Installing Java 11 on Ubuntu

Ben's Corner

2018-11-10

Up to last month, installing Java 11 was only possible by either:

Installing Oracle’s JDK (HotSpot JVM), with its business and proprietary implications.
Downloading and manually setting up OpenJDK 11.

This still held true after Java 11’s General Availability on Sep. 24 2018.

Last month, OpenJDK’s repository was finally updated with an up-to-date package for Ubuntu using their PPA:

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sudo add-apt-repository ppa:openjdk-r/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt install openjdk-11-jdk

Check with java -version (although java --version should now work, if not you are on an earlier JDK).

If Java was manually set to another version, run:

1	sudo update-alternatives --config java

And either select OpenJDK 11 manually, or choose 0 for auto mode, i.e automatically update when (re)installing JDK packages.