Failed to execute goal org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-clean-plugin:2.4.1:clean

Question

Upon adding this

  <build>
    <plugins>
        <plugin>
            <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
            <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
            <version>3.3</version>
            <configuration>
              <archive>
                <manifest>
                  <mainClass>com.mimos.java.jira.rest.JavaJiraFrame</mainClass>
                </manifest>
              </archive>                  
                <source>1.7</source>
                <target>1.7</target>
            </configuration>
        </plugin>
    </plugins>
</build>

to maven, I'm unable to compile my code. Error thrown as below

Failed to execute goal org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-clean-plugin:2.4.1:clean (default-clean) on project java-jira-rest: Failed to clean project: Failed to delete 
C:\Users\puven.selladura\Documents\NetBeansProjects\java-jira-rest\target -> [Help 1]

Answer 1

This error happens when you have one of the files in target locked and the target/ directory could not be deleted.

For me it's mostly having an editor open on one of the failed tests or having a cmd / shell opened in a directory below target/