I have downloaded:

jdk-7u4-linux-x64.tar.gx.

How do I install this???

You mean ......tar.gz (I hope)

Also, if you want to install the java runtime, you need jre, not jdk

first, you extract using this:

tar -xzvf <filename>

The result will usually include some kind of "README" or other documentation


BUT---is java not available using your package manager?

Yes gz (typo)

I have installed eclipse and when I launch it it says:

Incompatible JVM (as superuser)
Version 1.4.2 of the JVM is not suitable for this product. Version 1.5 or greater is required"

The readme jsut says to go their website and view the licencereadme file.

OK Now I have it extracted into a folder jdk1.7.0_04

How do I make this the default java install directory??

I'm not sure what did you mean by 'the default java install directory' but you may want setting/exporting your JAVA_HOME env variable to this directory so eclipse would know that this version is in place.

I don't think you would.....i assume that it is a directory with files and instructions for installing TO the appropriate place. An installer will often prompt you for this. FWIW-mine is in /usr/lib and /usr/bin

So--is there a "README" or other documentation in that new folder?

I have done the following:
1. Downloaded jre-7u4-linux-x64.tar.gz from oracle.com
2. Extracted it and changed my JAVA_HOME env variable to where I extracted it to: /home/myusername/java/jrel.7.0_04/

But when I now try to launch eclipse I still get the original error!!!

Any othere ideas??

Thanks for your help ..

When you execute 'java -version' from the shell what did you get?

Also, can you tell us what GNU/Linux Distro is this? Maybe you need to export it to your PATH. Something like this:

re: java -version

java version "1.4.2"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 2.3)
IBM J9 VM (build 2.3, J2RE 1.4.2 IBM J9 2.3 Linux amd64-64 j9vmxa64142ifx-20110628 (JIT enabled)
J9VM - 20110627_85693_LHdSMr
JIT - 20090210_1447ifx5_r8
GC - 200902_24)


re: what GNU/Linux Distro is this?
cat /etc/SuSE-release
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 (x86_64)
VERSION = 11
PATCHLEVEL = 2

re: export PATH=$PATH:/home/myusername/java/jrel.7.0_04/bin

I did this and still the same error unfort

Thanks

Here is what I do:
First, you can use the tar/gz file, but I usually just get the binary and run it as root. I usually create a java directory in /usr unless I'm working with the production servers where sysops makes me put it in /usr/local. No big deal either way.

This is what I usually do.
Now that java stack is created, I've got one jdk1.6.0_24, path looks like this:
/usr/java/jdk1.6.0_24/all the java stuff in here

Create a symbolic link: /usr/java/jdk -> /usr/java/jdk1.6.0_24/
Create env variable in profile: JAVA_HOME=/usr/java/jdk

Add to path in profile $JAVA_HOME/jre/bin:$JAVA_HOME/bin

Now you've got java, javac, keytool, jps, etc. all working.

The jdk sym link is good because it simplifies updating your java. No one needs update their profile when updates are made, you just repoint sym link.



Regarding your question about default java.

Enter: which java

For me, using Fedora, I get back /usr/bin/java.

Do a "file" on that, and it shows that it is a symbolic link to the ootb java. After installing new java, I drop and reset that symbolic link to my new java location: JAVA_HOME/jre/bin/java
The good thing about doing this is that any user will run the same version since /usr/bin is usually automatically part of the path. If you want, create sym links in /usr/bin for javac as well, javaws, etc.

So, you've added jre1.7.0_04/bin to your path and java -version still shows version 1.4.2? It should show 'java version "1.7.0_04"' instead.

Anyhow, if it is showing the new version then for some reason eclipse is still seeing the old java version. Can you try running eclipse with the '-vm' option specified on command line and see if it will work. Something like:

Ok I see that the old java path is in my PATH like so:


echo $PATH
/sbin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/sbin:/root/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/bin/X11:/usr/X11R6/bin:/usr/games:/usr/lib64/jvm/jre/bin:/usr/lib/mit/bin:/usr/lib/mit/sbin:/home/myusername/java/jrel.7.0_04/bin

How do I remove this from my path??

Thanks

That would be something like this:

replacing '/var/tmp/jre-7u4/jre1.7.0_04/bin/' with the actual path you want removed.

hope that helps

re: PATH=$(echo $PATH | sed -e 's#:/usr/lib64/jvm/jre/bin/##')

The path did not get removed...

Thanks

Ohh, yes it did get removed here. Please take a look:

I'm not saying yours is not but mine is def not getting removed