Maven 4 - The Future of Java Build Automation (#81)

Maven 4 is approaching its release, bringing many improvements to the build tool powering millions of Java projects.In this Foojay Podcast episode, we talk about Apache Maven 4, a significant milestone that has been years in the making. Maven has been the backbone of Java dependency management and build automation since the early 2000s; however, the road to version 4 has been a long and deliberate one. With significant performance improvements, a modernized API for plugin developers, and changes that affect how we think about project structure, Maven 4 represents both an evolution and a revolution. What does this mean for the millions of developers who depend on Maven daily? How should teams prepare for the transition? And what's the story behind the Maven Central Repository changes that have been making headlines? To answer these questions and more, we're joined by a few of the many contributors who are actually building Maven 4 and stewarding its ecosystem.Guests   Hervé Boutemy      https://www.linkedin.com/in/hboutemy/    Guillaume Nodet      https://www.linkedin.com/in/guillaumenodet/    Maarten Mulders      https://www.linkedin.com/in/mthmulders/ Content00:00 Introduction of the topic and guests04:23 Status of Maven 4 release   https://maven.apache.org/whatsnewinmaven4.html    https://maven.apache.org/guides/mini/guide-migration-to-mvn4.html 07:57 Why we needed a new Maven version   https://maarten.mulders.it/2020/11/whats-new-in-maven-4/    https://maarten.mulders.it/2021/03/introduction-to-maven-toolchains/    https://www.javaadvent.com/2021/12/from-maven-3-to-maven-5.html 12:37 You can already start using Maven 414:35 Some benefits of switching to Maven 418:52 Changes in the pom file, and yes, still XML20:30 Changes for Maven plugin developers and integrators22:24 Changes for Maven users, for instance, the need for Java 1728:34 Maven The Tool versus Maven The Repository34:51 Reasons for the change in authentication for uploads to Maven Central36:01 The one and only Maven Central URL to use   https://central.sonatype.com/ 38:04 About the very first "server" hosting the Maven repository40:32 The importance of setting up your own caching repository   https://www.sonatype.com/blog/maven-central-and-the-tragedy-of-the-commons    https://openssf.org/blog/2025/09/23/open-infrastructure-is-not-free-a-joint-statement-on-sustainable-stewardship/    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t74ClffSUW0 44:04 The relationship between POM, BOM, BOM-POM , and SBOM49:43 Gradle versus Maven57:54 How to contribute to Maven or any other open-source project, and how to get the support of your company to do so01:05:23 How to upgrade your projects from Maven 3 to 4   https://maven.apache.org/tools/mvnup.html