Ubuntu Linux: Install Latest Oracle Java 7

Fig.05: Accept Oracle license and download either 64 or 32 bit version in tar.gz format

Note: By default all files are downloaded in ~/Download/ ($HOME/Download/) directory.

Install jdk-7u21-linux-x64.tar.gz

Open a terminal and type the following command to list your files:

ls ~/Downloads/*.tar.gz

Untar the tar ball and install at /usr/lib/jvm/ directory:

 
sudo mkdir -p /usr/lib/jvm/
sudo tar xvf ~/Downloads/jdk-7u21-linux-x64.tar.gz -C /usr/lib/jvm

• • Now run

  • sudo update-alternatives --install "/usr/bin/java" "java" "/usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.7.0/bin/java" 1
    sudo update-alternatives --install "/usr/bin/javac" "javac" "/usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.7.0/bin/javac" 1
    sudo update-alternatives --install "/usr/bin/javaws" "javaws" "/usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.7.0/bin/javaws" 1

     
  • This will assign Oracle JDK a priority of 1, which means that installing other JDKs will replace it as the default. Be sure to use a higher priority if you want Oracle JDK to remain the default.
  • Correct the file ownership and the permissions of the executables:

  • sudo chmod a+x /usr/bin/java 
    sudo chmod a+x /usr/bin/javac 
    sudo chmod a+x /usr/bin/javaws
    sudo chown -R root:root /usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.7.0

     N.B. remember - Java JDK has many more executables that you can similarly install as above. java,javac, javaws are probably the most frequently required.

    This answer lists the other executables available.

  • Run

sudo update-alternatives --config java

You will see output similar one below - choose the number of jdk1.7.0 - for example 3 in this list:

$sudo update-alternatives --config java
There are 3 choices for the alternative java (providing /usr/bin/java).

Selection Path Priority Status
————————————————————
* 0 /usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk/jre/bin/java 1061 auto mode
1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk/jre/bin/java 1061 manual mode
2 /usr/lib/jvm/java-6-sun/jre/bin/java 63 manual mode
3 /usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.7.0/jre/bin/java 3 manual mode

Press enter to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number: 3
update-alternatives: using /usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.7.0/jre/bin/java to provide /usr/bin/java (java) in manual mode.

Check the version of you new JDK 7 installation:

java -version

java version “1.7.0”
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0-b147)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 21.0-b17, mixed mode)

Repeat the above for:

sudo update-alternatives --config javac
sudo update-alternatives --config javaws