Unable to compile simple Java 10 / Java 11 project with Maven

I have a trivial Maven project:

src
└── main
    └── java
        └── module-info.java
pom.xml

pom.xml:

<groupId>org.example</groupId>
<artifactId>example</artifactId>
<version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
<packaging>jar</packaging>
<name>example</name>

<build>
    <plugins>
        <plugin>
            <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
            <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
            <version>3.7.0</version>
            <configuration>
                <release>10</release>
            </configuration>
        </plugin>
    </plugins>
</build>

When I build the project via mvn -X install -DskipTests=true, it fails:

org.apache.maven.lifecycle.LifecycleExecutionException: Failed to execute goal org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-compiler-plugin:3.7.0:testCompile (default-testCompile) on project example: Execution default-testCompile of goal org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-compiler-plugin:3.7.0:testCompile failed.
        at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor.java:213)
        at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor.java:154)
        at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor.java:146)
        at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject(LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:117)
        at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject(LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:81)
        at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.builder.singlethreaded.SingleThreadedBuilder.build(SingleThreadedBuilder.java:51)
        at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleStarter.execute(LifecycleStarter.java:128)
        at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.doExecute(DefaultMaven.java:309)
        at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.doExecute(DefaultMaven.java:194)
        at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.execute(DefaultMaven.java:107)
        at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.execute(MavenCli.java:993)
        at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.doMain(MavenCli.java:345)
        at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.main(MavenCli.java:191)
        at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
        at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
        at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
        at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:564)
        at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launchEnhanced(Launcher.java:289)
        at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launch(Launcher.java:229)
        at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.mainWithExitCode(Launcher.java:415)
        at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.main(Launcher.java:356)
Caused by: org.apache.maven.plugin.PluginExecutionException: Execution default-testCompile of goal org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-compiler-plugin:3.7.0:testCompile failed.
        at org.apache.maven.plugin.DefaultBuildPluginManager.executeMojo(DefaultBuildPluginManager.java:145)
        at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor.java:208)
        ... 20 more
Caused by: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException
        at org.objectweb.asm.ClassReader.<init>(Unknown Source)
        at org.objectweb.asm.ClassReader.<init>(Unknown Source)
        at org.objectweb.asm.ClassReader.<init>(Unknown Source)
        at org.codehaus.plexus.languages.java.jpms.AsmModuleInfoParser.parse(AsmModuleInfoParser.java:80)
        at org.codehaus.plexus.languages.java.jpms.AsmModuleInfoParser.getModuleDescriptor(AsmModuleInfoParser.java:54)
        at org.codehaus.plexus.languages.java.jpms.LocationManager.resolvePaths(LocationManager.java:83)
        at org.apache.maven.plugin.compiler.TestCompilerMojo.preparePaths(TestCompilerMojo.java:281)
        at org.apache.maven.plugin.compiler.AbstractCompilerMojo.execute(AbstractCompilerMojo.java:762)
        at org.apache.maven.plugin.compiler.TestCompilerMojo.execute(TestCompilerMojo.java:176)
        at org.apache.maven.plugin.DefaultBuildPluginManager.executeMojo(DefaultBuildPluginManager.java:134)
        ... 21 more

Is there a way to fix this?

Solution

As of 30Jul, 2018 to fix the above issue, one can configure the java version used within maven to any up to JDK/11 and make use of the maven-compiler-plugin:3.8.0 to specify a release of either 9,10,11 without any explicit dependencies.

<plugin>
    <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
    <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
    <version>3.8.0</version>
    <configuration>
        <release>11</release>  <!--or <release>10</release>-->
    </configuration>
</plugin>

Note:- The default value for source/target has been lifted from 1.5 to 1.6 with this version. -- release notes.

Edit [30.12.2018]

In fact, you can make use of the same version of maven-compiler-plugin while compiling the code against JDK/12 as well.

More details and a sample configuration in how to Compile and execute a JDK preview feature with Maven.