Here's an easier way:

sudo apt-get install maven

More details are here.

It's best to use miske's answer.

Properly installing natecarlson's repository

If you really want to use natecarlson's repository, the instructions just below can do any of the following:

1. set it up from scratch
2. repair it if apt-get update gives a 404 error after add-apt-repository
3. repair it if apt-get update gives a NO_PUBKEY error after manually adding it to /etc/apt/sources.list

Open a terminal and run the following:

sudo -i

Enter your password if necessary, then paste the following into the terminal:

export GOOD_RELEASE='precise'export BAD_RELEASE="`lsb_release -cs`"cd /etc/aptsed -i '/natecarlson\/maven3/d' sources.listcd sources.list.drm -f natecarlson-maven3-*.list*apt-add-repository -y ppa:natecarlson/maven3mv natecarlson-maven3-${BAD_RELEASE}.list natecarlson-maven3-${GOOD_RELEASE}.listsed -i "s/${BAD_RELEASE}/${GOOD_RELEASE}/" natecarlson-maven3-${GOOD_RELEASE}.listapt-get updateexitecho Done!

Removing natecarlson's repository

If you installed natecarlson's repository (either using add-apt-repository or manually added to /etc/apt/sources.list) and you don't want it anymore, open a terminal and run the following:

sudo -i

Enter your password if necessary, then paste the following into the terminal:

cd /etc/aptsed -i '/natecarlson\/maven3/d' sources.listcd sources.list.drm -f natecarlson-maven3-*.list*apt-get updateexitecho Done!