Maven is a build automation tool that is primarily used for Java projects. It provides a set of conventions for building and managing projects, making it easier to manage dependencies, build processes, and project configurations. Maven automates many of the tedious tasks associated with building and managing Java projects, such as compiling source code, creating documentation, and packaging the project into a distributable format.
In this short tutorial, you will learn a couple of ways to install Maven on your Mac OS computer:
- Install Maven with Homebrew.
- Install Maven by downloading the Maven archive.
- Install Maven using SDKMAN.
To upgrade Maven on MacOS, refer to the following tutorial titled Upgrading Maven on MacOS.
Install Maven with Homebrew
One of the simplest methods to install Maven on your Mac OS device is by utilizing Homebrew. Homebrew is a freely available and open-source package management system that streamlines the software installation process for macOS operating systems and Linux.
In case Homebrew is not installed on your Mac machine, you can install it promptly by executing the following command:
/usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"
To install Maven using Homebrew on your Mac OS, open a terminal window and enter the following command:
brew install maven
If everything is working properly, you will see that Maven is being downloaded to your computer.
==> Downloading https://www.apache.org/dyn/closer.cgi?path=maven/maven-3/3.3.9/binaries/apache-maven-3.3.9-bin.tar.gz ==> Best Mirror http://apache.mirror.globo.tech/maven/maven-3/3.3.9/binaries/apache-maven-3.3.9-bin.tar.gz ######################################################################## 100.0% 🍺 /usr/local/Cellar/maven/3.3.9: 94 files, 9.6M, built in 7 seconds
After the download finishes, you should check if the installation was successful by using the command below:
mvn -v
This command will show you which version of Maven is installed on your computer, along with some extra information. Here’s an example:
mvn -v Apache Maven 3.3.9 (bb52d8502b132ec0a5a3f4c09453c07478323dc5; 2015-11-10T11:41:47-05:00) Maven home: /usr/local/Cellar/maven/3.3.9/libexec Java version: 1.8.0_121, vendor: Oracle Corporation Java home: /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_121.jdk/Contents/Home/jre Default locale: en_US, platform encoding: UTF-8 OS name: "mac os x", version: "10.11.6", arch: "x86_64", family: "mac"
Great news! Maven has been successfully installed on your computer!
Install Maven From a Downloaded Archive
To set up Maven using an archive, you must first download the Maven archive. After downloading the archive, extract it to a folder of your choice, which will serve as your Maven Home.
After you have downloaded Maven and extracted it to a folder on your computer, you need to add Maven to the Environment PATH. This will make it easier for your computer to find and use Maven.
export PATH=$PATH:<MAVEN HOME FOLDER HERE>/bin
After adding the Maven /bin folder to the Environment Path, you can check if Maven is installed correctly by using this command:
mvn -v
If everything went well, you will see the version of Maven printed along with some more details. This means that you have successfully installed and can use Maven on your computer.
Installing Maven on macOS using SDKMAN
SDKMAN is a popular command-line tool for managing multiple software development kits on a single system. It provides a simple way to install and manage different versions of programming languages and tools, including Maven. Here’s how to install Maven using SDKMAN:
- Open your terminal application.
- Install SDKMAN by running the following command in the terminal:
curl -s "https://get.sdkman.io" | bash
- Once SDKMAN is installed, reload the terminal by running:
source "$HOME/.sdkman/bin/sdkman-init.sh"
- Next, install the latest stable version of Maven by running the following command:
sdk install maven
- Verify that Maven is installed correctly by running:
mvn -version
This should display the Maven version installed on your system.
That’s it! You now have Maven installed on your macOS using SDKMAN. You can use SDKMAN to manage other programming languages and tools on your system as well.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know how to install Maven on your Mac OS! In this tutorial, we covered three different methods for installing Maven: using Homebrew, downloading a Maven archive, and using SDKMAN. Each method has its own advantages, so choose the one that works best for you. I hope you found this tutorial helpful. If you want to learn more about Maven, check out these online video lessons below. They may help you learn faster.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use Maven with other programming languages besides Java?
While Maven is primarily used with Java projects, it can also be used with other programming languages and frameworks, provided that they are compatible with Maven’s build lifecycle. - Do I need to install Java before installing Maven?
Yes, Maven requires Java to be installed on your system. Make sure that you have a compatible version of Java installed before installing Maven. - What is the difference between Maven and Gradle?
Both Maven and Gradle are build automation tools, but they have different approaches to building and managing projects. Maven uses an XML-based configuration file and a predefined build lifecycle, while Gradle uses a Groovy-based configuration file and allows for more flexible and customizable build configurations. - Can I use Maven with Continuous Integration (CI) tools?
Yes, Maven integrates well with CI tools like Jenkins, Travis CI, and CircleCI, among others. You can use Maven to automate your build process and generate reports and metrics that can be used in your CI pipeline.
