Apache Maven is a popular and widely-used open-source build automation and project management tool primarily designed for Java projects.
We're excited to announce a major enhancement to our Maven repository support at Cloudsmith. As a Java developer, you can now upload and distribute arbitrary files using Maven repositories, unlocking more flexible and powerful workflows for your projects.
Arbitrary files are files that are ignored by Maven unless explicitly included in the Project Object Model (POM) / pom.xml configuration. This update means that Cloudsmith can now support unique package names that don't support Maven convention or use arbitrary classifiers or extensions, so really they should be able to upload any file regardless of the extension.
Previously, Cloudsmith Maven repositories only supported standard artifacts that followed the traditional Maven coordinate conventions (like groupId:artifactId:version). That meant non-standard files (such as custom dependencies, configuration files, or other useful assets) couldn’t be cached from upstream sources or uploaded directly.
With this update, you can now cache and distribute arbitrary files through Cloudsmith Maven repositories, whether they’re pulled from upstream sources or uploaded directly using your preferred tooling.
Not every project follows the “standard” Maven structure (and that’s okay!). Whether you're dealing with:
- Custom dependencies
- Binary assets like .zip, .tar.gz, .exe, or .dmg
- Configuration files, templates, or scripts
- Documentation bundles
- Or any other unconventional file type
Cloudsmith has your back. 🙂
You can now fully embrace these flexible workflows without needing to hack around repository limitations. Cloudsmith's improved Maven support now includes:
- Upstream Repositories: Cache and serve arbitrary files that don’t follow Maven’s strict packaging rules (even from external sources).
- Direct Uploads: Upload arbitrary files manually or automatically as part of your CI/CD pipeline.
- Tooling Support: Use native tooling like Maven, Gradle, or SBT (or the Cloudsmith CLI and API) to upload and manage these files.
Java developers - we get it. Your workflows matter. Your tools should keep up.
That's why we're making Maven repository management smarter and more flexible - just for you. With Cloudsmith, your Java packages have never had it so good.
Are you ready to simplify your build and deployment workflows? Get started with Cloudsmith Maven repositories and explore our new arbitrary file support today!
