JDK 12 Releases. JDK 12 has been superseded. Please visit jdk.java.net for the current version. Older releases, which do not include the most up to date security. This answer is an attempt to address: how to control java version system-wide (not just in currently running shell) when several versions of JDK are installed for development purposes on macOS El Capitan or newer (Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave).
This topic includes the following sections:
System Requirements for Installing the JDK on macOS
The following are the system requirements for installing the JDK on macOS:
Any Intel-based computer running macOS.
Administrator privileges.
You cannot install Java for a single user. Installing the JDK on macOS is performed on a systemwide basis for all users. Administrator privileges are required to install the JDK on macOS.
Determining the Default JDK Version on macOS
When starting a Java application through the command line, the system uses the default JDK.
You can determine which version of the JDK is the default by entering java -version
in a Terminal Make a bootable macos usb. window. If the installed version is 15 Interim 0, Update 0, and Patch 0, then you see a string that includes the text 15
. For example:
To run a different version of Java, either specify the full path, or use the java_home
tool. For example:
$ /usr/libexec/java_home -v 15 --exec javac -version
Installing the JDK on macOS
- Download the JDK
.dmg
file,jdk-15.interim.update.patch_osx-x64_bin.dmg
from Java SE Downloads page.Click Accept License Agreement.
- From either the browser Downloads window or from the file browser, double-click the
.dmg
file to start it.A Finder window appears that contains an icon of an open box and the name of the.pkg
file. - Double-click the
JDK 15.pkg
icon to start the installation application.The installation application displays the Introduction window. - Click Continue.
- Click Install. A window appears that displays the message: Installer is trying to install new software. Enter your password to allow this.
- Enter the Administrator user name and password and click Install Software.The software is installed and a confirmation window is displayed.
.dmg
file if you want to save disk space. Uninstalling the JDK on macOS
You must have Administrator privileges.Note:
Do not attempt to uninstall Java by removing the Java tools from /usr/bin
. This directory is part of the system software and any changes will be reset by Apple the next time that you perform an update of the OS.
- Go to
/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines
. - Remove the directory whose name matches the following format by executing the
rm
command as a root user or by using thesudo
tool:/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk-15.interim.update.patch.jdk
For example, to uninstall 15 Interim 0 Update 0 Patch 0:
$ rm -rf jdk-15.jdk
Installation FAQ on macOS Platform
This topic provides answers for the following frequently asked questions about installing JDK on macOS computers.
1. How do I find out which version of Java is the system default?
When you run a Java application from the command line, it uses the default JDK. If you do not develop Java applications, then you do not need to worry about this. See Determining the Default JDK Version on macOS.
2. How do I uninstall Java?
See Uninstalling the JDK on macOS.
3. After installing Java for macOS 2012-006, can I continue to use Apple's Java 6 alongside the macOS JDK for Java 15?
If you want to continue to develop with Java 6 using command-line, then you can modify the startup script for your favorite command environment. For bash, use this:
$ export JAVA_HOME=`/usr/libexec/java_home -v 14`
Some applications use /usr/bin/java
to call Java. After installing Java for macOS 2012-006, /usr/bin/java
will find the newest JDK installed, and will use that for all of the Java-related command-line tools in /usr/bin
. You may need to modify those applications to find Java 6, or contact the developer for a newer version of the application.
Macos Java Version
4. What happened to the Java Preferences app in Application Utilities?
Latest Java Version
Downgrade Java Version Macos
The Java Preferences app was part of the Apple Java installation and is not used by Oracle Java. Therefore, macOS releases from Apple that do not include Apple Java will not include Java Preferences.