Set JAVA_HOME on Windows, Mac, Linux and Unix

Java is one of the most widely used programming languages in the world, powering countless applications and systems. A crucial step in setting up and running Java applications is configuring the JAVA_HOME environment variable. This variable informs your system of the location of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installed on your machine. In this blog post, you'll learn how to set up JAVA_HOME across different operating systems, including macOS, Windows, Linux, and Unix.

macOS

Follow these steps to set up JAVA_HOME on your Mac:

• Open Terminal.

• Run the following command to open the .bash_profile file in the vi editor:

	 "vi ~/.bash_profile" 

• Add this line to the file:

	export JAVA_HOME=$(/usr/libexec/java_home)

• Save the file and exit the editor.

• Reload the .bash_profile file by running:

source ~/.bash_profile

• Verify that JAVA_HOME is set correctly by running:

echo $JAVA_HOME

Windows

To set up JAVA_HOME on Windows, follow these steps:

• Open the Start menu and type Environment Variables in the search bar.

• Click on Edit the system environment variables.

• In the System Properties window, click the Environment Variables button.

• Under User variables, click New.

• Enter JAVA_HOME as the variable name and provide the path to your Java installation as the variable value.

• Click OK to save the changes.

• To verify, open the Command Prompt and run:

echo %JAVA_HOME%

Linux and Unix

Here's how to set up JAVA_HOME on Linux or Unix:

• Open Terminal.

• Run the following command to open the .bashrc file in the vi editor:

vi ~/.bashrc

• Add this line to the file:

export JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-1.8.0-openjdk-1.8.0.242.b08-0.el7_7.x86_64

• Save the file and exit the editor.

• Reload the .bashrc file by running:

source ~/.bashrc

• Verify that JAVA_HOME is set by running:

echo $JAVA_HOME

Conclusion

Setting up JAVA_HOME is a crucial step for running Java applications on your machine. Although the process varies slightly between operating systems, it’s straightforward and can be completed in just a few steps. Always remember to verify that JAVA_HOME is set correctly by running the appropriate command for your OS.

Happy coding!