Install Oracle Java SDK in Ubuntu 11.10
Posted by BigWhale on October 17th, 2011 in Linux | 11 comments
Installing Oracle Java SDK in Ubuntu is a pain because not so long ago Oracle decided to change licensing of Java. Which in the long run will hurt only users. Distributions can no longer make automated installs of Oracle Java, users are required to agree with the license displayed on Oracle’s web site. Installing Java SDK in a ‘proper Ubuntu way’ is now a little bit tricky. Read on to learn how to do it.
Instructions were written on x64 so if you are running 32bit version of Ubuntu, adjust accordingly. First, you will need Oracle Java SDK which you can get here. Extract it in /usr/lib/jvm directory and give the newly created directory a pretty name and a symlink:
$ cd /usr/lib/jvm/ $ sudo tar -xvzf ~/jdk-7-linux-x64.tar.gz $ sudo mv jdk1.7.0 java-7-oracle $ sudo ln -s java-7-oracle java-1.7.0-oracle |
Now, create a file .java-1.7.0-oracle.jinfo in /usr/lib/jvm with the following contents:
alias=java-7-oracle priority=100 section=non-free jre ControlPanel /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/ControlPanel jre java /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/java jre java_vm /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/java_vm jre javaws /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/javaws jre jcontrol /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/jcontrol jre keytool /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/keytool jre pack200 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/pack200 jre policytool /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/policytool jre rmid /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/rmid jre rmiregistry /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/rmiregistry jre unpack200 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/unpack200 jre orbd /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/orbd jre servertool /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/servertool jre tnameserv /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/tnameserv jre jexec /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/lib/jexec jdk appletviewer /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/appletviewer jdk apt /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/apt jdk extcheck /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/extcheck jdk idlj /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/idlj jdk jar /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jar jdk jarsigner /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jarsigner jdk java-rmi.cgi /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/java-rmi.cgi jdk javac /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/javac jdk javadoc /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/javadoc jdk javah /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/javah jdk javap /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/javap jdk jconsole /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jconsole jdk jdb /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jdb jdk jhat /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jhat jdk jinfo /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jinfo jdk jmap /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jmap jdk jps /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jps jdk jrunscript /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jrunscript jdk jsadebugd /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jsadebugd jdk jstack /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jstack jdk jstat /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jstat jdk jstatd /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jstatd jdk native2ascii /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/native2ascii jdk rmic /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/rmic jdk schemagen /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/schemagen jdk serialver /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/serialver jdk wsgen /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/wsgen jdk wsimport /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/wsimport jdk xjc /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/xjc plugin xulrunner-1.9-javaplugin.so /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/lib/amd64/libnpjp2.so plugin mozilla-javaplugin.so /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/lib/amd64/libnpjp2.so |
After you created the file, you will need to tell the system about your new Java. For this you will have to use a bunch of pretty cryptic commands.
$ sudo -sH update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/lib/xulrunner-addons/plugins/libjavaplugin.so xulrunner-1.9-javaplugin.so /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/lib/amd64/libnpjp2.so 100 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libjavaplugin.so mozilla-javaplugin.so /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/lib/amd64/libnpjp2.so 100 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/appletviewer appletviewer /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/appletviewer 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/appletviewer.1 appletviewer.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/appletviewer.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/apt apt /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/apt 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/apt.1 apt.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/apt.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/extcheck extcheck /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/extcheck 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/extcheck.1 extcheck.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/extcheck.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/idlj idlj /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/idlj 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/idlj.1 idlj.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/idlj.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/jar jar /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jar 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/jar.1 jar.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/jar.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/jarsigner jarsigner /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jarsigner 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/jarsigner.1 jarsigner.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/jarsigner.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/javac javac /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/javac 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/javac.1 javac.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/javac.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/javadoc javadoc /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/javadoc 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/javadoc.1 javadoc.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/javadoc.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/javah javah /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/javah 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/javah.1 javah.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/javah.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/javap javap /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/javap 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/javap.1 javap.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/javap.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/jconsole jconsole /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jconsole 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/jconsole.1 jconsole.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/jconsole.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/jdb jdb /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jdb 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/jdb.1 jdb.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/jdb.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/jhat jhat /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jhat 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/jhat.1 jhat.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/jhat.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/jinfo jinfo /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jinfo 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/jinfo.1 jinfo.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/jinfo.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/jmap jmap /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jmap 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/jmap.1 jmap.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/jmap.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/jps jps /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jps 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/jps.1 jps.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/jps.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/jrunscript jrunscript /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jrunscript 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/jrunscript.1 jrunscript.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/jrunscript.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/jsadebugd jsadebugd /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jsadebugd 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/jsadebugd.1 jsadebugd.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/jsadebugd.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/jstack jstack /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jstack 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/jstack.1 jstack.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/jstack.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/jstat jstat /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jstat 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/jstat.1 jstat.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/jstat.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/jstatd jstatd /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/jstatd 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/jstatd.1 jstatd.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/jstatd.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/native2ascii native2ascii /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/native2ascii 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/native2ascii.1 native2ascii.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/native2ascii.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/rmic rmic /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/rmic 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/rmic.1 rmic.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/rmic.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/schemagen schemagen /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/schemagen 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/schemagen.1 schemagen.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/schemagen.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/serialver serialver /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/serialver 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/serialver.1 serialver.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/serialver.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/wsgen wsgen /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/wsgen 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/wsgen.1 wsgen.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/wsgen.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/wsimport wsimport /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/wsimport 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/wsimport.1 wsimport.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/wsimport.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/xjc xjc /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/xjc 100 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/xjc.1 xjc.1 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/man/man1/xjc.1 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/java-rmi.cgi java-rmi.cgi /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/bin/java-rmi.cgi 100 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/ControlPanel ControlPanel /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/ControlPanel 100 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/java java /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/java 100 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/java_vm java_vm /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/java_vm 100 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/javaws javaws /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/javaws 100 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/jcontrol jcontrol /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/jcontrol 100 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/keytool keytool /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/keytool 100 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/pack200 pack200 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/pack200 100 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/policytool policytool /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/policytool 100 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/rmid rmid /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/rmid 100 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/rmiregistry rmiregistry /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/rmiregistry 100 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/unpack200 unpack200 /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/unpack200 100 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/orbd orbd /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/orbd 100 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/servertool servertool /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/servertool 100 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/tnameserv tnameserv /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/bin/tnameserv 100 update-alternatives --quiet --install /usr/bin/jexec jexec /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/lib/jexec 100 |
At last you can use update-alternatives to select newly installed Java SDK. When you run the first command, make sure that you select the newly installed Java SDK. At the end, don’t forget to exit from the root shell.
# update-alternatives --config java # update-java-alternatives --set java-1.7.0-oracle # exit |
This worked for me and now I am able to switch between the Open JDK and Oracle JDK. Easier than eating pancakes, right? ;)
update-alternatives: error: no alternatives for -javaplugin.so.
This is the output of the last command (update-java-alternatives)
Thanks for the post though – very sad that Oracle is changing its licensing.
Strange, I’ll double check all the lines in case I messed up something while copy/pasting. :>
Are you doing this on Ubuntu 11.10?
Thanks for the great post.
I get the same error. I’m on a clean install of 11.10.
# update-java-alternatives –set java-1.7.0-oracle
update-alternatives: error: no alternatives for -javaplugin.so.
Is something not installed?
This works (it changes /etc/alternatives/java to Oracles Java) but
FYI:
root@home-linux:~# update-alternatives –quiet –install /usr/lib/xulrunner-addons/plugins/libjavaplugin.so xulrunner-1.9-javaplugin.so /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle/jre/lib/amd64/libnpjp2.so 100
update-alternatives: error: unable to make /usr/lib/xulrunner-addons/plugins/libjavaplugin.so.dpkg-tmp a symlink to /etc/alternatives/xulrunner-1.9-javaplugin.so: No such file or directory
This reminds me how much I hate java….
About the recent errors. I was doing my install on a clean 11.10, but I did have OpenJDK installed previously.
I also had OpenJDK installed. Even though I got the error, Firefox and Chrome were both still using the Oracle Java 7.
Clean install of Oneiric here too, but mine seemed to have come with OpenJDK6 by default (DVD iso?).
The last line of my /usr/lib/jvm/.java-1.6.0-openjdk.jinfo seems to indicate the reason.
plugin -javaplugin.so /usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk/jre/lib/amd64/IcedTeaPlugin.so
So…what now?
Thank you very much, that was really easy :D
It worked perfectly, thanks!
Seriously, I don’t know why you are doing this. Just unzip it to opt, and set the path and java home to point to the directories there. I don’t know any developers who would bother to do this the ‘ubuntu way’. None. Nadda. Zip. Zilch. Narry a one. In fact I and anyone I know avoid any of the distributions install packages so that I can just download the java sdk and unzip it to a directory. It makes life simpler and is easier to develop with etc. If you develop you should NEVER set the class path in your system. You lose too much control over your environment. Anyway as much word as you seem to have done, this seems needless and in fact wrong headed. Much like the way distributions seem to want to force their view of java on people. Just wrong.
Well, I can switch between different Java versions with a simple command and I don’t have to deal with class path each time I run a program.
And if you don’t like ‘the ubuntu way’ you can always switch to Arch. ;)