How to Install Apache Maven on Ubuntu

Apache Maven reads the project's pom.xml build file, resolves dependencies from Maven Central (the default public repository where Maven downloads most Java libraries and plugins), and runs lifecycle phases such as compile, test, and package. On Ubuntu you need a JDK (not a JRE-only package) and a way to run mvn—either the distro package, the project's Maven Wrapper, or a current release from Apache.

Install Maven on Ubuntu, confirm which JDK mvn uses, and finish with a real quickstart build. The sample output below is from Ubuntu 26.04 with Maven 3.9.12 from apt and OpenJDK 25 from default-jdk. The same workflow applies on 24.04 and 22.04; only the apt Maven and default JDK versions differ.

Quick answer: Maven on Ubuntu by release

For the simplest Ubuntu-managed setup, install a JDK and Maven together:

sudo apt update

Install the metapackage that tracks Ubuntu's default JDK plus Maven from Universe (Ubuntu's community-maintained package component, where maven is published on these LTS releases):

sudo apt install default-jdk maven

Confirm the compiler and Maven agree on Java:

javac -version
mvn -version

Example on Ubuntu 26.04 after install:

javac 25.0.4.1
Apache Maven 3.9.12
Maven home: /usr/share/maven
Java version: 25.0.4.1, vendor: Ubuntu, runtime: /usr/lib/jvm/java-25-openjdk-amd64

APT Maven versions by Ubuntu LTS:

• 26.04: Maven 3.9.12
• 24.04: Maven 3.8.7
• 22.04: Maven 3.6.3

Upstream: Apache Maven 3.10.0 is the current recommended release; 3.9.16 is the previous maintained 3.9 line. Apache has ended support for older lines such as 3.8 and 3.6—that is separate from Ubuntu's security maintenance of distro packages.

When apt is not enough:

• Project has ./mvnw → use the wrapper; a global mvn is often unnecessary
• Need newer Maven than apt → ./mvnw or the official binary under /opt
• Do not replace Ubuntu's entire Java stack just to bump Maven

Maven versions on Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04, and 22.04

Upstream (October 2026):

• 3.10.0 — current recommended release
• 3.9.16 — previous 3.9 maintenance line
• Maven 4 — preview release candidate; Apache does not recommend it for production

Confirm candidates on your machine with check Ubuntu version and:

apt-cache policy maven default-jdk

Choose a Maven installation method

        ┌─────────────────────────────┐
        │ Existing Java project repo? │
        └──────────────┬──────────────┘
                       │
          ┌────────────┴────────────┐
          ▼                         ▼
┌────────────────────┐    ┌────────────────────┐
│ Contains ./mvnw    │    │ No wrapper         │
│ Use Maven Wrapper  │    │ Install Maven      │
└────────────────────┘    └─────────┬──────────┘
                                    │
                    ┌───────────────┴───────────────┐
                    ▼                               ▼
          ┌────────────────────┐         ┌────────────────────┐
          │ Ubuntu apt         │         │ Apache 3.10 binary │
          │ simplest on 26.04  │         │ current / exact    │
          └────────────────────┘         └────────────────────┘

Use the Maven Wrapper when your project includes mvnw

If the repository contains mvnw and .mvn/wrapper/, it uses the Maven Wrapper:

• Pins the Maven version the project expects
• Downloads that distribution on first run (into your user Maven area)
• Lets you run ./mvnw without a global mvn install

Windows-oriented repositories may also include mvnw.cmd.

You still need a JDK on the machine. From the project root, run the wrapper (use chmod +x mvnw only if the script is not already executable):

./mvnw -version

Build with the wrapper instead of a global mvn:

./mvnw package

Use this path before installing apt Maven when you only work inside one cloned project.

Install Java for Maven

Maven is a Java application (Maven install guide):

• Maven 3.10 needs JDK 8+ to launch
• Normal Java builds need javac, so install a JDK, not a JRE-only package
• The JDK that starts Maven can differ from the Java version your project compiles against

Install Ubuntu's default JDK

For a general workstation install, use the metapackage:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install default-jdk

Verify the runtime and compiler:

java -version
javac -version

If your project must target a specific release (for example 17 or 21), install that JDK package explicitly instead of relying on default-jdk. See install Java on Linux, Windows, and Mac for other distributions and vendors.

JAVA_HOME when Maven needs it

Many Ubuntu setups work when java and javac are on PATH. Run:

mvn -version

The output lists Java version and Java home. Set JAVA_HOME only when a tool or error message requires it. Common choices on Ubuntu:

• /usr/lib/jvm/default-java (tracks the default JDK metapackage)
• Derive from the compiler on PATH:

JAVA_HOME="$(dirname "$(dirname "$(readlink -f "$(command -v javac)")")")"
echo "$JAVA_HOME"

Maven can launch on one JDK while compiling for another. Maven Toolchains lets a project select a separate JDK for compilation without changing the JDK that launches Maven—use that instead of constantly retargeting the system default Java.

Install Maven with APT on Ubuntu

Check the Maven package before you install

Inspect what apt will install:

apt-cache policy maven

In apt-cache policy output, Candidate is the package version APT would install right now. On Ubuntu 26.04 the Maven candidate is typically 3.9.12-1 from resolute/universe.

Install Maven from apt

Install Maven with apt:

sudo apt install maven

Confirm which mvn binary runs and which Java Maven picked up:

command -v mvn
mvn -version

Example on 26.04:

/usr/bin/mvn
Apache Maven 3.9.12
Maven home: /usr/share/maven
Java version: 25.0.4.1, vendor: Ubuntu, runtime: /usr/lib/jvm/java-25-openjdk-amd64

Apt layout:

Install current Apache Maven manually

Use this when you need Maven 3.10.0 (or a specific Apache build) while keeping apt Maven installed:

• /usr/bin/mvn (apt) and /opt/maven/bin/mvn can coexist
• Whichever bin directory appears first on PATH wins
• You do not need sudo apt purge maven first

Download Maven 3.10.0

Apache publishes binaries and checksums on the download page. Download the archive and its SHA-512 file:

cd /tmp
wget https://dlcdn.apache.org/maven/maven-3/3.10.0/binaries/apache-maven-3.10.0-bin.tar.gz
wget https://dlcdn.apache.org/maven/maven-3/3.10.0/binaries/apache-maven-3.10.0-bin.tar.gz.sha512

Verify the SHA-512 checksum

Apache's .sha512 file contains only the hash. Verify before extracting:

printf '%s  %s\n' \
  "$(cat apache-maven-3.10.0-bin.tar.gz.sha512)" \
  "apache-maven-3.10.0-bin.tar.gz" | sha512sum -c -

A successful check prints apache-maven-3.10.0-bin.tar.gz: OK. Apache also publishes PGP signatures for stronger verification; use them when your policy requires it.

Extract Maven under /opt

Extract the verified archive:

sudo tar -xzf apache-maven-3.10.0-bin.tar.gz -C /opt

Create the /opt/maven symlink

Point a stable path at the versioned directory so upgrades only retarget the symlink:

sudo ln -sfn /opt/apache-maven-3.10.0 /opt/maven

Add Maven to PATH

Apache's install instructions only require bin on PATH—no M2_HOME or MAVEN_HOME for normal use:

sudo tee /etc/profile.d/maven.sh >/dev/null <<'EOF'
export PATH="/opt/maven/bin:$PATH"
EOF
sudo chmod 0644 /etc/profile.d/maven.sh
source /etc/profile.d/maven.sh

Where to put the PATH export:

• /etc/profile.d/maven.sh — all users on login (what this guide uses)
• ~/.profile — single-user setup only

Open a new login shell if mvn is still the apt build.

Verify which Maven is active

List every mvn on PATH:

type -a mvn

mvn is /opt/maven/bin/mvn
mvn is /usr/bin/mvn

The first entry wins. Confirm the version:

mvn -version

Apache Maven 3.10.0 (c43a36b8d67be7e0805a411bc0898af1a51f5472)
Maven home: /opt/maven
Java version: 25.0.4.1, vendor: Ubuntu, runtime: /usr/lib/jvm/java-25-openjdk-amd64

To prefer apt Maven again, remove /etc/profile.d/maven.sh or change PATH so /usr/bin appears before /opt/maven/bin.

Test Maven with a Hello World project

The first mvn package on a new machine downloads plugins and dependencies into ~/.m2/repository; later builds reuse that cache.

Generate the Maven Quickstart project

Use archetype 1.5 (defaults to Java 17 in the generated POM—no Java 7 workaround):

mkdir -p ~/maven-hello && cd ~/maven-hello

Generate a minimal project non-interactively:

mvn archetype:generate \
  -DgroupId=com.example \
  -DartifactId=hello \
  -DarchetypeGroupId=org.apache.maven.archetypes \
  -DarchetypeArtifactId=maven-archetype-quickstart \
  -DarchetypeVersion=1.5 \
  -DinteractiveMode=false

[INFO] Project created from Archetype in dir: .../maven-hello/hello
[INFO] BUILD SUCCESS

Build the project

Move into the project directory and run the full lifecycle:

cd hello

From the project root, compile, run tests, and build the JAR:

mvn package

[INFO] BUILD SUCCESS

Run the generated JAR

Run the sample App class:

java -cp target/hello-1.0-SNAPSHOT.jar com.example.App

Hello World!

A successful quickstart build confirms:

• Maven runs and resolves plugins
• The JDK compiler (javac) works
• Maven Central is reachable from this host
• ~/.m2/repository is populated for later builds

Update Maven on Ubuntu

Update APT-installed Maven

Refresh indexes and upgrade the package:

sudo apt update

Upgrade only the Maven package when a newer revision is in the archives:

sudo apt install --only-upgrade maven

Re-check apt-cache policy maven if you need the new Debian revision.

Update a manual /opt installation

To bump a manual install:

1. Download and verify the newer 3.10.x (or future) tarball
2. Extract to /opt/apache-maven-VERSION
3. Test with /opt/apache-maven-VERSION/bin/mvn -version
4. Repoint the symlink:

sudo ln -sfn /opt/apache-maven-3.10.0 /opt/maven

Adjust the version directory when Apache publishes a new release.

Uninstall Maven on Ubuntu

Remove the Ubuntu package

Drop the distro Maven package when you no longer need /usr/bin/mvn:

sudo apt remove maven

Preview packages apt might autoremove before you confirm:

sudo apt-get -s autoremove

Removing Maven does not delete ~/.m2/repository. That folder may still contain:

• Downloaded dependencies and plugins
• Artifacts you installed locally with mvn install

Delete it only when you want Maven to redownload everything and you do not need those local artifacts.

Remove a manual Maven version

Remove the symlink, the specific version directory, and the profile snippet. Check the /opt/apache-maven-... path carefully before you run rm -rf; it permanently deletes that directory.

sudo rm /opt/maven
sudo rm -rf /opt/apache-maven-3.10.0
sudo rm /etc/profile.d/maven.sh

Broader cleanup patterns: How to remove software on Ubuntu.

Troubleshooting Maven on Ubuntu

Summary

Install a JDK first—default-jdk is the normal choice on current Ubuntu LTS releases—and add Maven with apt when the distro version matches your project. On 26.04, Maven 3.9.12 with OpenJDK 25 is a reasonable default; on 24.04 and 22.04, apt Maven is older, so ./mvnw or Apache 3.10.0 is often the better fit for new work even though Ubuntu still maintains its own packages.

Before you install globally, check for mvnw in the repository. When you install manually, verify the tarball with SHA-512, extract under /opt, symlink /opt/maven, and put only /opt/maven/bin on PATH—apt and /opt Maven can coexist; type -a mvn shows which one runs.

Prove the toolchain with mvn archetype:generate (quickstart 1.5) and mvn package, then run the sample JAR. Expect the first build to populate ~/.m2/repository; treat that directory as more than disposable cache if you have installed artifacts locally.

References

• Apache Maven — Installation
• Apache Maven — Download
• Apache Maven — Wrapper
• Apache Maven — Toolchains
• Maven in 5 Minutes