Pre-Flight Check
- Open the terminal and log in as root. If you are logged in as another user, you will need to add sudo before each command.
- Working on a Linux Ubuntu 16.04 server
- No installations of previous Java versions
Step 1: Update & Upgrade
It is advised to update your system by copy and pasting the command below. Be sure to accept the update by typing Y when asked to continue:
apt-get update && apt-get upgrade
Step 2: Install the Repository
WebUpd8 Team Personal Package Archive (PPA), a third party repository, allows us to download the package necessary for Java 8 installation. Press Enter to continue the installation.
add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/java
Once again, update your package list.
apt-get update
Step 3: Install Java 8
Use the apt-get command to install Oracle’s Java 8 via their installer:
apt-get install oracle-java8-installer
Click Y to continue and press Enter to agree to the licensing agreement.
Select Yes and hit the Enter key.
Step 4: Verify Java 8 is Installed
java -version
Output:
java version "1.8.0_181"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_181-b13)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.181-b13, mixed mode)
It’s essential to know the path of our Java installation for our applications to function. Where is Java installed? Run this command to find its path:update-alternatives --config java
Output:
~# update-alternatives --config java
There is 1 choice for the alternative java (providing /usr/bin/java).
Selection Path Priority Status
------------------------------------------------------------
0 /usr/lib/jvm/java-8-oracle/jre/bin/java 1081 auto mode
* 1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-8-oracle/jre/bin/java 1081 manual mode
Copy the highlighted path from the second row: /usr/lib/jvm/java-8-oracle/jre/bin/java/. After copying, open the file /etc/environment and add in the path of your Java installation to the end of your file.
vim /etc/environment
JAVA_HOME="/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-oracle/jre/bin/java"
Save the file by hitting ESC button and type :wq to execute the command below to recognize the changes to the file:
source /etc/environment
You should now see the path of installation when using the $Java_Home variable:
echo $JAVA_HOME
Output:
~# echo $JAVA_HOME
/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-oracle/jre/bin/java