Java seems to be put in different places depending on whether you've installed the JRE or the JDK, and also depending on what version you are looking for.
JRE
I recently installed just the JRE for java 1.8.0_40 using the dmg from Oracle. (Ye olde double-click and install method.) This placed java under:/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/JavaAppletPlugin.plugin/Contents/Home/JDK
Find the jdks on the system with:/usr/libexec/java_homeor /usr/libexec/java_home -v 1.8found a directory where my jdks (previously installed) were located. These were under:
/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/Meanwhile, java 1.6 sdk is sitting under
/System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/Setting the default jdk system wide
(Answer provided by Hughes M. on https://stackoverflow.com/questions/21964709/how-to-set-or-change-the-default-java-jdk-version-on-os-x)- leave all JDKs at their default location, under
/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines. The system will pick the highest version by default. - To exclude a JDK from being picked by default, rename its
Contents/Info.plisttoInfo.plist.disabled. That JDK can still be used when$JAVA_HOMEpoints to it, or explicitly referenced in a script or configuration. It will simply be ignored by system'sjavacommand.
Info.plist file.When working in a shell with alternate JDK, pick your method among existing answers (
jenv, or custom aliases/scripts around /usr/libexec/java_home, etc).Setting the default jdk - in a one-off sense
Locate the java versions on the system (see above).export JAVA_HOME=`/usr/libexec/java_home -v 1.8.0_121`
or, if the version is unique, you could use
export JAVA_HOME=`/usr/libexec/java_home -v 1.8`
But don't do that second version if you are planning on having later versions installed but not the default.
