Master your Java Environnement with jenv

jenv is for Java,

How It Works

Command Reference

Like git, the jenv command delegates to subcommands based on its first argument. The most common subcommands are:

jenv local

Sets a local application-specific Java version by writing the version name to a .java-version file in the current directory. This version overrides the global version, and can be overridden itself by setting the JENV_VERSION environment variable or with the jenv shell command.

$ jenv local oracle-1.7

When run without a version number, jenv local reports the currently configured local version. You can also unset the local version:

$ jenv local --unset

Previous versions of jenv stored local version specifications in a file named .jenv-version. For backwards compatibility, jenv will read a local version specified in an .jenv-version file, but a .java-version file in the same directory will take precedence.

jenv global

Sets the global version of Java to be used in all shells by writing the version name to the ~/.jenv/version file. This version can be overridden by an application-specific .java-version file, or by setting the JENV_VERSION environment variable.

$ jenv global oracle-1.6

The special version name system tells jenv to use the system Java (detected by searching your $PATH).

When run without a version number, jenv global reports the currently configured global version.

jenv shell

Sets a shell-specific Java version by setting the JENV_VERSION environment variable in your shell. This version overrides application-specific versions and the global version.

$ jenv shell jJava-1.7.1

When run without a version number, jenv shell reports the current value of JENV_VERSION. You can also unset the shell version:

$ jenv shell --unset

Note that you'll need jenv's shell integration enabled (step 3 of the installation instructions) in order to use this command. If you prefer not to use shell integration, you may simply set the JENV_VERSION variable yourself:

$ export JENV_VERSION=oracle-1.6

jenv versions

Lists all Java versions known to jenv, and shows an asterisk next to the currently active version.

$ jenv versions
  oracle-1.6
*  oracle-1.7 (set by /Users/hikage/.jenv/version)

jenv version

Displays the currently active Java version, along with information on how it was set.

$ jenv version
oracle-1.6 (set by /tmp/test/.java-version)

jenv rehash

Installs shims for all Java executables known to jenv (i.e., ~/.jenv/versions/*/bin/*). Run this command after you install a new version of Java.

$ jenv rehash

jenv which

Displays the full path to the executable that jenv will invoke when you run the given command.

$ jenv which java
/Users/sam/.jenv/versions/oracle-1.6/bin/java

jenv whence

Lists all Java versions with the given command installed.

$ jenv whence java
oracle-1.6
oracle-1.7

Development

The jenv source code is hosted on GitHub. It's clean, modular, and easy to understand, even if you're not a shell hacker.

It is based on rbenv.

Please feel free to submit pull requests and file bugs on the issue tracker.

Version History