Ubuntu 12.04 – install sun jdk 6-7

Ubuntu GNU/Linux 12.04 LTS (Precise Pangolin) released. I wanted to manually install the Sun JDK 6 and 7 on Ubuntu.

Updated for Ubuntu GNU/Linux 13.04 (Raring Ringtail).

Updated for Ubuntu GNU/Linux 12.10 (Quantal Quetzal).

Installing Sun JDK 6 on Ubuntu 12.04 / 12.10 / 13.04:

• Download the sun jdk 6 bin from here.
• Make the bin file executeable:

chmod +x jdk-6u32-linux-x64.bin

• Extract the bin file:

./jdk-6u32-linux-x64.bin

• For Ubuntu 13.04: There is no longer a jvm folder in /usr/lib, therefore create jvm folder

sudo mkdir /usr/lib/jvm

• Move extracted folder to this location:

sudo mv jdk1.6.0_38 /usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.6.0_38

• Install new java source in system:

sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/javac javac /usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.6.0_38/bin/javac 1
sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/java java /usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.6.0_38/bin/java 1
sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/javaws javaws /usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.6.0_38/bin/javaws 1

• Choose default java:

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

• java version test:

java -version

• Verify the symlinks all point to the new java location:

ls -la /etc/alternatives/java*

• Enable Java plugin for Mozilla Firefox (even for Chrome)

#for 64-Bit jdk
sudo ln -s /usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.6.0_38/jre/lib/amd64/libnpjp2.so /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins
#for 32-Bit jdk
sudo ln -s /usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.6.0_38/jre/lib/i386/libnpjp2.so /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins

Installing Sun JDK 7 on Ubuntu 12.04 / 12.10 / 13.04:

• Download the sun jdk 7 tar file from here
• Extract the tar file:

tar -xvzf jdk-7u11-linux-x64.tar.gz

• For Ubuntu 13.04: There is no longer a jvm folder in /usr/lib, therefore create jvm folder

sudo mkdir /usr/lib/jvm

• Move extracted folder to this location:

sudo mv jdk1.7.0_11 /usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.7.0_11

• Install new java source in system:

sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/javac javac /usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.7.0_11/bin/javac 1
sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/java java /usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.7.0_11/bin/java 1
sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/javaws javaws /usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.7.0_11/bin/javaws 1

• Choose default java:

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

• java version test:

java -version

• Verify the symlinks all point to the new java location:

ls -la /etc/alternatives/java*

• Enable Java plugin for Mozilla Firefox (even for Chrome)

#for 64-Bit jdk
sudo ln -s /usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.7.0_11/jre/lib/amd64/libnpjp2.so /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins
#for 32-Bit jdk
sudo ln -s /usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.7.0_11/jre/lib/i386/libnpjp2.so /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins

Update: I have added Java Web Start configuration (Thanks Jack).

Update: I have added Java Plugin configuration for Mozilla Firefox even for Chrome (Thanks shetty).

Update: JAVA_HOME configuration: Some tools require JAVA_HOME variable. You can set JAVA_HOME in Ubuntu so simple: Edit the file .bashrc under your home directory and add the following lines: (if .bashrc is hidden, click in Nautilus Menu View > Show Hidden Files)

export JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.7.0_11 or /usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.6.0_38
export PATH=$JAVA_HOME/bin:$PATH

or add this JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/jdk1.7.0_11 in /etc/environment with sudo gedit /etc/environment