How to use Maven assembly plugin with multi module maven project

Question

I am new to maven and spent ~3 days in generating the zip file with assembly plugin refering to http://www.petrikainulainen.net/programming/tips-and-tricks/creating-a-runnab

Answer 1

The basic thing you should change is to create a separate module where you do the packaging which will look like this.

   +-- root (pom.xml)
        +--- mod-1 (pom.xml)
        +--- mod-2 (pom.xml)
        +--- mod-assembly (pom.xml)

The pom in the mod-assembly will look like this:

  4.0.0

  
    org.test.parent
    root
    1.0.0-SNAPSHOT
  

  dist
  pom

  Packaging Test : Distribution

  
    
      ${project.groupId}
      module-one
      ${project.version}
    
    
      ${project.groupId}
      module-two
      ${project.version}
    
  

  
    
      
        maven-assembly-plugin
        
          
            make-bundles
            
              single
            
            package
            
              
                proj1-assembly.xml
              
            
          
        
      
    
  

That will solve the problem with running maven-assembly-plugin in every child and the problem with the dummy descriptor. Here you can find a real example of such structure.

Furthermore having the modules in one folder and the dependencies in an other folder you can use a assembly descriptor like this:

  bin
  
    zip
  
  false
  
    
          false
          true
          lib
          false
          
            ${project.groupId}:*:*
          
      
  
  
    
      true
      
        modules
        false