Install Java on Mac

Published: 2019-10-11 • Last updated: 2021-05-09

Table of Contents

# Java 8

Download OpenJDK 8 tarball from AdoptOpenJDK

 curl -O -L https://github.com/AdoptOpenJDK/openjdk8-binaries/releases/download/jdk8u232-b09_openj9-0.17.0/OpenJDK8U-jdk_x64_mac_openj9_8u232b09_openj9-0.17.0.tar.gz

Make dir for it
```
 mkdir -p ~/bin/java
```

Extract tarball

 tar -v -x -C ~/bin/java -f OpenJDK8U-jdk_x64_mac_openj9_8u232b09_openj9-0.17.0.tar.gz

Set environment variables in your ~/.bash_profile

 export JAVA_HOME=${HOME}/bin/java/jdk8u232-b09/Contents/Home
 export PATH=${JAVA_HOME}/bin:${PATH}

Pick up the changes
```
 source ~/.bash_profile
```
Confirm installation
```
 java -version
```

# Java 11

Download OpenJDK 11 tarball from AdoptOpenJDK

 curl -O -L https://github.com/AdoptOpenJDK/openjdk11-binaries/releases/download/jdk-11.0.4%2B11.4/OpenJDK11U-jdk_x64_mac_hotspot_11.0.4_11.tar.gz

Make dir for it
```
 mkdir -p ~/bin/java
```

Extract tarball

 tar -v -x -C ~/bin/java -f OpenJDK11U-jdk_x64_mac_hotspot_11.0.4_11.tar.gz

Set environment variables in your ~/.bash_profile

 export JAVA_HOME=${HOME}/bin/java/jdk-11.0.4+11/Contents/Home
 export PATH=${JAVA_HOME}/bin:${PATH}

Pick up the changes
```
 source ~/.bash_profile
```
Confirm installation
```
 java -version
```

# Switch Java Versions on the Fly

Add the following Bash function to your ~/.bash_profile. It uses Java 11 by default, and allows you to switch Java versions on the fly.

use_java() {
  local USAGE="\
Usage: ${FUNCNAME[0]} <VERSION>
Where <VERSION> is one of: 8, 11"

  if [[ ${#} -ne 1 ]]; then
    echo -e "${USAGE}"
    return 1
  fi

  if [[ ${1} == 8 ]]; then 
    export JAVA_HOME=${HOME}/bin/java/jdk8u232-b09/Contents/Home
  elif [[ ${1} == 11 ]]; then 
    export JAVA_HOME=${HOME}/bin/java/jdk-11.0.4+11/Contents/Home
  else 
    echo -e "${USAGE}"
    return 1
  fi 

  export PATH=${JAVA_HOME}/bin:${PATH}
  2>&1 java -version | head -n 1
}

use_java 11