Help with setting up classpath in an executable jar file -

i trying build executable jar maven-assembly-plugin dependencies. want dependencies in /lib/ directory inside jar, main jar outside, , configuration files in same level of main jar.

my pom.xml is:

<plugin>                 <artifactid>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactid>                 <version>2.2.1</version>                 <configuration>                   <archive>                     <manifest>                       <addclasspath>true</addclasspath>                       <classpathprefix>lib/</classpathprefix>                       <mainclass>org.main.class</mainclass>                     </manifest>                     <manifestentries>                         <class-path>/ mainclass.jar</class-path>                     </manifestentries>                   </archive>                   <descriptors>                      <!--relative path descriptor -->                      <descriptor>src/main/assembly/packagejar.xml</descriptor>                    </descriptors>                 </configuration> </plugin> 

the packagejar.xml is:

<id>eval</id>   <formats>     <format>jar</format>   </formats>   <includebasedirectory>false</includebasedirectory>   <filesets>     <fileset>       <directory>${project.build.directory}</directory>       <outputdirectory>/</outputdirectory>       <includes>         <include>mainclass.jar</include>       </includes>     </fileset>   </filesets>   <files>     <file>         <source>/src/main/resource/logging.properties</source>         <outputdirectory>/</outputdirectory>     </file>     <file>         <source>/src/main/resource/log4j.properties</source>         <outputdirectory>/</outputdirectory>     </file>     <file>         <source>/src/main/resource/hibernate.cfg.xml</source>         <outputdirectory>/</outputdirectory>     </file>   </files>   <dependencysets>     <dependencyset>       <outputdirectory>/lib/</outputdirectory>       <useprojectartifact>false</useprojectartifact>       <unpack>false</unpack>       <scope>runtime</scope>     </dependencyset>   </dependencysets>   </assembly> 

and resulting manifest.mf file is:

manifest-version: 1.0 archiver-version: plexus archiver created-by: apache maven built-by: german build-jdk: 1.6.0_22 main-class: org.main.class class-path: / mainclass.jar lib/dependency1.jar lib/dependency2.jar etc... 

with this, mainclass execute, never finds jars inside lib needs work. i'm missing basic. i've tried adding in pom.xml manifestentries lib/, lib/.jar, /lib , /lib/.

any ideas?

thanks in advance.

refer java tutorial on why can't done in way expect. question on way release executable jar, 1 possible way, not might want send dependencies separately. there couple of plugins build executable jar dependencies in it(but not way expected). onejar , maven shade . 1 jar builts executable jar dependencies in lib directory , has custom class loader classes within executable jar. maven shade plugin unjars dependency libraries within executable jar. used maven shade, because had necessity transformations when building executable along spring dependencies.