javac: invalid target release: 1.8 on Mac when executing Maven command

Question

I am trying to run automation test on Mac. I installed Maven and java, jdk as following:

java version "1.8.0_25"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_25-b17)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.25-b02, mixed mode)

and Maven:

Apache Maven 3.2.5 (12a6b3acb947671f09b81f49094c53f426d8cea1; 2014-12-14T18:29:23+01:00)
Maven home: /usr/local/Cellar/maven/3.2.5/libexec
Java version: 1.6.0_65, vendor: Apple Inc.
Java home: /System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home
Default locale: en_US, platform encoding: MacRoman
OS name: "mac os x", version: "10.9.5", arch: "x86_64", family: "mac"

When I executed Maven command, I got this error:

[ERROR] Failure executing javac, but could not parse the error:
[ERROR] javac: invalid target release: 1.8
[ERROR] Usage: javac <options> <source files>
[ERROR] use -help for a list of possible options
[ERROR] -> [Help 1]

I searched on here, there's one accepted solution is this:

sudo cp $JAVA_HOME/lib/tools.jar /Library/Java/Extensions/

I executed this command, but nothing happened! I don't know what's wrong.

Answer 1

First, figure out where 1.8 Java is installed by running the command:

/usr/libexec/java_home -v 1.8

Then, set your JAVA_HOME environment variable by running the command:

export JAVA_HOME=<whatever the output from the previous command was>

Maven should work afterwards, at least in that terminal window.

You'll have to set the JAVA_HOME environment variable in your profile if you don't want to have to run these commands every time you open a new terminal.