logging\3.6.1.Final\jboss-logging-3.6.1.Final.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\com\fasterxml\classmate\1.7.1\classmate-1.7.1.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\glassfish\jakarta.el\4.0.2\jakarta.el-4.0.2.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\jakarta\el\jakarta.el-api\4.0.0\jakarta.el-api-4.0.0.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\slf4j\slf4j-api\2.0.17\slf4j-api-2.0.17.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\springframework\spring-core\7.0.2\spring-core-7.0.2.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\commons-logging\commons-logging\1.3.5\commons-logging-1.3.5.jar;C:\Users\christian\.m2\repository\org\jspecify\jspecify\1.0.0\jspecify-1.0.0.jar com.tutego.date4u.Date4uApplication
2026-01-05T10:30:14.229+01:00  INFO 35704 --- [date4u] [           main] com.tutego.date4u.Date4uApplication      : Starting Date4uApplication using Java 25.0.1 with PID 35704 (C:\Users\christian\Desktop\date4u\main\target\classes started by christian in C:\Users\christian\Desktop\date4u\main)
2026-01-05T10:30:14.232+01:00  INFO 35704 --- [date4u] [           main] com.tutego.date4u.Date4uApplication      : No active profile set, falling back to 1 default profile: "default"
2026-01-05T10:30:14.518+01:00  WARN 35704 --- [date4u] [           main] s.c.a.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext : Exception encountered during context initialization - cancelling refresh attempt: java.lang.IllegalStateException: Failed to generate bean name for imported class 'org.springframework.shell.core.autoconfigure.JLineShellAutoConfiguration$JLineHistoryConfiguration'
2026-01-05T10:30:14.521+01:00  INFO 35704 --- [date4u] [           main] .s.b.a.l.ConditionEvaluationReportLogger : 

Error starting ApplicationContext. To display the condition evaluation report re-run your application with 'debug' enabled.
2026-01-05T10:30:14.531+01:00 ERROR 35704 --- [date4u] [           main] o.s.boot.SpringApplication               : Application run failed

java.lang.IllegalStateException: Failed to generate bean name for imported class 'org.springframework.shell.core.autoconfigure.JLineShellAutoConfiguration$JLineHistoryConfiguration'
	at org.springframework.context.annotation.ConfigurationClassBeanDefinitionReader.registerBeanDefinitionForImportedConfigurationClass(ConfigurationClassBeanDefinitionReader.java:172) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
	at org.springframework.context.annotation.ConfigurationClassBeanDefinitionReader.loadBeanDefinitionsForConfigurationClass(ConfigurationClassBeanDefinitionReader.java:145) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
	at org.springframework.context.annotation.ConfigurationClassBeanDefinitionReader.loadBeanDefinitions(ConfigurationClassBeanDefinitionReader.java:124) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
	at org.springframework.context.annotation.ConfigurationClassPostProcessor.processConfigBeanDefinitions(ConfigurationClassPostProcessor.java:458) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
	at org.springframework.context.annotation.ConfigurationClassPostProcessor.postProcessBeanDefinitionRegistry(ConfigurationClassPostProcessor.java:310) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
	at org.springframework.context.support.PostProcessorRegistrationDelegate.invokeBeanDefinitionRegistryPostProcessors(PostProcessorRegistrationDelegate.java:349) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
	at org.springframework.context.support.PostProcessorRegistrationDelegate.invokeBeanFactoryPostProcessors(PostProcessorRegistrationDelegate.java:118) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
	at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.invokeBeanFactoryPostProcessors(AbstractApplicationContext.java:794) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
	at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.refresh(AbstractApplicationContext.java:602) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
	at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.refresh(SpringApplication.java:756) ~[spring-boot-4.0.1.jar:4.0.1]
	at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.refreshContext(SpringApplication.java:445) ~[spring-boot-4.0.1.jar:4.0.1]
	at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:321) ~[spring-boot-4.0.1.jar:4.0.1]
	at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:1365) ~[spring-boot-4.0.1.jar:4.0.1]
	at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:1354) ~[spring-boot-4.0.1.jar:4.0.1]
	at com.tutego.date4u.Date4uApplication.main(Date4uApplication.java:26) ~[classes/:na]
Caused by: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Could not find class [org.jline.reader.History]
	at org.springframework.util.ClassUtils.resolveClassName(ClassUtils.java:353) ~[spring-core-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
	at org.springframework.core.annotation.TypeMappedAnnotation.adapt(TypeMappedAnnotation.java:451) ~[spring-core-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
	at org.springframework.core.annotation.TypeMappedAnnotation.getValue(TypeMappedAnnotation.java:384) ~[spring-core-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
	at org.springframework.core.annotation.TypeMappedAnnotation.asMap(TypeMappedAnnotation.java:273) ~[spring-core-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
	at org.springframework.core.annotation.AbstractMergedAnnotation.asAnnotationAttributes(AbstractMergedAnnotation.java:191) ~[spring-core-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
	at org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationBeanNameGenerator.determineBeanNameFromAnnotation(AnnotationBeanNameGenerator.java:143) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
	at org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationBeanNameGenerator.generateBeanName(AnnotationBeanNameGenerator.java:110) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
	at org.springframework.context.annotation.ConfigurationClassBeanDefinitionReader.registerBeanDefinitionForImportedConfigurationClass(ConfigurationClassBeanDefinitionReader.java:168) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
	... 14 common frames omitted
Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: org.jline.reader.History
	at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.loadClass(BuiltinClassLoader.java:580) ~[na:na]
	at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:490) ~[na:na]
	at java.base/java.lang.Class.forName0(Native Method) ~[na:na]
	at java.base/java.lang.Class.forName(Class.java:547) ~[na:na]
	at org.springframework.util.ClassUtils.forName(ClassUtils.java:302) ~[spring-core-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
	at org.springframework.util.ClassUtils.resolveClassName(ClassUtils.java:343) ~[spring-core-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
	... 21 common frames omitted

[fmbenhassine]

Can you please share your dependencies? you seem to be missing the spring-shell-jline module.

Have you checked https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-shell/wiki/v4-migration-guide#module-changes?

[ullenboom]

I am not using JLine in my dependencies:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
	xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 https://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
	<modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
	<parent>
		<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
		<artifactId>spring-boot-starter-parent</artifactId>
		<version>4.0.1</version>
		<relativePath/> <!-- lookup parent from repository -->
	</parent>
	<groupId>com.tutego</groupId>
	<artifactId>date4u</artifactId>
	<version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
	<name>date4u</name>
	<description>date4u</description>
	<properties>
		<java.version>25</java.version>
    <spring-shell.version>4.0.0</spring-shell.version>
  </properties>
	<dependencies>
		<dependency>
			<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
			<artifactId>spring-boot-starter</artifactId>
		</dependency>
    <dependency>
      <groupId>org.springframework.shell</groupId>
      <artifactId>spring-shell-starter</artifactId>
      <version>${spring-shell.version}</version>
    </dependency>
		<dependency>
			<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
			<artifactId>spring-boot-starter-test</artifactId>
			<scope>test</scope>
		</dependency>
	</dependencies>

	<build>
		<plugins>
			<plugin>
				<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
				<artifactId>spring-boot-maven-plugin</artifactId>
			</plugin>
		</plugins>
	</build>

</project>

I know that IDEs often do not support Console (that's why I think it's not a perfect default, and a fallback would be great to System.out/System.in if System.console() == null), so I was starting from the command line:

>mvn spring-boot:run
[INFO] Scanning for projects...
[INFO]
[INFO] -------------------------< com.tutego:date4u >--------------------------
[INFO] Building date4u 0.0.1-SNAPSHOT
[INFO]   from pom.xml
[INFO] --------------------------------[ jar ]---------------------------------
[INFO]
[INFO] >>> spring-boot:4.0.1:run (default-cli) > test-compile @ date4u >>>
[INFO]
[INFO] --- resources:3.3.1:resources (default-resources) @ date4u ---
[INFO] Copying 1 resource from src\main\resources to target\classes
[INFO] Copying 0 resource from src\main\resources to target\classes
[INFO]
[INFO] --- compiler:3.14.1:compile (default-compile) @ date4u ---
[INFO] Nothing to compile - all classes are up to date.
[INFO]
[INFO] --- resources:3.3.1:testResources (default-testResources) @ date4u ---
[INFO] skip non existing resourceDirectory C:\Users\christian\Desktop\date4u\main\src\test\resources
[INFO]
[INFO] --- compiler:3.14.1:testCompile (default-testCompile) @ date4u ---
[INFO] Nothing to compile - all classes are up to date.
[INFO]
[INFO] <<< spring-boot:4.0.1:run (default-cli) < test-compile @ date4u <<<
[INFO]
[INFO]
[INFO] --- spring-boot:4.0.1:run (default-cli) @ date4u ---
[INFO] Attaching agents: []
2026-01-05T13:53:47.063+01:00  INFO 8328 --- [date4u] [           main] com.tutego.date4u.Date4uApplication      : Starting Date4uApplication using Java 25.0.1 with PID 8328 (C:\Users\christian\Desktop\date4u\main\target\classes started by christian in C:\Users\christian\Desktop\date4u\main)
2026-01-05T13:53:47.066+01:00  INFO 8328 --- [date4u] [           main] com.tutego.date4u.Date4uApplication      : No active profile set, falling back to 1 default profile: "default"
2026-01-05T13:53:47.325+01:00  WARN 8328 --- [date4u] [           main] s.c.a.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext : Exception encountered during context initialization - cancelling refresh attempt: java.lang.IllegalStateException: Failed to generate bean name for imported class 'org.springframework.shell.core.autoconfigure.JLineShellAutoConfiguration$JLineHistoryConfiguration'
2026-01-05T13:53:47.331+01:00  INFO 8328 --- [date4u] [           main] .s.b.a.l.ConditionEvaluationReportLogger :

Error starting ApplicationContext. To display the condition evaluation report re-run your application with 'debug' enabled.
2026-01-05T13:53:47.341+01:00 ERROR 8328 --- [date4u] [           main] o.s.boot.SpringApplication               : Application run failed

java.lang.IllegalStateException: Failed to generate bean name for imported class 'org.springframework.shell.core.autoconfigure.JLineShellAutoConfiguration$JLineHistoryConfiguration'
        at org.springframework.context.annotation.ConfigurationClassBeanDefinitionReader.registerBeanDefinitionForImportedConfigurationClass(ConfigurationClassBeanDefinitionReader.java:172) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
        at org.springframework.context.annotation.ConfigurationClassBeanDefinitionReader.loadBeanDefinitionsForConfigurationClass(ConfigurationClassBeanDefinitionReader.java:145) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
        at org.springframework.context.annotation.ConfigurationClassBeanDefinitionReader.loadBeanDefinitions(ConfigurationClassBeanDefinitionReader.java:124) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
        at org.springframework.context.annotation.ConfigurationClassPostProcessor.processConfigBeanDefinitions(ConfigurationClassPostProcessor.java:458) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
        at org.springframework.context.annotation.ConfigurationClassPostProcessor.postProcessBeanDefinitionRegistry(ConfigurationClassPostProcessor.java:310) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
        at org.springframework.context.support.PostProcessorRegistrationDelegate.invokeBeanDefinitionRegistryPostProcessors(PostProcessorRegistrationDelegate.java:349) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
        at org.springframework.context.support.PostProcessorRegistrationDelegate.invokeBeanFactoryPostProcessors(PostProcessorRegistrationDelegate.java:118) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
        at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.invokeBeanFactoryPostProcessors(AbstractApplicationContext.java:794) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
        at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.refresh(AbstractApplicationContext.java:602) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
        at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.refresh(SpringApplication.java:756) ~[spring-boot-4.0.1.jar:4.0.1]
        at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.refreshContext(SpringApplication.java:445) ~[spring-boot-4.0.1.jar:4.0.1]
        at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:321) ~[spring-boot-4.0.1.jar:4.0.1]
        at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:1365) ~[spring-boot-4.0.1.jar:4.0.1]
        at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:1354) ~[spring-boot-4.0.1.jar:4.0.1]
        at com.tutego.date4u.Date4uApplication.main(Date4uApplication.java:26) ~[classes/:na]
Caused by: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Could not find class [org.jline.reader.History]
        at org.springframework.util.ClassUtils.resolveClassName(ClassUtils.java:353) ~[spring-core-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
        at org.springframework.core.annotation.TypeMappedAnnotation.adapt(TypeMappedAnnotation.java:451) ~[spring-core-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
        at org.springframework.core.annotation.TypeMappedAnnotation.getValue(TypeMappedAnnotation.java:384) ~[spring-core-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
        at org.springframework.core.annotation.TypeMappedAnnotation.asMap(TypeMappedAnnotation.java:273) ~[spring-core-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
        at org.springframework.core.annotation.AbstractMergedAnnotation.asAnnotationAttributes(AbstractMergedAnnotation.java:191) ~[spring-core-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
        at org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationBeanNameGenerator.determineBeanNameFromAnnotation(AnnotationBeanNameGenerator.java:143) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
        at org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationBeanNameGenerator.generateBeanName(AnnotationBeanNameGenerator.java:110) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
        at org.springframework.context.annotation.ConfigurationClassBeanDefinitionReader.registerBeanDefinitionForImportedConfigurationClass(ConfigurationClassBeanDefinitionReader.java:168) ~[spring-context-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
        ... 14 common frames omitted
Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: org.jline.reader.History
        at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.loadClass(BuiltinClassLoader.java:580) ~[na:na]
        at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:490) ~[na:na]
        at java.base/java.lang.Class.forName0(Native Method) ~[na:na]
        at java.base/java.lang.Class.forName(Class.java:547) ~[na:na]
        at org.springframework.util.ClassUtils.forName(ClassUtils.java:302) ~[spring-core-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
        at org.springframework.util.ClassUtils.resolveClassName(ClassUtils.java:343) ~[spring-core-7.0.2.jar:7.0.2]
        ... 21 common frames omitted

[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INFO] BUILD FAILURE
...

After looking for an example, I found a solution: I changed

  <artifactId>spring-shell-starter</artifactId>

to

  <artifactId>spring-shell-starter-jansi</artifactId>

Then its working. I am not sure if this is intended, and if so, it's not mentioned in the https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-shell/wiki/v4-migration-guide. spring-shell-starter-jansi depends on spring-shell-jline, this is what you recommended.

[fmbenhassine]

Thank you for the update. This is a valid issue, the JLine auto-configuration should not be triggered if JLine is not in the classpath (there is a missing @ConditionalOnClass on JLineShellAutoConfiguration in 4.0.0).

I will fix that in 4.0.1.

As a side note, there is no need to explicitly add the spring-boot-starter dependency as it is brought transitively by spring-shell-starter.

[brettryan]

As a side note, there is no need to explicitly add the spring-boot-starter dependency as it is brought transitively by spring-shell-starter.

Maybe docs could be updated to better articulate this? I would help contribute to the docs myself, though; I actually did the same thing. The docs currently state to clone a spring sample rather than stating how to build using start.spring.io, which still reports an incompatibility issue with Spring Boot 4

[fmbenhassine]

which still reports an incompatibility issue with Spring Boot 4

Indeed, I am looking into that.

And I will update the docs accordingly about the starter's transitive dependencies as well as using start.spring.io in the sample rather than cloning the repo.