SpringBoot no main manifest attribute (maven)

Try adding repackage goal to execution goals.

Otherwise you would need to call the plugin explicitly as mvn package spring-boot:repackage.

With the goal added, you have to call only mvn package.

<plugin>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-maven-plugin</artifactId>
    <configuration>
        <mainClass>com.places.Main</mainClass>
    </configuration>

    <executions>
        <execution>
            <goals>
                <goal>repackage</goal>
            </goals>
        </execution>
    </executions>
</plugin>

You can specify a parent POM e.g. :

<parent>
   <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
   <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-parent</artifactId>
   <version>2.1.4.RELEASE</version>
</parent>

During the package goal, the repackage goal will be executed and you'll then get an executable jar.

3 things:
- You have the parent entry in your pom.
- Verify that your plugin is in the build portion of the pom.
- You have a class with the @SpringBootApplicaion annotation.

pom.xml:

...  
  <parent>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-parent</artifactId>
    <version>2.1.8.RELEASE</version>
  </parent>

   <build>
    <plugins>
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
        <artifactId>spring-boot-maven-plugin</artifactId>
      </plugin>
    </plugins>
  </build>
...

And a class that looks something like this:

@SpringBootApplication
public class Application {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SpringApplication.run(Application.class, args);
    }

}

During the Maven package lifecycle phase, the jar archive is enhanced by Spring Boot Maven Plugin and the original jar file (that should have been built using the standard maven-jar-plugin) is replaced with an enhanced executable jar.

Hence you have either to issue the spring-boot:repackage goal yourself when building your module:

mvn package spring-boot:repackage

Or add the goal explicitly within the plugin configuration:

<plugin>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-maven-plugin</artifactId>
    <configuration>
        <mainClass>com.places.Main</mainClass>
    </configuration>
    <executions>
        <execution>
            <goals>
                <goal>repackage</goal>
            </goals>
        </execution>
    </executions>
</plugin>

You can find more details about the Spring Boot Maven Plugin repackage goal within the official documentation.