How to Install Apache Maven on Ubuntu Linux

How to install Apache Maven with apt on Ubuntu Linux

You can easily install Apache Maven on Ubuntu using the apt command, which is the quickest way to get it from Ubuntu’s own software sources.

The `apt install` command installs OpenJDK, a free, open-source Java platform, and the stable version of Apache Maven, a build automation tool. This ensures both Java and Maven are ready to build software projects on Ubuntu Linux.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install maven

The commands above update your Ubuntu package index and install Apache Maven, along with all dependencies like OpenJDK. This is the fastest way if you don’t need the absolute latest version of Apache Maven.

To verify the installed version, run the commands below.

mvn --version

You should see something similar to the content below:

Apache Maven 3.5.2
Maven home: /usr/share/maven
Java version: 10.0.2, vendor: Oracle Corporation
Java home: /usr/lib/jvm/java-11-openjdk-amd64
Default locale: en_US, platform encoding: UTF-8
OS name: "linux", version: "4.15.0-36-generic", arch: "amd64", family: "unix"

How to download and install Maven on Ubuntu Linux

If you need the newest Apache Maven version or a specific one on Ubuntu, you’ll have to download and install it yourself, but first, make sure Java is set up.

Run the commands below to install OpenJDK on Ubuntu Linux. This will install the current stable version of OpenJDK for Ubuntu Linux.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install default-jdk

After installing OpenJDK, continue below to get Maven installed and configured.

Apache Maven version 3.8.3 was the latest release when this post was written. Users should visit the Apache Maven download page to find newer versions. Selecting and downloading any newer versions is recommended over older ones.

Run the commands below to download version 3.8.3.

cd /tmp
wget https://dlcdn.apache.org/maven/maven-3/3.8.3/binaries/apache-maven-3.8.3-bin.tar.gz

Next, run the commands below to extract the downloaded package to the /opt directory.

sudo tar xf /tmp/apache-maven-*.tar.gz -C /opt

sudo ln -s /opt/apache-maven-3.8.3 /opt/maven

Setup Maven Environment Variables

After you download and unpack Apache Maven, the next step is setting up its environment variables, which tells your system where to find it.

sudo nano /etc/profile.d/maven.sh

Then copy and paste the lines below and save them into the file.

export JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/default-java
export M2_HOME=/opt/maven
export MAVEN_HOME=/opt/maven
export PATH=${M2_HOME}/bin:${PATH}

Finally, run the commands below to update and load the changes.

sudo chmod +x /etc/profile.d/maven.sh
source /etc/profile.d/maven.sh

That should do it! Now run the commands below to check the version number.

mvn --version

You should see the content below.

Apache Maven 3.8.3 (ff8e977a158738155dc465c6a97ffaf31982d739)
Maven home: /opt/maven
Java version: 11.0.11, vendor: Ubuntu, runtime: /usr/lib/jvm/java-11-openjdk-amd64
Default locale: en_US, platform encoding: UTF-8
OS name: "linux", version: "5.11.0-37-generic", arch: "amd64", family: "unix"

To wrap up,

• Apache Maven is a powerful tool for managing software projects.
• 💿 Installing Maven on Ubuntu is straightforward, with options to use package managers or manual installation.
• Using the apt package manager ensures a quick setup with stable versions.
• Manually ⬇️ downloading and configuring Maven is recommended for the latest features and capabilities.
• Setting up environment variables is essential for proper Maven functionality.
• Regularly 🔃 check for updates to stay on the latest version of Maven, enhancing your project management experience.