How to add java path

How to Add Java to Your System Path

Introduction:

Having Java installed on your system enables you to run and possibly compile Java programs. If your system does not know where to look for it, however, you will not be able to use these features as simply.

Requirements:

Java JDK installed on Windows or Linux.

Procedure:

Windows

Once Java is installed, locate the installation directory, such as:

Next, we have to add the sub-directory \bin to the system’s environment variables. Right-click My Computer, then click Properties, then Advanced System Settings, then Environment Variables. Go to the Path system variable entry, and press Edit. You may see a rather long list here. At the very end, add the following:

If this is not the location of the \bin directory in your Java installation directory, you may change it to your actual path. Press OK. Next, look for the JAVA_HOME system variable in the same Environment Variables list. If it is not there, press New. Name the variable JAVA_HOME, and as the variable value, add:

This is the Java installation directory. Again, if this is not correct, you will need to use the appropriate path. Press OK. Now, from a command line, type one of the following:

At this point, you should see the help information for both commands, instead of:

Linux

Upon gaining access to the command line interface (CLI), locate the installation directory of Java. Once this is done, type the following:

Then, once the .bashrc configuration file is open, press i

This will bring you into insert mode. Once you are in it, move the arrows around until you get to the end of the file. Then, type the following:

The first directory should be the path to the bin directory in the jdk. The second path should be the bin directory in the jre. Then, type the “escape” button, followed by:

Upon restart, you will have Java in your path, set by your environment variables.

PATH and CLASSPATH

This section explains how to use the PATH and CLASSPATH environment variables on Microsoft Windows, Solaris, and Linux. Consult the installation instructions included with your installation of the Java Development Kit (JDK) software bundle for current information.

After installing the software, the JDK directory will have the structure shown below.

The bin directory contains both the compiler and the launcher.

Update the PATH Environment Variable (Microsoft Windows)

You can run Java applications just fine without setting the PATH environment variable. Or, you can optionally set it as a convenience.

The PATH environment variable is a series of directories separated by semicolons ( ; ). Microsoft Windows looks for programs in the PATH directories in order, from left to right. You should have only one bin directory for the JDK in the path at a time (those following the first are ignored), so if one is already present, you can update that particular entry.

The following is an example of a PATH environment variable:

It is useful to set the PATH environment variable permanently so it will persist after rebooting. To make a permanent change to the PATH variable, use the System icon in the Control Panel. The precise procedure varies depending on the version of Windows:

Update the PATH Variable (Solaris and Linux)

To find out if the path is properly set, execute:

This will print the version of the java tool, if it can find it. If the version is old or you get the error java: Command not found, then the path is not properly set.

To set the path permanently, set the path in your startup file.

For C shell ( csh ), edit the startup file (

Then load the startup file and verify that the path is set by repeating the java command:

For C shell ( csh ):

Checking the CLASSPATH variable (All platforms)

The CLASSPATH variable is one way to tell applications, including the JDK tools, where to look for user classes. (Classes that are part of the JRE, JDK platform, and extensions should be defined through other means, such as the bootstrap class path or the extensions directory.)

To check whether CLASSPATH is set on Microsoft Windows NT/2000/XP, execute the following:

On Solaris or Linux, execute the following:

If CLASSPATH is not set you will get a CLASSPATH: Undefined variable error (Solaris or Linux) or simply %CLASSPATH% (Microsoft Windows NT/2000/XP).

How To Set Java, JRE and JDK Home Path and Environment Variables On Windows?

Java is a very popular programming language which provides a different component in order to run, develop Java applications. JRE or Java Runtime Environment is used to run Java application. JDK or Java Development Kit is used to develop Java applications. In this tutorial, we will learn how to set up Java, JRE, and JDK operating system path variables in order to work properly.

Locate JRE or JDK Path

Before starting the configuration we have to locate the JRE or JDK path. JRE or JDK generally installed on the Program Files or Program Files(x86) directory under the Java directory like below.

Locate JRE or JDK Path

and under the Java directory the JDK is residing.

Locate JRE or JDK Path

Set Java HOME_PATH Environment Variable

Open System Properties

In the system properties, we will navigate to the Advanced tab which provides the Environment Variables button like below.

Open Environment Variables

Below we can see the environment variables menu where we will create the JAVA_HOME system variable and set the path accordingly. We click to the New in order to create a new system variable.

Create New System Variable

Here we will set the Variable Name as JAVA_HOME and the Variable Value the path or Java, JRE or JDK which is C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-12 in this example. Then we will click OK.

Set JAVA Executable Path

Here we click to New which will add a new line to the existing values.

Here we will set the bin folder path which is C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-12\bin in this example.

Add Path System Variable

Then we will click OK and OK in the environment variables screen which will save and activated new path configuration.

Check Java Is Working

3 thoughts on “How To Set Java, JRE and JDK Home Path and Environment Variables On Windows?”

What is the point in setting the JAVA_HOME to the path to the jdk install folder path if you then edit the Path variable and add the full path to the jdk bin folder? Shouldn’t you make use of the JAVA_HOME variable and add %JAVA_HOME%\bin to the Path instead.

@James Coffey, maybe the point of setting JAVA_HOME is just in preparation for GlassFish:
https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19182-01/820-7851/inst_cli_jdk_javahome_t/index.html
Still, the author could make use of it in Path as you say, but maybe the author is just trying to keep it simple.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU SAVED MY LIFE. I need to use java in jupyter

How to Set Java Path in Windows and Linux?

PATH is an environment variable that is used by Operating System to locate the exe files (.exe) or java binaries ( java or javac command). The path once it is set, cannot be overridden. The PATH variable prevents us from having to write out the entire path to a program on the Command Line Interface every time we run it. Moreover, the path is just a variable that stores a bunch of shortcuts.

To execute java console-based programs in windows or Linux environments we have to use java and javac commands. The commands java, javac are not known to the operating system as we don’t specify where the executables reside. Hence, we need to specify the path where the executables are located. This is the reason we set the path and specify the path of the bin folder because the bin contains all binary executable files. After setting the path it can load all necessary items in the program including the compiler or interpreter itself.

Below is the procedure for setting the path for both Windows and Linux:

Setting Java Path in Windows

1. Go to the Search box and type advanced system settings in it. Now click on the View advanced system settings.

2. Select the Advanced tab and then click environment variables.

3. In the system, variables click the New button. Now in the edit system variable, type variable name as JAVA_PATH and variable path as the path where the JDK folder is saved and click on OK button Usually the path of the JDK file will be C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_60.

4. Now in the system variables go to the path and click the edit button.

5. Click the New button.

6. Now add the following path: %JAVA_HOME%\bin

How To Install Java on Windows 10 Step by Step

Azhwani • Jun 19, 2022 • java • 6 mins read

Table of Contents [ Show ]

In this short tutorial, we’re going to take a close look at how to install Java on Windows 10.

We’ll first start with a little insight into how to download Java. Then, we’ll explain how to install it on Windows 10. Then, we’re going to see how to properly set JAVA_HOME environment variable.

Lastly, we’ll highlight different ways to check Java and JDK versions on Windows 10.

So, let’s get started

Download Java for Windows 10

In this section, we’re going to cover in-depth all the steps required to download Java for Windows 10.

As a matter of fact, downloading Java is a piece of cake. It’s just a matter of a few clicks and simple one-time steps.

First, we need to visit the official oracle download page and choose the right release for the Java SE Platform. At this point in time, the latest version is Java 18.

Secondarily, we need to click on the Windows tab.

Bear in mind that Oracle has dropped the support for 32 bit systems. As a result, we can use Java SE only in 64 bit machines.

Oracle offers three options to install Java on Windows. We can use a compressed archive file, a x64 Installer or a x64 MSI Installer.

For instance, let’s choose the x64 Installer option:

Before Java 17, we had to accept the Oracle Technology Network License Agreement to proceed to the next step, which is not the case for Java 18

Lastly, a simple click on the download link will do the job. Easy, right?

Install Java on Windows 10

Now that we downloaded Java for Windows 10, let’s see how to install it.

Basically, the process of installing Java on Windows 10 is pretty easy and simple.

In general, we don’t need to change anything during the installation, we can go with the default settings and follow the suggested instructions.

Firstly, we need to double click on the downloaded installer file to start the installation process:

Secondarily, we click Next to continue:

Note that, “C:\Program Files\Java\” is the default Java installation folder! However, we can always change it if we want that.

Then, we keep hitting Next until the installation is complete:

Finally, we close the installer wizard to complete the installation.

Set Java Path in Windows 10

Now that we have installed Java with success, it’s time to proceed to the next step.

In this short chapter, we’re going to dive deep into how to set JAVA_HOME environment variable on Windows 10.

Add JAVA_HOME

The basic idea behind setting the Java Path is to make all the Java commands like java and javac accessible from everywhere. That way, we can run Java programs from anywhere.

Please note that, JAVA_HOME should point to the JDK not the JRE.

First, let’s open the Advanced System Settings. To do that, we just need to press Windows key + Pause Key.

Alternatively, we can type View advanced system settings in the search box.

Once the System Properties window is opened, we click on Environment Variables:

Secondarily, we click on the New button to create a new environment variable with JAVA_HOME as name and the path to the JDK directory as value:

As we can see, the JAVA_HOME environment variable points to the JDK folder which C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-18.0.1.1 is in our case.

Append JAVA_HOME to PATH

Next, we need to update the PATH variable by adding a new entry for %JAVA_HOME\bin%:

Finally, we can click OK to save and apply the changes.

That’s all we can say about downloading and installing java on windows 10. Now, we’re ready to write our first Java program.

Check Java Version on Windows 10

There are multiple ways that we can use to check Java version on Windows 10. The most obvious and basic way is to use the terminal.

The output means that Java is properly installed on our operating system.

Alternatively, we can type “Java” in the search box and click on “About Java”:

Please bear in mind that multiple versions of JDK can be installed on the same on Windows 10 machine. So, it’s important to make sure the JAVA_HOME environment variable points to the right JDK release.

Let’s open a new command prompt and type:

As show above, the environment variable JAVA_HOME points to the directory of the lastest JDK version.

Another important thing to note here is that the JDK version can be different from the JRE version on the same machine.

Please keep in mind that we need always to check for new Java updates and install them to keep our machines up-to-date with the latest releases.

In case you want to check how to enable Java on Chrome and other browsers, feel free to take a look at this article: https://devwithus.com/enable-java-chrome/

Write First Java Program

Now that we installed Java, let’s see how to create our first Java program.

To do so, let’s open an IDE or a text editor of your choice, for example, Notepad++, and create a new file (ctrl+n).

Next, we need to append the following code in our newely created file:

Now, let’s save our file anywhere we want under the name: HelloTest.java

In order to execute our Java program, we need to compile it first. So, let’s open a terminal and type:

As we can see, javac creates a new file with the name HelloTest.class. This means that the compilation phase is done with success.

Lastly, let’s run our Java program using the java command:

Please bear in mind that we don’t need to specify the extension when executing a Java file.

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve explained how to tackle the challenge of downloading and installing Java on Windows 10. Then, we’ve seen how to add JAVA_HOME and append %JAVA_HOME\bin% to the Path.

Lastly, we have showcased how to verify and check the installed Java version.

Thanks for reading. Have a nice day!

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