Installing Java

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Before you begin

Please skip these instructions if you intend to use or have used the Windows Installer or Linux Installer to install JIRA, since these executable files will install and configure their own JRE to run JIRA.

Check out your Java version

Before you proceed to install Java check whether it's already installed by following these instructions:

1. Check out the list of Java versions supported by JIRA here.

2. Download Oracle's JDK/JRE from Oracle's website.

   
   

   Check your Java version on Linux and Mac OS X

   ~$ java -version

   java version "1.8.0_60"
   Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_60-b27)
   Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.60-b23, mixed mode)

   Note

   Linux distributions frequently have an open-source implementation of Java called GCJ installed. Do not use this Java platform — it is incomplete and JIRA will not run successfully on it.

   Check your Java version on Windows

   Windows 8

   1. Right-click on the screen at bottom-left corner and choose the Control Panel from the pop-up menu.
   2. When the Control Panel appears, select Programs
   3. Click Programs and Features
   4. The installed Java version(s) are listed.

   Windows 7 and Vista

   1. Click Start
   2. Select Control Panel
   3. Select Programs
   4. Click Programs and Features
   5. The installed Java version(s) are listed.

   Windows XP

   1. Click Start
   2. Select Control Panel
   3. Click the Add/Remove Programs control panel icon
   4. The Add/Remove control panel displays a list of software on your system, including any Java versions that are on your computer.

Setting the JAVA_HOME

Follow these instructions if you have to install Java on your computer:

1. Once the JDK or JRE is installed, set the JAVA_HOME environment variable, whose value is the root directory of the JDK/JRE. Some JDK/JRE installers set this automatically.

2. Type 'echo %JAVA_HOME%' in a Windows command prompt, or 'echo $JAVA_HOME' in a Linux/UNIX console).
   
   

   Installing JAVA_HOME on Linux

   Linux-based computers

   On many Linux-based computers, the JAVA_HOME environment variable is set in the /etc/environment file.

   If JAVA_HOME is not defined in this file, you can set it using the following command at a shell prompt, when logged in with 'root' level permissions:

   • echo JAVA_HOME="path/to/JAVA_HOME" >> /etc/environment

   If, however, JAVA_HOME is already defined in this file, open the /etc/environment file in a text editor and modify its value to the appropriate path/to/JAVA_HOME — that is:

   • JAVA_HOME="path/to/JAVA_HOME"
   Installing JAVA_HOME on Mac OS X

   Mac OS X 

   On many Linux-based computers, the JAVA_HOME environment variable is set in the ~/.bash_profile file.

   If JAVA_HOME is not defined in this file, you can set it using the following command at a shell prompt, when logged in with 'root' level permissions:

   echo JAVA_HOME="path/to/JAVA_HOME" >> ~/.bash_profile

   If, however, JAVA_HOME is already defined in this file, open the ~/.bash_profile file in a text editor and modify its value to the appropriate path/to/JAVA_HOME — that is:

   • JAVA_HOME="path/to/JAVA_HOME"
   Installing JAVA_HOME on Windows

   Windows-based computers

   If this environment variable is not set on a Windows-based computer, you can set it in the Control Panel using the following procedure:

   1. Open the Windows 'Advanced' system properties dialog box:
      • On Windows XP-based operating systems, right-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop (or via the Start menu), select 'Properties' and click the 'Advanced' tab.
      • On Windows 7-based operating systems, right-click the Computer icon on your desktop (or via the Start menu), select 'Properties', click 'Advanced system settings', select 'Properties' and click the 'Advanced' tab.
   2. Click the Environment Variables button.
   3. Click one of the New buttons (to define a new environment variable for your user account, or if available, system-wide).
   4. Type JAVA_HOME as the variable name and the directory where you installed Java.
      
      
      
      

      Please note the following details:

      • The default path for the bundled JRE with JIRA is C:\Program Files\Atlassian\JIRA\jre. If using a 32-bit install in 64-bit system, this would be C:\Program Files (x86)\Atlassian\JIRA\jre.

      • If the installation path contains spaces, use the shortened path name, for example: C:\Progra~1\Java\jdk1.8.0_91

      • For Windows users on 64-bit systems:

        • Progra~1 = 'Program Files'

        • Progra~2 = 'Program Files(x86)'

   5. After clicking the required 'OK' buttons to save your changes, your JAVA_HOME environment variable should be available in a new command prompt window. If not or if necessary, restart your computer.
      

Confirming that Java works

1. Check if Java has been correctly installed by following these instructions:

   Check your Java version on Linux and Mac OS X

   ~$ java -version

   java version "1.8.0_60"
   Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_60-b27)
   Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.60-b23, mixed mode)

   Check your Java version on Windows

   Windows 8

   1. Right-click on the screen at bottom-left corner and choose the Control Panel from the pop-up menu.
   2. When the Control Panel appears, select Programs
   3. Click Programs and Features
   4. The installed Java version(s) are listed.

   Windows 7 and Vista

   1. Click Start
   2. Select Control Panel
   3. Select Programs
   4. Click Programs and Features
   5. The installed Java version(s) are listed.

   Windows XP

   1. Click Start
   2. Select Control Panel
   3. Click the Add/Remove Programs control panel icon
   4. The Add/Remove control panel displays a list of software on your system, including any Java versions that are on your computer.

 If you subsequently start JIRA and you receive an error like Windows cannot find '-Xms128m', then you may not have correctly set JAVA_HOME. Please verify step 2 of the procedure above.