How to Install Oracle JDK on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Oracle JDK

To install Oracle JDK on Ubuntu 24.04, you need to download the Java SE Development Kit from Oracle’s official site. After getting the correct file, you will use a few commands in your computer’s terminal to finish the setup. Remember to write down the exact version number of the JDK you download.

Download the latest  Java SE Development Kit 23 release.

You can install the Java DEB package by executing the commands below. As of this writing, the latest version of the Java JDK is 23.

cd /tmp
wget --no-check-certificate -c --header  "Cookie: oraclelicense=accept-securebackup-cookie" "https://download.oracle.com/java/23/latest/jdk-23_linux-x64_bin.deb"

Once you have downloaded the correct archive package for your system, run the commands below to install Oracle Java.

Again, the current latest version is jdk-23

sudo apt install ./jdk-23_linux-x64_bin.deb

After installing all the packages, run the command below to configure Ubuntu so that Oracle JDK can function properly, including setting the JAVA_HOME variable and the environment PATH.

sudo tee -a /etc/profile.d/java.sh <<'EOF'
export JAVA_HOME=$(dirname $(dirname $(readlink -f $(which javac))))
export PATH=$PATH:$JAVA_HOME/bin
EOF

Activate the script by running the command below.

sudo -s
source /etc/profile.d/java.sh

Test Oracle JDK

After installing Oracle JDK on Ubuntu, you can easily check if it’s working by opening your terminal. Type the command `java –version` and press Enter. If the installation was successful, you’ll see details about the Java version, confirming it’s ready to use.

java --version

It should output similar lines shown below.

java 23.0.2 2025-01-21
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 23.0.2+7-58)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 23.0.2+7-58, mixed mode, sharing)

Oracle JDK is installed and ready to use.

Choose the default

If you have more than one Java version on your Ubuntu system, you can pick which one to use as the main default. Just open your terminal and run the command `sudo update-alternatives –config java`. This shows a list of all your installed Java versions, letting you choose the one you want.

sudo update-alternatives --config java

Select the Java version you wish to use as the default.

  Selection    Path                                         Priority   Status
------------------------------------------------------------
* 0            /usr/lib/jvm/jdk-23.0.2-oracle-x64/bin/java   385892352 auto mode
  1            /usr/lib/jvm/jdk-23.0.2-oracle-x64/bin/java   385892352 manual mode

Press <enter> to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number: 

sudo update-alternatives --config javac

Choose the javac version you want to set as default.

  Selection    Path                                          Priority   Status
------------------------------------------------------------
* 0            /usr/lib/jvm/jdk-23.0.2-oracle-x64/bin/javac   385892352 auto mode
  1            /usr/lib/jvm/jdk-23.0.2-oracle-x64/bin/javac   385892352 manual mode

Press <enter> to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number: 

That should do it!

Conclusion:

• 💿 Installing Oracle JDK on Ubuntu allows developers to leverage a robust and high-performance environment for Java application development.
• Following the outlined steps ensures a proper setup, including the Java Home and Path configurations.
• Testing the installation with the java --version command verifies that Oracle JDK is running correctly.
• The update-alternatives command simplifies managing multiple JDK installations, allowing easy selection of the desired version.
• With Oracle JDK successfully installed and configured, you can start developing Java applications efficiently.