Setup mvn to work with your apache account

Generate a authorised dsa key:

logon to minotaur.apache.org using your apache id and run:

ssh-keygen -t dsa

give it some file name eg mysshkey and a pass phrase. This should create two files, a private key and a public key (mysshkey, mysshkey.pub). Copy mysshkey.pub to ~/.ssh/authorised_keys. (you may need to create the .ssh directory), and ftp the private key to you local machine. (i use WINSCP).

(Note that if you are already using ssh to authenticate with apache servers, and have followed the instructions to create a key using putty on windows, then your key is OK but your file format may not be OK for maven.  Maven does not recognise the putty ppk file format private keys. Use puttygen to load your ppk file and convert it to an open ssh file.)

In your maven settings.xml file (located in the .m2 folder in your home dir, eg C:\Documents and Settings\ant\.m2) add servers for the servers you use and specify you apachi id, the location of the sshkay you just ftp'd and the pass phrase you used when creating that key, eg:

<servers>
<server>
<id>apache.incubator</id>
<username>antelder</username>
<privateKey>\ant\mysshkey</privateKey>
<passphrase>xxx</passphrase>
<directoryPermissions>775</directoryPermissions>
<filePermissions>664</filePermissions>
</server>
<server>
<id>me.people</id>
<username>antelder</username>
<privateKey>\ant\mysshkey</privateKey>
<passphrase>xxx</passphrase>
<directoryPermissions>775</directoryPermissions>
<filePermissions>664</filePermissions>
</server>
<server>
<id>apache.snapshots</id>
<username>antelder</username>
<privateKey>\ant\mysshkey</privateKey>
<passphrase>xxx</passphrase>
<directoryPermissions>775</directoryPermissions>
<filePermissions>664</filePermissions>
</server>
<server>
<id>apache.rsync</id>
<username>antelder</username>
<privateKey>\ant\mysshkey</privateKey>
<passphrase>xxx</passphrase>
<directoryPermissions>775</directoryPermissions>
<filePermissions>664</filePermissions>
</server>
</servers>

Keep the ssh key and pass phrase safe and secure. Its a good idea to only add the key and passphrase to the settings.xml file while you're actually using it and delete form the file at other times. Also you MUST delete the private ssh key from your Apache directory once you've ftp'd it to your local machine.