diff --git a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/MavenMetadataSource.java b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/MavenMetadataSource.java
index a9f9635bd3..b6a177c58d 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/MavenMetadataSource.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/MavenMetadataSource.java
@@ -131,6 +131,6 @@ public class MavenMetadataSource
                 IoUtils.close( reader );
             }
         }
-        return artifactFactory.createArtifacts( dependencies, localRepository, artifact.getScope() );
+        return artifactFactory.createArtifacts( dependencies, artifact.getScope() );
     }
 }
diff --git a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/factory/ArtifactFactory.java b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/factory/ArtifactFactory.java
index 48261a26b0..6f0e710bf5 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/factory/ArtifactFactory.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/factory/ArtifactFactory.java
@@ -27,9 +27,7 @@ public interface ArtifactFactory
 {
     static String ROLE = ArtifactFactory.class.getName();
 
-    Set createArtifacts( List dependencies, ArtifactRepository localRepository, String inheritedScope );
-
-    Artifact createArtifact( Dependency dependency, ArtifactRepository localRepository, String inheritedScope );
+    Set createArtifacts( List dependencies, String inheritedScope );
 
     Artifact createArtifact( String groupId, String artifactId, String version, String scope, String type,
                              String inheritedScope );
diff --git a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/factory/DefaultArtifactFactory.java b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/factory/DefaultArtifactFactory.java
index ae8bff7d2c..1b76e0c641 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/factory/DefaultArtifactFactory.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/factory/DefaultArtifactFactory.java
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ public class DefaultArtifactFactory
     extends ArtifactConstructionSupport
     implements ArtifactFactory
 {
-    public Set createArtifacts( List dependencies, ArtifactRepository localRepository, String inheritedScope )
+    public Set createArtifacts( List dependencies, String inheritedScope )
     {
         Set projectArtifacts = new HashSet();
 
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public class DefaultArtifactFactory
         {
             Dependency d = (Dependency) i.next();
 
-            Artifact artifact = createArtifact( d, localRepository, inheritedScope );
+            Artifact artifact = createArtifact( d, inheritedScope );
             if ( artifact != null )
             {
                 projectArtifacts.add( artifact );
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ public class DefaultArtifactFactory
         return projectArtifacts;
     }
 
-    public Artifact createArtifact( Dependency dependency, ArtifactRepository localRepository, String inheritedScope )
+    private Artifact createArtifact( Dependency dependency, String inheritedScope )
     {
         return createArtifact( dependency.getGroupId(), dependency.getArtifactId(), dependency.getVersion(),
                                dependency.getScope(), dependency.getType(), inheritedScope );
diff --git a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/DefaultMavenProjectBuilder.java b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/DefaultMavenProjectBuilder.java
index 06c2e83de7..f52f49c2e5 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/DefaultMavenProjectBuilder.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/DefaultMavenProjectBuilder.java
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ public class DefaultMavenProjectBuilder
 
         project.setParent( parentProject );
         project.setRemoteArtifactRepositories( remoteRepositories );
-        project.setArtifacts( artifactFactory.createArtifacts( project.getDependencies(), localRepository, null ) );
+        project.setArtifacts( artifactFactory.createArtifacts( project.getDependencies(), null ) );
 
         // ----------------------------------------------------------------------
         // Typically when the project builder is being used from maven proper
diff --git a/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/ProjectClasspathArtifactResolver.java b/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/ProjectClasspathArtifactResolver.java
index f60d3385eb..6557f120ff 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/ProjectClasspathArtifactResolver.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/ProjectClasspathArtifactResolver.java
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ public class ProjectClasspathArtifactResolver
             {
                 IOUtil.close( r );
             }
-            return artifactFactory.createArtifacts( model.getDependencies(), localRepository, artifact.getScope() );
+            return artifactFactory.createArtifacts( model.getDependencies(), artifact.getScope() );
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/maven-site/src/site/xdoc/configuration.xml b/maven-site/src/site/xdoc/configuration.xml
index 0c4775727b..a6f2dc3d0b 100644
--- a/maven-site/src/site/xdoc/configuration.xml
+++ b/maven-site/src/site/xdoc/configuration.xml
@@ -34,10 +34,10 @@
         <!-- TODO: versioning doc that discusses this -->
       </p>
       <p>
-        User configuration is specified in
-        <code>${user.home}/.m2/settings.xml</code>. A
+        You can specify your user configuration in <code>${user.home}/.m2/settings.xml</code>. A
         <a href="settings-descriptor.html">full reference</a> to the
         configuration file is available. This section will show how to make some common configurations.
+        Note that the file is not required - defaults will be used if it is not found.
       </p>
       <p style="font-weight: bold; font-size: larger">
         Configuring your Local Repository
diff --git a/maven-site/src/site/xdoc/getting-started.xml b/maven-site/src/site/xdoc/getting-started.xml
index 50f0c12cfd..7120b36172 100644
--- a/maven-site/src/site/xdoc/getting-started.xml
+++ b/maven-site/src/site/xdoc/getting-started.xml
@@ -97,6 +97,11 @@
         <p>
           This will do all of the steps - generating sources, compiling, copying resources, packaging and finally installing.
         </p>
+        <p>
+          If you try that, you'll see that the file is copied to a directory under <code>~/.m2/repository</code>.
+          This is also where all those downloaded files go - it is called your <i>local repository</i>.
+          The location is configurable - see <a href="configuration.html">Configuration</a> for more information.
+        </p>
         <!-- TODO
                 <p>
                   For more information on the lifecycle, see the <a href="lifecycle.html">Build Lifecycle</a>.
@@ -106,6 +111,10 @@
           You can run other standalone goals as well, for example:
         </p>
         <source>m2 clean:clean install</source>
+        <p>
+          This will remove the <code>target</code> directory with all the build data before starting so that it is
+          fresh.
+        </p>
         <p>
           Perhaps you'd like to generate an IntelliJ IDEA descriptor for the project?
         </p>