Maven Install Error – Plugin or One of Its Dependencies Could Not Be Resolved (FIXED)

Issue

I downloaded a Java package from Git and encountered an error while trying to compile the JAR using Maven. The error states:

[ERROR] Plugin org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-resources-plugin:2.6 or one of its dependencies could not be resolved.

System Details

• Java Version: JDK 1.7.0_79 (Installed because the project uses Java 17)
• Maven Version: 3.8.8
• No proxy or network restrictions
• Tried on multiple machines
• Removed settings from settings.xml (profiles, proxies, mirrors)

Despite these efforts, the error persists.

Causes & Fixes

1. Incorrect Java Version

Your project requires Java 17, but you have Java 1.7.0_79 (which is very outdated).

Solution:

1. Check your Java version: java -version javac -version Ensure they show Java 17 or later.
2. Set JAVA_HOME properly

On Linux/macOS:

export JAVA_HOME=/path/to/java17
export PATH=$JAVA_HOME/bin:$PATH

On Windows (PowerShell):

$env:JAVA_HOME="C:\Path\To\Java17"
$env:Path="$env:JAVA_HOME\bin;$env:Path"

Restart the terminal and retry.

2. Corrupted or Missing Dependencies

If Maven is unable to download plugins, your local repository might be corrupted.

Solution:

Run the following command to delete the corrupted files:

rm -rf ~/.m2/repository/org/apache/maven/plugins

On Windows:

rd /s /q %USERPROFILE%\.m2\repository\org\apache\maven\plugins

Then, force Maven to re-download dependencies:

mvn clean install -U

3. Outdated Maven Version

Maven 3.8.8 is good, but Maven 3.9.x has better dependency resolution.

Solution:

1. Download the latest Maven: Apache Maven Official Site
2. Extract and update MAVEN_HOME
3. Verify: mvn -version

4. Try an Alternate Repository

If Maven Central is failing, try switching to another repository (like Google’s or JitPack).

Solution: Add this to your settings.xml:

<mirrors>
    <mirror>
        <id>central</id>
        <mirrorOf>central</mirrorOf>
        <url>https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/</url>
        <layout>default</layout>
    </mirror>
</mirrors>

Then, retry:

mvn clean install

Final Steps

After applying the above solutions, restart your terminal and try again:

mvn clean install

This should fix the issue. If you’re still stuck, let me know!