How to Install Java on Linux

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

This wikiHow teaches you how to install the latest version of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) on a computer running Linux.

Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Installing on Non-RPM Linux

PDF download Download Article
  1. Open the Java for Linux download page . You'll see several options listed here.
  2. It's a link in the middle of the page. Doing so will prompt the Java installation file to download.
    • You can also click the Linux X64 version if you want to install 64-bit Java.
    Advertisement
  3. The latest version of Java is version 8, but you also need the update version number, which is written in the file name after the "8u" section.
    • For example, your file might be named "jre-8u151", signifying that it is version 8, update 151.
  4. This step will vary depending on your version of Linux, but you can usually find the command line by opening the Terminal app or by clicking a bar at the top or bottom of the screen.
  5. Type cd into console, press the spacebar once, and then type in the path (e.g., /usr/java/ and press ↵ Enter .
  6. Type in tar zxvf , press the spacebar once, and then type in the full file name. This will vary depending on the Java version and when you downloaded it.
    • As of October 2017, you'd type in tar zxvf jre-8u151-linux-i586.tar .
  7. Doing so will install Java on your computer in a folder entitled "jre1.8.0_[update]" where "[update]" is the update version number (e.g., 151).
    8. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Installing on RPM Linux

PDF download Download Article
  1. Open the Java for Linux download page . You'll see several options listed here.
  2. It's in the middle of the page. Doing so will prompt the Java for RPM installation file to download.
    • You can also click the Linux RPM X64 version if you want to install 64-bit Java.
  3. The latest version of Java is version 8, but you also need the update version number, which is written in the file name after the "8u" section.
    • For example, your file might be named "jre-8u151", signifying that it is version 8, update 151.
  4. This step will vary depending on your version of Linux, but you can usually find the command line by opening the Terminal app or by clicking a bar at the top or bottom of the screen.
  5. Type in sudo su and press ↵ Enter . This will prompt the command line to request your user password. [1]
  6. Type in the password for your account and press ↵ Enter . As long as you have root access on your account, doing so will allow you to install Java.
    • If you don't have root access on your account, you'll need to enter the password for an account that does have root access.
  7. Type cd into console, press the spacebar once, and then type in the path (e.g., /usr/java/ and press ↵ Enter .
  8. Type in rpm -ivh , press the spacebar once, type in the full file name, and press ↵ Enter . This will install Java on your computer.
    • The file name will depend on when you downloaded the file. As of October 2017, you'd type in rpm -ivh jre-8u151-linux-i586.rpm and press ↵ Enter .
  9. 9
    Upgrade the download. Type in rpm -Uvh jre-8u73-linux-i586.rpm and press ↵ Enter . This will check for updates for the Java package and, if possible, apply them.
    10. Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Installing on Ubuntu (OpenJDK)

PDF download Download Article
  1. Press Ctrl + Alt + T on the keyboard, or click the black box icon with a white ">_" on it on the left side of the screen.
  2. Type in sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y and press ↵ Enter . This will refresh the package list and install all available updates for you.
  3. If asked for your user password, type it in and press ↵ Enter .
  4. Type in java -version and press ↵ Enter . If you see a line that says "The program 'java' can be found in the following packages" appear, Java is not installed on your computer.
    • If Java is installed, you'll see a line that reports the current version of Java instead.
  5. Type sudo apt-get install default-jre into the command line, then press ↵ Enter . This will install Java on your Ubuntu computer in the default directory.
    • If this doesn't work, try entering sudo apt-get install openjdk-8-jdk instead
    6. Advertisement
Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Installing on Ubuntu 16.04 via PPAs

PDF download Download Article
  1. That being said, first open a terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T .
  2. Type in sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y , you might get prompted for a password, type it in and press ↵ Enter , no dots or asterisks will appear as you type, this is normal.
    • While technically optional, this step is always recommended before installing anything, keeping your system updated will help prevent many problems.
  3. Type in sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/java , and then press ↵ Enter .
  4. Type in sudo apt-get update and wait for the lists to be refreshed.
  5. Type in sudo apt-get install oracle-java9-installer -y .
    • You might get prompted for a password, type it in and press ↵ Enter , no dots or asterisks will appear, this is normal.
  6. In many Ubuntu derivatives, OpenJDK is set to be the default Java to be used, if you want Oracle's Java to be used by default you need to type sudo apt install oracle-java9-set-default .
    7. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    I can't run Java after installing it from a TAR. When I try the java -version command, it tells me that Java is not installed. When I try ./java, it opens a help page! What's going on?
    Living Concrete
    Top Answerer
    It sounds like the ./java worked, but you didn't include any parameters. Try using ./java -version and see what that gives you. Please note that you will have to use the full path to the Java binary every time that you wish to use Java. If you want to be able to execute it from anywhere without having to do that, you will need to add the binary to your PATH variable. If you're a beginner, it's strongly suggested that you use a GUI package manager to install Java and do this for you.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 6 Helpful 5
  • Question
    I installed with the first way, but cant get it to run. Any ideas?
    Somone
    Community Answer
    Make sure you have the right Java selected for your operating system, and make sure your OS is up to date.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 2 Helpful 0
  • Question
    I am connecting a Java project to its database. Do I have to install anything else apart from the JDK?
    Living Concrete
    Top Answerer
    You will likely have to download a Java library to assist your program in communicating with the database. It's recommended to use Maven or Gradle to assist with this.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 4 Helpful 0
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      • While there are ways to download Java using a program interface (e.g., a GUI), the installation process takes significantly less time if you use the command line.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      Warnings

      • Oracle Java is no longer supported on Ubuntu. Use OpenJDK instead (free implementation of Oracle Java).
        Thanks
        Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
      • Oracle doesn't distribute .deb packages, any and all .deb packages for Oracle's Java is from a 3rd party and can cause harm to your system.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Install Java
      How to
      Install the Java Software Development Kit
      How to
      Install Opera Browser Through Terminal on Ubuntu
      How to
      Install Google Chrome Using Terminal on Linux
      How to
      Mount Drives on Linux: Command Line & GUI
      Can Linux Run .exe Files? How to Run Windows Software on Linux
      How to
      Install and Use Wine on Linux
      How to
      Tar a Directory and Subdirectories in Linux
      How to
      Take a Screenshot in Linux
      How to
      Become Root in Linux
      How to
      Run an INSTALL.sh Script on Linux in 4 Easy Steps
      Easy Debian Linux Installation Tutorial
      How to
      Add or Change the Default Gateway in Linux
      How to
      Run Files in Linux
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.java.com/en/download/help/linux_install.html

      About This Article

      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,080,060 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement