Java compiler – path – version – java home

http://www.diit.unict.it/users/alongheu/lingtlc/aa1011/lezione03_introjava.pdf

from here

First run /usr/libexec/java_home -V which will output something like the following:
Matching Java Virtual Machines (3): 1.8.0_05, x86_64: "Java SE 8" /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_05.jdk/Contents/Home 1.6.0_65-b14-462, x86_64: "Java SE 6" /System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home 1.6.0_65-b14-462, i386: "Java SE 6" /System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_05.jdk/Contents/Home 

Pick the version you want to be the default (1.6.0_65-b14-462 for arguments sake) then:

export JAVA_HOME=`/usr/libexec/java_home -v 1.6.0_65-b14-462`

or you can specify just the major version, like:

export JAVA_HOME=`/usr/libexec/java_home -v 1.8`

Now when you run java -version you will see:

java version "1.6.0_65"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_65-b14-462-11M4609)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 20.65-b04-462, mixed mode)

Add the export JAVA_HOME… line to your shell’s init file.

For Bash (as stated by antonyh):

export JAVA_HOME=$(/usr/libexec/java_home -v 1.8)

For Fish (as stated by ormurin)

set -x JAVA_HOME (/usr/libexec/java_home -d64 -v1.8)

Updating the .zshrc file should work:

nano ~/.zshrc

export JAVA_HOME=$(/usr/libexec/java_home -v 1.8.0)