# Installing Apache Maven

The installation of Apache Maven is a simple process of extracting the archive 
and adding the `bin` folder with the `mvn` command to the `PATH`.

Detailed steps are:

* Ensure `JAVA_HOME` environment variable is set and points to your JDK installation

* Extract distribution archive in any directory 

```cmd
unzip apache-maven-${currentStableVersion}-bin.zip
```
or
```sh
tar xzvf apache-maven-${currentStableVersion}-bin.tar.gz
```

Alternatively use your preferred archive extraction tool.

* Add the `bin` directory of the created directory `apache-maven-${currentStableVersion}` to 
the `PATH` environment variable

* Confirm with `mvn -v` in a new shell. The result should look similar to

```
Apache Maven ${currentStableVersion} (${currentStableVersionDetails})
Maven home: /opt/apache-maven-${currentStableVersion}
Java version: 1.8.0_45, vendor: Oracle Corporation
Java home: /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_45.jdk/Contents/Home/jre
Default locale: en_US, platform encoding: UTF-8
OS name: "mac os x", version: "10.8.5", arch: "x86_64", family: "mac"
```

Windows Tips
-----

* Check environment variable value e.g.

```cmd
echo %JAVA_HOME% 
C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.7.0_51
```

* Adding to `PATH`:  Add the unpacked distribution's bin directory to your user PATH environment variable 
by opening up the system properties (WinKey + Pause), selecting the "Advanced" tab, and 
the "Environment Variables" button, then adding or selecting the <i>PATH</i>
variable in the user variables with the value `C:\Program Files\apache-maven-${currentStableVersion}\bin`.
The same dialog can be used to set `JAVA_HOME` to the location of your JDK, e.g. `C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.7.0_51`

* Open a new command prompt (Winkey + R then type `cmd`) and run `mvn -v` to verify the installation.

Unix-based Operating System (Linux, Solaris and Mac OS X) Tips
-----

* Check environment variable value

```sh
echo $JAVA_HOME
/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_45.jdk/Contents/Home
```

* Adding to `PATH`

```sh
export PATH=/opt/apache-maven-${currentStableVersion}/bin:$PATH
```