plugin keeps failing building spark examples

[RobRoy1234]

I am trying to build the spark examples according to the instructions, but keep getting an error identical to what is shown here on Stack Exchange.

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/35474611/spark-build-fail-error-while-building-spark-from-source/42304272#42304272

[ERROR] Failed to execute goal net.alchim31.maven:scala-maven-plugin:3.2.2:compile (scala-compile-first) on project spark-catalyst_2.11: Execution scala-compile-first of goal net.alchim31.maven:scala-maven-plugin:3.2.2:compile failed. NullPointerException -> [Help 1] org.apache.maven.lifecycle.LifecycleExecutionException: Failed to execute goal net.alchim31.maven:scala-maven-plugin:3.2.2:compile (scala-compile-first) on project spark-catalyst_2.11: Execution scala-compile-first of goal net.alchim31.maven:scala-maven-plugin:3.2.2:compile failed. at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor.java:212) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor.java:153) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor.java:145) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject(LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:116) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject(LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:80) 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:307) at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.doExecute(DefaultMaven.java:193) at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.execute(DefaultMaven.java:106) at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.execute(MavenCli.java:863) at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.doMain(MavenCli.java:288) at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.main(MavenCli.java:199) at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57) at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:606) 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 scala-compile-first of goal net.alchim31.maven:scala-maven-plugin:3.2.2:compile failed. at org.apache.maven.plugin.DefaultBuildPluginManager.executeMojo(DefaultBuildPluginManager.java:145) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor.java:207) ... 20 more Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException at scala.tools.nsc.typechecker.Typers$Typer.typedFunction$1(Typers.scala:5280) at scala.tools.nsc.typechecker.Typers$Typer.typedOutsidePatternMode$1(Typers.scala:5320) at scala.tools.nsc.typechecker.Typers$Typer.typedInAnyMode$1(Typers.scala:5352) at scala.tools.nsc.typechecker.Typers$Typer.typed1(Typers.scala:5359) at scala.tools.nsc.typechecker.Typers$Typer.runTyper$1(Typers.scala:5395) at scala.tools.nsc.typechecker.Typers$Typer.scala$tools$nsc$typechecker$Typers$Typer$$typedInternal(Typers.scala:5422) at scala.tools.nsc.typechecker.Typers$Typer.body$2(Typers.scala:5369) at scala.tools.nsc.typechecker.Typers$Typer.typed(Typers.scala:5373) at scala.tools.nsc.typechecker.Typers$Typer.typedArg(Typers.scala:3164) at scala.tools.nsc.typechecker.PatternTypers$PatternTyper$class.typedArgWithFormal$1(PatternTypers.scala:112) at scala.tools.nsc.typechecker.PatternTypers$PatternTyper$$anonfun$2.apply(PatternTypers.scala:115) at scala.tools.nsc.typechecker.PatternTypers$PatternTyper$$anonfun$2.apply(PatternTypers.scala:115) at scala.runtime.Tuple2Zipped$$anonfun$map$extension$1.apply(Tuple2Zipped.scala:46) at scala.runtime.Tuple2Zipped$$anonfun$map$extension$1.apply(Tuple2Zipped.scala:44) at scala.collection.immutable.List.foreach(List.scala:381) at scala.runtime.Tuple2Zipped$.map$extension(Tuple2Zipped.scala:44) at scala.tools.nsc.typechecker.PatternTypers$PatternTyper$class.typedArgsForFormals(PatternTypers.scala:115) at scala.tools.nsc.typechecker.Typers$Typer.typedArgsForFormals(Typers.scala:111) at scala.tools.nsc.typechecker.Typers$Typer.scala$tools$nsc$typechecker$Typers$Typer$$handleMonomorphicCall$1(Typers.scala:3470)