This page contains instructions for installing the Sun Java Development Kit (JDK) for Windows and Linux/UNIX.

Please refer to our Supported Platforms topic for details on the Sun JDK versions which are supported for Confluence.

Installing the Sun JDK on Windows

1. If you are not sure whether you have Sun's JDK installed correctly, please confirm by doing the following:
   • Run a complete directory search (using the 'All File and Folders' option if available) on your drives for the occurrence of 'jdk' in the filename.
     • If your results retrieve a folder with the name 'jdk' immediately followed by a series of version numbers (for example, jdk1.5.0_06), then your Sun JDK has been installed. You should double-check the contents of this folder to ensure that the installation files are intact. If you are unsure about this, proceed to step 2 to re-install the Sun JDK. Otherwise, proceed to step 3 to check that your JAVA_HOME environment variable has been set correctly.
     • If you do not retrieve a result like this, then it is highly likely that your Sun JDK has not been installed.
2. To install the Sun JDK, follow these instructions:
   • Go to the Java Sun download page.
   • Download the version entitled 'JDK 6 Update XX', where 'XX' stands for some number. (Sun will provide the latest version on that page.)
   • When the download has finished, run the Java installer. At one point, you will be asked to choose a directory to install to. Copy or write this directory down for use later.
3. Check that the JAVA_HOME environment variable has been set correctly.
   • Open the 'Start' menu, choose 'Run', type cmd in the 'Run' dialog box and click the 'OK' button.
   • In the command prompt window, type echo %JAVA_HOME% and then press Enter.
   • View the result:
     • If a directory path is display that looks similar to one of the following examples, with the letters 'jdk' immediately preceding a series of version numbers, and this path matches the location where you installed the Sun JDK in step 2, then your Sun JDK has been successfully installed and your JAVA_HOME environment variable has been set correctly.
       Examples of typical JAVA_HOME environment variable values:
       • C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_17
       • C:\Progra~1\Java\jdk1.6.0_17
       • C:\Java\jdk1.6.0_17
       • C:\jdk1.6.0_17
     • If nothing is displayed or you do not see 'jdk' immediately followed by a series of version numbers (like one of the examples above), then you need to set the JAVA_HOME environment variable. Please follow these instructions to set your JAVA_HOME environment variable to the directory you where you have just installed the JDK. By default, this directory is under C:\Program Files\Java.