Release

Description

The release plugin operates in two steps: prepare and perform. The prepare step is run once for a release, and does all of the project and source control manipulation that results in a tagged version. The perform step could potentially be run multiple times to rebuild a release from a clean checkout of the tagged version, and to perform standard tasks, such as deployment to the remote repository.

Preparation

pom.xml

Subversion

Your project must specify its location within the source code repository e.g:

<scm>
  <connection>scm:svn:http://woody/svn/test/mvn-release-plugin/trunk/</connection>
  <developerConnection>scm:svn:http://woody/svn/test/mvn-release-plugin/trunk/</developerConnection>
</scm>

Repository

The release:perform goal will deploy the artifacts to your local Maven repository. Set-up the location of your repository:

<distributionManagement>
  <repository>
    <id>woody</id>
    <name>woody</name>
    <url>file:\\woody\Maven2Repository\repository\</url>
  </repository>
</distributionManagement>

File

If you use a url with a file path in Windows format you will only be able to run the release:perform goal from a Windows command prompt.

FTP

If you want to use a url with an ftp path then add the following to your pom.xml

<build>
  <extensions>
    <extension>
      <groupId>org.apache.maven.wagon</groupId>
      <artifactId>wagon-ftp</artifactId>
      <version>1.0-alpha-5</version>
    </extension>
  </extensions>

Note: The FTP stuff appears to fail with various exceptions. Probably worth trying again in a few weeks.

Goals

The release:perform goal will run deploy and site-deploy goals by default. To change this add the following to your pom.xml:

<build>
  <plugins>
    <plugin>
      <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
      <artifactId>maven-release-plugin</artifactId>
      <configuration>
        <goals>deploy</goals>
      </configuration>
    </plugin>
  </plugins>
</build>

Subversion

Make sure everything is committed to the source code repository.

An svn stat command should only display files and folders created by Maven e.g. target. If you need to hide files from the release plugin you could use the Subversion ignore property, ../subversion/properties.

Dry Run

This simulates a normal release preparation, without making any modifications to your project.

mvn release:clean release:prepare -DdryRun=true

You might like to look at the pom.xml.tag and pom.xml.next files which as created. The version and SCM information is updated.

If there is an error: http://maven.apache.org/plugins/maven-release-plugin/introduction.html.

Release

Prepare

The release:prepare goal will update the pom.xml file in the trunk and create a copy of your project as a Subversion tag:

mvn release:clean release:prepare

You may prefer to use the default version numbers and tag locations:

mvn --batch-mode release:clean release:prepare

Perform

The release:perform goal will checkout the code from the most recent release, build it and deploy the jar files to the specified repository:

mvn release:perform

To release from an older version, or if the release.properties file had been removed, you would run the following from an empty folder:

mvn release:perform -DconnectionUrl=scm:svn:http://woody/svn/test/tags/test-1.2/

Issues

Skip Unit Tests

The normal -Dmaven.test.skip=true option to skip unit tests has no effect when performing a release.

To skip unit tests:

  • create a profile, profile, which sets the maven.test.skip property to true.

The scm url is invalid.

Maven Plugin - SCM, Issues, The scm url is invalid, mvn-plugin-scm.

Unable to tag SCM

See Subversion Issues, ../subversion/issues.

<settings>
  <profiles>
    <profile>
      <id>skip-test</id>
      <properties>
        <maven.test.skip>true</maven.test.skip>
      </properties>
    </profile>
  </profiles>
</settings>

  • Activate the profile at the command line e.g.

    mvn release:clean release:prepare -DdryRun=true -P skip-test

svn/tmp directory may be missing or corrupt

svn: Your .svn/tmp directory may be missing or corrupt; run 'svn cleanup' and try again

SCM-409

The path is probably too long. Try releasing from a folder nearer the root of your drive.