Fix it fast
Most likely: Maven cannot create or write to the local repository path, usually because ~/.m2 is owned by another user, the filesystem is read-only, disk is full, or maven.repo.local points somewhere unwritable.
1. Confirm this is your error
[ERROR] Could not create local repository at /Users/you/.m2/repository
java.nio.file.AccessDeniedException: /Users/you/.m2/repository2. Check the cause
mvn -q help:evaluate -Dexpression=settings.localRepository -DforceStdout
ls -ld ~/.m2 ~/.m2/repository
df -h ~/.m2
mvn -Dmaven.repo.local=/tmp/m2 -DskipTests package3. Apply the safe fix
# If ~/.m2 is owned by the wrong user, fix ownership instead of running Maven with sudo.
sudo chown -R "$USER" ~/.m2
# In CI or containers, point Maven at a writable local repository path.
mvn -Dmaven.repo.local=/tmp/m2 -DskipTests package
# If disk is full, free space first, then retry the original build.4. Verify it works
mvn -DskipTests package
ls -la ~/.m2/repositoryDon't use unsafe shortcuts
- Do not run
sudo mvn ...on a developer machine, it usually creates more root-owned cache files. - Do not debug repository credentials first when Maven cannot even write the local cache.
- Do not point
maven.repo.localat a read-only checkout or locked CI directory.
What Local Operation Failed
The remote service may be fine. This class of error is usually about what the local machine was allowed to read, write, cache, or execute.
Fix the local path, cache, or permissions
Fix ownership/permissions of the local repo directory (avoid using sudo mvn ...).
If you're in a container/CI, mount a writable volume for ~/.m2 or set a writable local repo path: mvn -Dmaven.repo.local=/tmp/m2 -DskipTests package.
Ensure there is enough disk space and that the filesystem is not read-only.
Retry the original Maven command and confirm Maven can create directories under the local repository path.
Manual filesystem checks
Check the local repository path Maven will use with mvn -q help:evaluate -Dexpression=settings.localRepository -DforceStdout, confirm the directory exists and is writable by the current user with ls -la ~/.m2 and ls -la ~/.m2/repository, and check free disk space on the filesystem containing ~/.m2, then df -h.
Why the Local Machine Blocked It
Usually this comes down to the ~/.m2 directory (or filesystem) is owned by a different user (common after running Maven with sudo), the filesystem is read-only (containers, locked-down CI runners, sandboxed environments), disk is full or quota limits prevent writes, or custom local repository path (-Dmaven.repo.local=...) points to a non-writable location.
Verify the Local Path Is Usable Again
Re-run mvn -DskipTests package and confirm Maven downloads artifacts and writes them under the local repository path, and confirm new directories appear under ~/.m2/repository/ (or your custom maven.repo.local).
How Maven uses the local repository
This is the part worth understanding if the quick fix did not hold. It explains what Maven is trying to do at the moment the error appears.
Maven caches downloaded artifacts and metadata in a local repository (default:~/.m2/repository).
If Maven cannot create directories or write files there, dependency/plugin resolution fails even if the network and repositories are correct.
Prevent Local State Drift
To prevent this, never run Maven as root on developer machines, fix permissions instead, in CI, explicitly set a writable local repository cache location and persist it between runs, and monitor disk space on CI runners to prevent hidden cache failures.
Docs and source code
github.com/apache/maven/blob/maven-3.6.3/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequestPopulator.java
Maven fails early if it cannot create the local repository directory and throws "Could not create local repository at ...". - GitHub
if (!localRepositoryBasedir.exists() && !localRepositoryBasedir.mkdirs()) {
throw new MavenExecutionRequestPopulationException("Could not create local repository at " + localRepositoryBasedir);
}
request.setLocalRepositoryPath(localRepositoryBasedir);