apache/maven · error · IllegalStateException

local mode requires maven.home Java System Property set

Error message

local mode requires maven.home Java System Property set

What it means

Error "local mode requires maven.home Java System Property set" thrown in apache/maven.

Source

Thrown at impl/maven-cli/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/cling/invoker/BaseParser.java:291

            Path result = getCanonicalPath(context.parserRequest.cwd());
            context.systemPropertiesOverrides.put("user.dir", result.toString());
            return result;
        } else {
            Path result = getCanonicalPath(Paths.get(System.getProperty("user.dir")));
            mayOverrideDirectorySystemProperty(context, "user.dir", result);
            return result;
        }
    }

    protected Path getInstallationDirectory(LocalContext context) {
        if (context.parserRequest.mavenHome() != null) {
            Path result = getCanonicalPath(context.parserRequest.mavenHome());
            context.systemPropertiesOverrides.put(Constants.MAVEN_HOME, result.toString());
            return result;
        } else {
            String mavenHome = System.getProperty(Constants.MAVEN_HOME);
            if (mavenHome == null) {
                throw new IllegalStateException(
                        "local mode requires " + Constants.MAVEN_HOME + " Java System Property set");
            }
            Path result = getCanonicalPath(Paths.get(mavenHome));
            mayOverrideDirectorySystemProperty(context, Constants.MAVEN_HOME, result);
            return result;
        }
    }

    protected Path getUserHomeDirectory(LocalContext context) {
        if (context.parserRequest.userHome() != null) {
            Path result = getCanonicalPath(context.parserRequest.userHome());
            context.systemPropertiesOverrides.put("user.home", result.toString());
            return result;
        } else {
            Path result = getCanonicalPath(Paths.get(System.getProperty("user.home")));
            mayOverrideDirectorySystemProperty(context, "user.home", result);
            return result;
        }

View on GitHub (pinned to e4093d4e12)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at impl/maven-cli/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/cling/invoker/BaseParser.java:291 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of apache/maven@e4093d4e12 (2026-08-21). Data as JSON: /api/errors/a8d6d79894cd70b3. Report an issue: GitHub.