2.3.3. Installation Procedures


Procedure 2.3. Installing Java

Follow this procedure to install and set up a supported Java version:
  1. Subscribe your system to the appropriate channel:
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Supplementary for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Supplementary for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Supplementary for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
  2. On the command line, as the root user run the command to install Java 1.6 or 1.7:
    • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, execute the yum install command to install Java 1.6:
      # yum install java-1.6.0-<VENDOR>-devel
      Substitute <VENDOR> with sun, ibm, or openjdk.
      Execute the following variation of the listed command to install Java 1.7:
      # yum install java-1.7.0-<VENDOR>-devel
      Substitute <VENDOR> with oracle, ibm, or openjdk.
  3. Run the following commands as the root user (if switching from another user, make sure to run the command su -) to make sure the correct JDK is in use:
    # alternatives --config java
    # alternatives --config javac
    These commands return lists of available JDK versions with the version in use marked with a plus (+) sign. If the set JDK is not the desired option, switch to the right JDK as instructed on the command line.

    Important

    Any software that makes use of the java and javac commands is using the JDK set by alternatives. Switching java alternatives may negatively influence running of such software.
  4. Install the required packages (see Section 2.3.2, “ZIP Installation Prerequisites”)
Red Hat logoGithubredditYoutubeTwitter

Learn

Try, buy, & sell

Communities

About Red Hat Documentation

We help Red Hat users innovate and achieve their goals with our products and services with content they can trust. Explore our recent updates.

Making open source more inclusive

Red Hat is committed to replacing problematic language in our code, documentation, and web properties. For more details, see the Red Hat Blog.

About Red Hat

We deliver hardened solutions that make it easier for enterprises to work across platforms and environments, from the core datacenter to the network edge.

Theme

© 2026 Red Hat
Back to top