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How to resolve Unable to parse configuration of mojo org.codehaus.mojo:findbugs-maven-plugin?

Cowrie
Cowrie
Dev @ Bswen

1. Introduction

In this post, I will demonstrate how to resolve the following error when you run mvn commands on a project with the FindBugs plugin:

Terminal window
[ERROR] Failed to execute goal org.codehaus.mojo:findbugs-maven-plugin:3.0.2:findbugs (findbugs) on project project1: Unable to parse configuration of mojo org.codehaus.mojo:findbugs-maven-plugin:3.0.2:findbugs for parameter pluginArtifacts: Cannot assign configuration entry 'pluginArtifacts' with value '${plugin.artifacts}' of type java.util.Collections.UnmodifiableRandomAccessList to property of type java.util.ArrayList -> [Help 1]

2. Environment

  • Maven 3.6.0+
  • findbugs-maven-plugin 3.0.2

3. The pom.xml

pom.xml
<plugin>
    <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
    <artifactId>findbugs-maven-plugin</artifactId>
    <version>3.0.2</version>
    <configuration>
        <!--
            Enables analysis which takes more memory but finds more bugs.
            If you run out of memory, changes the value of the effort element
            to 'Low'.
        -->
        <effort>Max</effort>
        <!-- Build fail if problems are found -->
        <failOnError>false</failOnError>
        <!-- Reports all bugs (other values are medium and max) -->
        <threshold>Low</threshold>
        <!-- Produces XML report -->
        <xmlOutput>true</xmlOutput>
        <!-- Configures the directory in which the XML report is created -->
        <findbugsXmlOutputDirectory>${project.build.directory}/findbugs</findbugsXmlOutputDirectory>
    </configuration>
    <executions>
        <!--
            Ensures that FindBugs inspects source code when project is compiled.
        -->
        <execution>
            <id>analyze-compile</id>
            <phase>compile</phase>
            <goals>
                <goal>check</goal>
            </goals>
        </execution>
    </executions>
</plugin>

4. How to resolve this problem?

4.1 Downgrade your Maven version

If you are using version 3.0.2 of the findbugs-maven-plugin, it is not compatible with Maven 3.6.0+.

Check your Maven version using the following command:

Terminal window
➜  conf mvn --version
Apache Maven 3.6.0 ....
Maven home: /Users/bswen/tech/maven/apache-maven-3.6.0
Java version: 1.8.0_121, vendor: Oracle Corporation
Java home: /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_121.jdk/Contents/Home/jre

If you are using a Maven version greater than 3.6.0, you should downgrade to an older version by downloading it from its official site.

The recommended version is 3.3.9.

4.2 Upgrade your findbugs-maven-plugin version

Alternatively, you can upgrade your findbugs-maven-plugin to version 3.0.4+, which is compatible with Maven 3.6.0+.

pom.xml
<plugin>
    <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
    <artifactId>findbugs-maven-plugin</artifactId>
    <version>3.0.4</version>
    ...
</plugin>

5. Summary

When using the findbugs-maven-plugin, ensure compatibility with your Maven version. Downgrading Maven to 3.3.9 or upgrading the plugin to 3.0.4+ are effective solutions to resolve the “Unable to parse configuration of mojo” error. Always verify your environment and plugin versions to avoid such issues.

Final Words + More Resources

My intention with this article was to help others who might be considering solving such a problem. So I hope that’s been the case here. If you still have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me by email: Email me

Here are also the most important links from this article along with some further resources that will help you in this scope:

Oh, and if you found these resources useful, don’t forget to support me by starring the repo on GitHub!

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