How to Upgrade Oracle Java on Ubuntu Linux

Become root user and copy the new compressed Oracle Java binaries from our download directory to /usr/local/java

1. Type/Copy/Paste: cd /home/"your_user_name"/Downloads
2. Type/Copy/Paste: sudo cp -r jdk-7u40-linux-i586.tar.gz /usr/local/java
3. Type/Copy/Paste: sudo cp -r jre-7u40-linux-i586.tar.gz /usr/local/java
4. Type/Copy/Paste: cd /usr/local/java

Next we are going to unpack our new version of Oracle Java binaries, in the directory /usr/local/java

1. Type/Copy/Paste: sudo tar xvzf jdk-7u40-linux-i586.tar.gz
2. Type/Copy/Paste: sudo tar xvzf jre-7u40-linux-i586.tar.gz

Become root user and copy the new compressed Oracle Java binaries from our download directory to /usr/local/java

1. Type/Copy/Paste: cd /home/"your_user_name"/Downloads
2. Type/Copy/Paste: sudo -s cp -r jdk-7u40-linux-x64.tar.gz /usr/local/java
3. Type/Copy/Paste: sudo -s cp -r jre-7u40-linux-x64.tar.gz /usr/local/java
4. Type/Copy/Paste: cd /usr/local/java

Next we are going to unpack our new version of Oracle Java binaries, in the directory /usr/local/java

1. Type/Copy/Paste: sudo tar xvzf jdk-7u40-linux-x64.tar.gz
2. Type/Copy/Paste: sudo tar xvzf jre-7u40-linux-x64.tar.gz

At this point you should have two new uncompressed binary directories in /usr/local/java for the Java JDK/JRE listed as:

jdk1.7.0_40
jre1.7.0_40

Along with:

jdk1.7.0_25
jre1.7.0_25

Edit the system PATH file /etc/profile and add the following system variables to your system path. Use gedit, nano or any other text editor, as root, and open up /etc/profile

1. Type/Copy/Paste: sudo gedit /etc/profile
   or
2. Type/Copy/Paste: sudo nano /etc/profile

Scroll down using your arrow keys to the end of the file and add the following lines below to the end of your /etc/profile file in Ubuntu Linux,at this point you are going to be changing the version numbers from the old Oracle Java to the new version of Java, you will change the versions numbers in the following system PATH file /etc/profile:

Modify the /etc/profile file:
JAVA_HOME=/usr/local/java/jdk1.7.0_25
PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin:$JAVA_HOME/bin
JRE_HOME=/usr/local/java/jre1.7.0_25
PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin:$JRE_HOME/bin
export JAVA_HOME
export JRE_HOME
export PATH

Change to this:
JAVA_HOME=/usr/local/java/jdk1.7.0_40
PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin:$JAVA_HOME/bin
JRE_HOME=/usr/local/java/jre1.7.0_40
PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin:$JRE_HOME/bin
export JAVA_HOME
export JRE_HOME
export PATH

Save the file and exit

Inform your Ubuntu Linux system where your Oracle Java JRE/JDK is located, now you will want to update the system to use Oracle Java 1.7.0_40

1. Type/Copy/Paste: sudo update-alternatives --install "/usr/bin/java" "java" "/usr/local/java/jre1.7.0_40/bin/java" 1
2. Type/Copy/Paste: sudo update-alternatives --install "/usr/bin/javac" "javac" "/usr/local/java/jdk1.7.0_40/bin/javac" 1
3. Type/Copy/Paste: sudo update-alternatives --install "/usr/bin/javaws" "javaws" "/usr/local/java/jre1.7.0_40/bin/javaws" 1

Inform your Ubuntu Linux system, that Oracle Java JRE 1.7.0_40 must be the new default Java

1. Type/Copy/Paste: sudo update-alternatives --set java /usr/local/java/jre1.7.0_40/bin/java
2. Type/Copy/Paste: sudo update-alternatives --set javac /usr/local/java/jdk1.7.0_40/bin/javac
3. Type/Copy/Paste: sudo update-alternatives --set javaws /usr/local/java/jre1.7.0_40/bin/javaws

Reload your system wide PATH /etc/profile by typing the following command:

1. Type/Copy/Paste: . /etc/profile
2. Note your system wide PATH /etc/profile file will reload after reboot of your Ubuntu Linux system

Test to see if the new version of Oracle Java was installed correctly on your system by running the following commands and noting the version number of the new Java update.

1. Type/Copy/Paste: java -version
   1. this command displays the version of Java running on your system

You should receive a message which displays:

1. java version "1.7.0_40"
   
   Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_40-b08)Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build build 25.1-b02, mixed mode)
2. Type/Copy/Paste: javac -version
3. this command lets you know that you are now able to compile java programs from the terminal
   1. You should receive a message which displays:
4. javac 1.7.0_40

Afterwards, you have the option of removing the old Oracle Java JDK/JRE, by simply removing the directory's which hold the old Java JDK/JRE binaries.

1. Type/Copy/Paste: cd /usr/local/java
2. Type/Copy/Paste: sudo rm -rf jdk1.7.0_40
3. Type/Copy/Paste: sudo rm -rf jre1.7.0_40