Can't get Maven to recognize Java 1.8

Question

I can't seem to be able to get Maven to use Java 1.8. Using 1.8 as the target turns up the following error:

[ERROR] Failed to execute goal org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-compiler-plugin:3.1:compile (default-compile) on project csaro: Fatal error compiling: invalid target release: 1.8 -> [Help 1] 

The cause of the error is obvious enough: Maven isn't using the right version of Java:

$ mvn -version Apache Maven 3.2.2 (45f7c06d68e745d05611f7fd14efb6594181933e; 2014-06-17T07:51:42-06:00) Maven home: /usr/local/Cellar/maven/3.2.2/libexec Java version: 1.7.0_51, vendor: Oracle Corporation Java home: /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.7.0_51.jdk/Contents/Home/jre Default locale: en_US, platform encoding: UTF-8 OS name: "mac os x", version: "10.9.2", arch: "x86_64", family: "mac" 

But the installed version of Java should be 1.8:

$ java -version java version "1.8.0_20-ea" Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_20-ea-b22) Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.20-b21, mixed mode) 

And JAVA_HOME is set:

$ echo $JAVA_HOME /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_20.jdk/Contents/Home 

I also tried the command here (which creates mavenrc). I've tried restarting the computer several times, and have verified that the env var is correctly set (it's set in .bash_profile).

Maven was installed with Homebrew.

Java 1.8 is working fine in Eclipse (which is using m2e). I just can't get Maven to work on the command line.

Answer 1

For me the issue was that when I installed from jdk-8u25-macosx-x64.dmg the installation did not update the /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/CurrentJDK directory link to the new 1.8 JDK. This may not have been the issue of the original question but it was the solution for me when I encountered the same error message.

I don't know why the installer doesn't link it and to make matters more confusing, the path is different depending on whether you installed it from Oracle or Apple. See Mac OS X 10.6.7 Java Path Current JDK confusing

I did the following to fix my environment

cd /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions sudo rm CurrentJDK sudo ln -s /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/<installed_jdk_version>.jdk/Contents CurrentJDK