A simple command line to download a remote maven2 artifact to the local repository?

Question

I have a library that I distribute using maven 2. The typical user of this library doesn't use maven to build their applications, but is likely somewhat familiar with maven and probably has it installed.

I'd like to document a "simple" one line command they can use to download my library's artifacts to their local ~/.m2/repository without requiring that they set up a pom.xml to do it.

I thought there was a way to do this, but I can't seem to find it after looking through the install:install-file and dependency plugin documentation. I tried things like:

mvn install:install-file -DrepositoryId=java.net -Durl=http://download.java.net/maven/2/ -Dfile=robo-guice-0.4-20091121.174618-1.jar -DpomFile=robo-guice-0.4-20091121.174618-1.pom -DgroupId=robo-guice -DartifactId=robo-guice -Dversion=0.4-SNAPSHOT -Dpackaging=jar

but I think I'm barking up the wrong tree since it appears that the install plugin is used to copy locally built files into the local repository, rather than download remote artifacts into the local repository.

This is the artifact I'd like to install: http://download.java.net/maven/2/robo-guice/robo-guice/0.4-SNAPSHOT/

Is this possible using maven?

Beetner

Duplicate of #1895992 – Wivinia

Possible duplicate of How can I download a specific Maven artifact in one command line? – Dilley

Answer 1

Since version 2.1 of the Maven Dependency Plugin, there is a dependency:get goal for this purpose. To make sure you are using the right version of the plugin, you'll need to use the "fully qualified name":

mvn org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-dependency-plugin:2.1:get \
    -DrepoUrl=https://download.java.net/maven/2/ \
    -Dartifact=robo-guice:robo-guice:0.4-SNAPSHOT

Virgy

Extra helpful for showing how to get the dependency plugin itself installed. – Experimental

Pascal, can you tell me how to define user+password to reach the repository with? The trick with user:password@repourl did not work. – Renick

Also tried with a -DrepositoryId=something which is defined in settings.xml, dont work – Renick

the goal is nice, but how can I define the target directory where I want the file to be copyed to? (and file name) – Osteen

To download the sources for this jar as well, use -Dartifact=robo-guice:robo-guice:0.4-SNAPSHOT:jar:sources – Picaresque

@Osteen (belated answer for posterity): use "-Ddest=path/to/my.jar"; otherwise, it is just copied to your local ~/.m2/repository (makes it look like nothing happened). See maven.apache.org/plugins/maven-dependency-plugin/… =example=> mvn org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-dependency-plugin:2.5.1:get -DremoteRepositories=repo.maven.apache.org -Dartifact=org.apache.ant:ant:1.8.1 -Ddest=ant-1.8.1.jar (result: ant-1.8.1.jar in current directory) – Recipe

How could I download from authenticated repository? I'm receiving " Not authorized , ReasonPhrase:Unauthorized." Thanks – Excess

Thanks! While, in the doc link you posted, there is Deprecated. Use remoteRepositories for repoUrl. Please update the answer maybe:) – Procryptic

Here's a working example of mine: mvn org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-dependency-plugin:2.1:get -DrepoUrl=https://repo.maven.apache.org/maven2/ -Dartifact=com.amazonaws:aws-java-sdk-support:1.10.77 – Brachyuran

Answer 2

Give them a trivial pom with these jars listed as dependencies and instructions to run:

mvn dependency:go-offline

This will pull the dependencies to the local repo.

A more direct solution is dependency:get, but it's a lot of arguments to type:

mvn dependency:get -DrepoUrl=something -Dartifact=group:artifact:version

Brierwood

Good idea, although a command line they could copy-paste would be easier – Beetner

If I could think of one I'd post it. I don't know of any plugin that does quite what's called for. I know how to write one ... – Brierwood

The get mojo actually expects -DrepoUrl to be present, not -DrepositoryUrl. Regarding the arguments to type, there is no magic, you need to provide these informations in a way or the other. – Virgy

In my first scheme, the end user types only three characters: mvn. All the other typing is done by the op. – Brierwood

Answer 3

As of version 2.4 of the Maven Dependency Plugin, you can also define a target destination for the artifact by using the -Ddest flag. It should point to a filename (not a directory) for the destination artifact. See the parameter page for additional parameters that can be used

mvn org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-dependency-plugin:2.4:get \
    -DremoteRepositories=http://download.java.net/maven/2 \
    -Dartifact=robo-guice:robo-guice:0.4-SNAPSHOT \
    -Ddest=c:\temp\robo-guice.jar

Conglutinate

Thanks! -Ddest is marked as deprecated. Is there a new solution new? – Willow

Use dependency:copy goal instead. maven.apache.org/plugins/maven-dependency-plugin/copy-mojo.html – Conglutinate

the copy goal does not copy transitive deps. – Bashibazouk

-DoutputDirectory can replace -Ddest – Therein