How to Deploy Open Source Projects to Maven Central Repository

What are the steps to deploy my open source projects to Maven's Central Repository?

<project>
    <groupId>com.example</groupId>
    <artifactId>myproject</artifactId>
    <version>1.0.0</version>
</project>

Deploying your open source project to Maven Central Repository allows it to be accessible for others to use and develop upon. This guide outlines the necessary steps to successfully publish your project, including configuration and tool usage.

<project>
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
    <groupId>com.example</groupId>
    <artifactId>myproject</artifactId>
    <version>1.0.0</version>
    <packaging>jar</packaging>
    <name>My Project</name>
    <description>This is a sample open source project.</description>
    <url>https://github.com/example/myproject</url>
    <scm>
        <connection>scm:git:[email protected]:example/myproject.git</connection>
        <developerConnection>scm:git:[email protected]:example/myproject.git</developerConnection>
        <url>https://github.com/example/myproject</url>
    </scm>
    <licenses>
        <license>
            <name>The Apache License, Version 2.0</name>
            <url>http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.txt</url>
        </license>
    </licenses>
    <developers>
        <developer>
            <id>[email protected]</id>
            <name>Developer Name</name>
        </developer>
    </developers>
</project>

Causes

• Not having a valid license for your project.
• Incompatible versioning in the POM file.
• Missing metadata required by Maven Central.

Solutions

• Ensure your project includes a valid license (e.g., Apache 2.0, MIT).
• Use Semantic Versioning for your project versioning (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH).
• Fill in all required fields in your POM file, including description, URL, and SCM information.

Mistake: Incorrect POM configuration leading to deployment failure.

Solution: Double-check your POM file for required fields and consistency.

Mistake: Forgetting to sign artifacts with GnuPG.

Solution: Ensure you have a valid GPG key and sign your artifacts before deploying.

Mistake: Not following Semantic Versioning principles.

Solution: Adopt a versioning strategy that adheres to Semantic Versioning.