If you’re a developer or a system administrator, checking the version of Java installed on your Linux system is a common task. With multiple versions available and frequent updates, it’s important to know which version you’re currently using. This blog post will guide you through the process of checking the Java version in Linux.
Using the Terminal
The easiest way to check your Java version is by using the terminal. You can open the terminal in most Linux distributions by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T.
Step 1: Open the Terminal
Once you have the terminal open, you can check the Java version by typing the following command:
java -version
After you press Enter, the terminal should display the Java version installed on your system. The output should look something like this:
openjdk version "1.8.0_232"
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_232-b09)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.232-b09, mixed mode)
Step 2: Interpret the Output
The first line of the output provides the version of Java that’s installed. In the example above, the version is 1.8.0_232.
Step 3: Updating Java
If you find that your version of Java is out-of-date, you can update it using the package manager of your Linux distribution. For Ubuntu, you can do this by typing the following commands:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
These commands will update all packages on your system, including Java.
Conclusion
Checking the Java version on your Linux system is simple and quick. Whether you’re troubleshooting an issue or just keeping your system up-to-date, knowing how to check your Java version is a useful skill.