How to install a specific JDK on Mac OS X?

Question

I want to install a specific JDK (the latest for example). For this, I went to the JDK download homepage: http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp. I looked for a Mac version, but I'm a bit surprised to only see downloadable versions for Linux, Windows and Solaris...

Here's the message for Mac:

"Apple Computer supplies their own version of Java. Use the Software Update feature (available on the Apple menu) to check that you have the most up-to-date version of Java for your Mac."

OK BUT... when I update Java with Mac I have a JRE and not a JDK...

I don't understand why a JDK version doesn't exist that is easily downloadable/installable (like a jar to unzip?) for Mac...

Answer 1

In a comment under @Thilo's answer, @mobibob asked how to set JAVA_HOME in your .bash_profile on a Mac. Answer:

export JAVA_HOME=`/usr/libexec/java_home` 

This will dynamically assign to JAVA_HOME the location of the first JDK listed in the "General" tab of "Java Preferences" utility.

See Apple Technical Q&A 1170: https://developer.apple.com/library/content/qa/qa1170/_index.html

EDIT:

If you prefer parentheses to backticks for command substitution, this also works:

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

Answer 2

The explanation is that JDK is a bit specific and does not contain the library tools.jar. For my development, I need this library and Mac's JDK doesn't provide it:

(Cf. http://developer.apple.com/mac/library/documentation/Java/Conceptual/Java14Development/02-JavaDevTools/JavaDevTools.html)

tools.jar does not exist. Classes usually located here are instead included in classes.jar. Scripts that rely on the existence of tools.jar need to be rewritten accordingly.

It sucks!

Answer 3

For people using any LION OS X 10.7.X

They uploaded Java SE 6 version 1.6.0_26 available here

http://support.apple.com/kb/dl1421

Answer 4

If you installed brew, cmd below will be helpful:

brew cask install java