What causes "Settings for server {} uses legacy format" in apache/maven?

Rename the element in settings.xml: replace with a direct child of the server

Settings for server {} uses legacy format

Error message

Settings for server {} uses legacy format

What it means

While converting a <server> entry's HTTP configuration into Resolver properties, Maven found the connection timeout under the legacy Wagon-style path <httpConfiguration><all><connectionTimeout> instead of the current top-level <connectTimeout>. The value still applies, but the legacy layout is deprecated and warned about per server (logger.warn(... server.getId())).

Source

Thrown at impl/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/aether/DefaultRepositorySystemSessionFactory.java:269

                                    property.getChild("name").getValue(),
                                    property.getChild("value").getValue());
                        }
                    }
                }

                PlexusConfiguration connectTimeoutXml = config.getChild("connectTimeout", false);
                if (connectTimeoutXml != null) {
                    connectTimeout = Integer.parseInt(connectTimeoutXml.getValue());
                } else {
                    // fallback configuration name
                    PlexusConfiguration httpConfiguration = config.getChild("httpConfiguration", false);
                    if (httpConfiguration != null) {
                        PlexusConfiguration httpConfigurationAll = httpConfiguration.getChild("all", false);
                        if (httpConfigurationAll != null) {
                            connectTimeoutXml = httpConfigurationAll.getChild("connectionTimeout", false);
                            if (connectTimeoutXml != null) {
                                connectTimeout = Integer.parseInt(connectTimeoutXml.getValue());
                                logger.warn("Settings for server {} uses legacy format", server.getId());
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }

                PlexusConfiguration requestTimeoutXml = config.getChild("requestTimeout", false);
                if (requestTimeoutXml != null) {
                    requestTimeout = Integer.parseInt(requestTimeoutXml.getValue());
                } else {
                    // fallback configuration name
                    PlexusConfiguration httpConfiguration = config.getChild("httpConfiguration", false);
                    if (httpConfiguration != null) {
                        PlexusConfiguration httpConfigurationAll = httpConfiguration.getChild("all", false);
                        if (httpConfigurationAll != null) {
                            requestTimeoutXml = httpConfigurationAll.getChild("readTimeout", false);
                            if (requestTimeoutXml != null) {
                                requestTimeout = Integer.parseInt(requestTimeoutXml.getValue());
                                logger.warn("Settings for server {} uses legacy format", server.getId());

View on GitHub (pinned to e4093d4e12)

Solutions

Rename the element in settings.xml: replace <httpConfiguration><all><connectionTimeout> with a direct <connectTimeout> child of the server <configuration>
Do the same for readTimeout -> requestTimeout so the sibling legacy warning also disappears
Validate by re-running the build - the warning must be gone for that server id

Example fix

<!-- before (settings.xml) -->
<server>
  <id>corp-repo</id>
  <configuration>
    <httpConfiguration><all><connectionTimeout>5000</connectionTimeout></all></httpConfiguration>
  </configuration>
</server>
<!-- after -->
<server>
  <id>corp-repo</id>
  <configuration>
    <connectTimeout>5000</connectTimeout>
  </configuration>
</server>

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

# lint settings.xml for the legacy layout before builds
grep -n 'connectionTimeout' ~/.m2/settings.xml && echo 'legacy server timeout config: rename to <connectTimeout>'

Prevention

Use the current element names (<connectTimeout>/<requestTimeout>) in all new server snippets
Grep old settings.xml for httpConfiguration during Maven upgrades
Keep per-server HTTP config in source control so migrations are reviewable

When it happens

Trigger: settings.xml contains a <server> whose <configuration> uses httpConfiguration/all/connectionTimeout; typical of configurations migrated from Maven 3 / Wagon-era HTTP settings.

Common situations: Long-lived corporate settings.xml files predating maven-resolver; teams copying old server snippets for authenticated repository mirrors.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of apache/maven@e4093d4e12 (2026-08-21). Data as JSON: /api/errors/23e411d70de1f295. Report an issue: GitHub.