I've checked a new top level directory into the trunk: test-samples. This uses the invoker plugin to build all the samples. A bit of config causes them to consume the snapshot version just built, instead of respecting the cxf.version setting in all of those poms.
I've repaired the two samples that didn't build. Now, if anyone is looking for something to do (snort), those samples could be enhanced by adding the use of the failsafe plugin to make them actually run themselves. For a really good time, they could be made to launch their servers in a container as well as via their little server command-lines. That would make the poms get a lot less simple in a hurry, as there would be profiles for this, but perhaps if kept to the bottom and commented it wouldn't confuse too much.
