The Java Development Kit (JDK) is a software development environment used for developing Java applications and applets. It includes the Java Runtime Environment (JRE), an interpreter/loader (Java), a compiler (javac), an archiver (jar), a documentation generator (javadoc), and other development tools. Installing the JDK on your Ubuntu system is essential if you plan to develop or run Java applications.
In this step-by-step guide, we’ll show you how to install the JDK on Ubuntu. We will cover the installation of the two most popular JDK distributions: OpenJDK and Oracle JDK.
Step 1: Update Package Repositories
Before installing the JDK, update your package repositories to ensure you’re getting the latest version of the software:
sudo apt-get update
Step 2: Install OpenJDK
OpenJDK is the open-source implementation of the Java Platform, Standard Edition. It’s the default JDK implementation on most Linux distributions, including Ubuntu. To install OpenJDK, run the following command:
sudo apt-get install -y openjdk-11-jdk
Replace “11” with your desired JDK version.
To verify the installation, check the Java version by running:
java -version
If you prefer to install the Oracle JDK, proceed to the next step.
Step 3: Install Oracle JDK (Optional)
Oracle JDK is the official JDK distribution from Oracle. Although it’s not open-source, it has some additional features and optimizations compared to OpenJDK. To install Oracle JDK, follow these steps:
Add the Oracle Java PPA repository:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:linuxuprising/java sudo apt-get update
Install the Oracle JDK:
sudo apt-get install -y oracle-java11-installer
Replace “11” with your desired JDK version.
Set the Oracle JDK as the default Java version (optional):
sudo apt-get install -y oracle-java11-set-default
Again, replace “11” with your desired JDK version.
To verify the installation, check the Java version by running:
java -version
Commands Mentioned:
- apt-get update – Update package repositories
- apt-get install – Install specified packages and their dependencies
- add-apt-repository – Add a new package repository
- java -version – Display the installed Java version
Conclusion
In this guide, we’ve demonstrated how to install the Java Development Kit (JDK) on Ubuntu, covering both OpenJDK and Oracle JDK installations. With the JDK installed, you’re now ready to start developing and running Java applications on your Ubuntu system.
Remember to keep your JDK installation up-to-date, as this ensures you have the latest features, performance improvements, and security patches. Additionally, choose the JDK distribution that best suits your needs and preferences, whether it’s the open-source OpenJDK or the proprietary Oracle JDK.
We hope this guide has helped you install the JDK on your Ubuntu system. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for improvement, please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and it helps us create better and more informative content for our users.
