How To Install Apache Maven on CentOS/RHEL 9/8/7

Installing Apache Maven on CentOS or RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) systems is a straightforward process that allows developers to manage and understand the build lifecycle, dependencies, and project documentation of their Java projects. Maven, a powerful project management tool developed by the Apache Software Foundation, uses an XML file to describe the software project being built, its dependencies on other external modules and components, the build order, directories, and required plugins.

This article will guide you through the steps to install Apache Maven on CentOS/RHEL versions 9, 8, and 7.

Prerequisites

• A system running CentOS/RHEL 7, 8, or 9
• Access to a terminal/command line
• sudo or root privileges

Step 1: Update Your System

Before installing any new package, it’s a good practice to update your system’s package repository to ensure you have access to the latest versions and patches. Open your terminal and execute the following command:

# CentOS/RHEL 8 and 9

sudo dnf update

# CentOS/RHEL 7

sudo yum update

Step 2: Install Java

Maven is a Java-based tool, so Java SDK needs to be installed on your system. You can install Java using the following command:

# CentOS/RHEL 8 and 9

sudo dnf install java-11-openjdk-devel

# CentOS/RHEL 7

sudo yum install java-11-openjdk-devel

Verify the Java installation by running:

java -version

Step 3: Download Apache Maven

The next step is to download the latest version of Apache Maven from the official website. As of today, the latest version might have changed. Check the Apache Maven official website for the most recent version.

You can download Maven using the wget command. If wget is not installed on your system, you can install it using sudo dnf install wget or sudo yum install wget. Then, download Maven with:

wget https://dlcdn.apache.org/maven/maven-3/3.9.6/binaries/apache-maven-3.9.6-bin.tar.gz

Replace 3.9.6 with the latest version number you found on the Maven website.

Step 4: Extract and Install Maven

After downloading, extract the Maven archive to the /opt directory or another directory of your choice:

sudo tar xzf apache-maven-3.9.6-bin.tar.gz -C /opt

Step 5: Configure Environment Variables

To use Maven globally, you need to set up the M2_HOME and PATH environment variables. You can do this by creating a new file in the /etc/profile.d directory:

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

Add the following lines to the file:

export M2_HOME=/opt/apache-maven-3.9.6
export PATH=${M2_HOME}/bin:${PATH}

Make the script executable and load the new environment variables:

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

Step 6: Verify Installation

To ensure Maven is installed correctly, you can check its version by executing:

mvn -version

This command will display the Maven version, the Java version, and the operating system information, confirming that Maven has been successfully installed on your CentOS/RHEL system.

Conclusion

You have now successfully installed Apache Maven on your CentOS/RHEL system. Maven can help streamline your Java project builds and manage dependencies more effectively. With Maven installed, you can now proceed to create or manage your Java projects using this powerful tool.