How to set JAVA_HOME in Mac permanently?

in stackoverflow ∙ 2 mins read ∙ Tags: Java, Macos, Java-home Last modified at: Updated:

How to set JAVA_HOME in Mac permanently?

  1. Question by Vishal Tavande
  2. Answer by Milovan Tomašević

Question by Vishal Tavande

I am trying to set JAVA_HOME by entering export JAVA_HOME=/Library/Java/Home at terminal. It sets the JAVA_HOME for current session.

How can I set it permanently?

Answer by Milovan Tomašević

Installing Java on macOS 11 Big Sur:

  • the easiest way is to select OpenJDK 11 (LTS), the HotSpot JVM, and macOS x64 is to get the latest release here: adoptopenjdk.net
  • Select macOS and x64 and download the JDK (about 190 MB), which will put the OpenJDK11U-jdk_x64_mac_hotspot_11.0.9_11.pkg file into your ~/Downloads folder
  • Clicking on pkg file, will install into this location: /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/adoptopenjdk-11.jdk

enter image description here

  • Almost done. After opening a terminal, the successful installation of the JDK can be confirmed like so: java --version
    • output:
openjdk 11.0.9.1 2020-11-04
OpenJDK Runtime Environment AdoptOpenJDK (build 11.0.9.1+1)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM AdoptOpenJDK (build 11.0.9.1+1, mixed mode)
  • JAVA_HOME is an important environment variable and it’s important to get it right. Here is a trick that allows me to keep the environment variable current, even after a Java Update was installed. In ~/.zshrc, I set the variable like so: export JAVA_HOME=$(/usr/libexec/java_home)
  • In previous macOS versions, this was done in ~/.bash_profile. Anyway, open a new terminal and verify: echo $JAVA_HOME
    • output: /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/adoptopenjdk-11.jdk/Contents/Home

TEST: Compile and Run your Java Program

  • Open a text editor, copy the code from below and save the file as HelloStackoverflow.java. 
    // file: 'test.java'
public class HelloStackoverflow {
public static void main(String[] args){
  System.out.println("Hello Stackoverflow !");
}//End of main
}//End of HelloStackoverflow Class
  • From a terminal set the working directory to the directory containing HelloStackoverflow.java, then type the command:
# file: 'terminal'
javac HelloStackoverflow.java

  • If you’re lucky, nothing will happen

  • Actually, a lot happened. javac is the name of the Java compiler. It translates Java into Java Bytecode, an assembly language for the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). The Java Bytecode is stored in a file called HelloStackoverflow.class.

  • Running: type the command:

# file: 'terminal'
java HelloStackoverflow

# output:
# Hello Stackoverflow !

enter image description here


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