How to Configure Jenkins for a Maven Project in 2025?


In 2025, Jenkins remains a powerful tool for automating the building and deployment of applications. Configuring Jenkins for a Maven project can significantly streamline your development process. This guide will walk you through setting up Jenkins for a Maven project, ensuring your CI/CD pipeline is efficient and robust.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

  • Jenkins installed: Whether on a local machine, a server, or a cloud instance.
  • Maven installed: Necessary for building the project.
  • Access to the source code repository: Typically Git.
  • Basic knowledge of Jenkins and Maven: Understanding these tools will ease the configuration process.

Step 1: Install Necessary Plugins

  1. Log into Jenkins and navigate to Manage Jenkins > Manage Plugins.
  2. Search for the following plugins and install them if not already present:
    • Maven Integration: Crucial for handling Maven tasks.
    • Git Plugin: Required if you want to pull source code from Git repositories.
  3. Restart Jenkins to ensure all installed plugins are properly loaded.

Step 2: Configure JDK and Maven in Jenkins

  1. Go to Manage Jenkins > Global Tool Configuration.
  2. Set up JDK:
    • Click on Add JDK, uncheck Install automatically, and set the JAVA_HOME path.
  3. Set up Maven:
    • Click on Add Maven and provide the Maven home directory path or use automatic installation.

Step 3: Create a New Maven Project

  1. On the Jenkins dashboard, click on New Item.
  2. Enter a project name and select Maven Project, then click OK.
  3. In the project configuration, under the Source Code Management section, choose Git, and provide your repository URL.

Step 4: Configure Build Triggers

  1. Navigate to the Build Triggers section.
  2. Choose Poll SCM if you want Jenkins to automatically build with changes.
  3. Alternatively, use Build periodically for scheduled builds.

Step 5: Add Build Steps

  1. Under the Build section, click on Add build step and select Invoke top-level Maven targets.
  2. Enter clean install or any other lifecycle goals required for building your project.

Step 6: Configure Post-Build Actions

Post-build actions are essential for deploying or archiving artifacts:

  1. Archive the artifacts: In the Post-build Actions, choose Archive the artifacts and specify files to archive, for example, **/*.jar.
  2. Deploy the results: Select additional actions like deployments to application servers as needed.

Step 7: Build and Verify

Conclusion

Configuring Jenkins for a Maven project in 2025 follows a streamlined process with enhanced automation capabilities. By setting up Jenkins effectively, your development workflow can become more efficient and resilient, aiding quicker time to market and more reliable software builds.

Ensure you explore Jenkins’ deeper capabilities with Groovy scripts and pipeline plugins to adapt to your project’s needs and leverage the full power of Jenkins as a CI/CD tool.