Discover the Secret to Running Java Programs on Your Raspberry Pi: Step-by-Step Guide for Installing JDK!

Are you a Java developer looking to run Java programs on your Raspberry Pi? Well, you’ve come to the right place! In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through the installation of the Java Development Kit (JDK) on your Raspberry Pi.

What is JDK?

Before we begin, let’s take a quick look at what JDK is. JDK is a software development environment used to create Java applications. It includes a Java Runtime Environment (JRE), compilers, debuggers, and other tools needed for Java development. JDK is available for various operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS.

Prerequisites

Before installing JDK on your Raspberry Pi, make sure you have the following:

  • Raspberry Pi
  • An internet connection
  • A keyboard and mouse
  • A monitor or display (Optional)

Installing JDK on Raspberry Pi

Follow these steps to install JDK on your Raspberry Pi:

  1. Open the terminal on your Raspberry Pi by clicking on the terminal icon or pressing Ctrl+Alt+T.

  2. Update the package list by typing the following command in the terminal:

    sudo apt-get update

  3. Install JDK by typing the following command:

    sudo apt-get install default-jdk

  4. After installation is complete, verify the installation by checking the Java version. Type the following command in the terminal:

    java -version

    If the installation is successful, you should see the Java version number in the output.

Conclusion

That’s it! You’ve successfully installed JDK on your Raspberry Pi. Now you can run Java programs on your Raspberry Pi. We hope this guide has been helpful in getting you started with Java development on your Raspberry Pi. Happy coding!

The Java programming language was first released back in 1995, and since then it has grown to become a giant among giants. According to Oracle, there are more than 9 million Java developers worldwide. And because of Android, there are millions of smartphones which run Java, while simultaneously every Blu-ray player in the world ships with Java. Last, but not least, Java is available for the Raspberry Pi!

To install Java 8 on your Pi use the following command:

To check that everything installed OK, type:

The output shows that Java 1.8.0 has been installed. 1.8 means Java 8. The initial releases of Java were all “point” releases: 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4. But in 2004 when Java 1.5 was released, it was marketed as Java 5; however, 1.5 still remained the internal version number. So 1.5 is Java 5, 1.6 is Java 6, 1.7 is Java 7, and 1.8 is Java 8.

Now to write a simple Java program. Create a file called “Hello.java” using nano:

The capital “H” is important, so be sure you type “Hello.java” and not “hello.java”. Copy and paste the following code into the file:

In Java, the public class name must be the same as the file name. This makes it easier to find classes when you have big programs. If you need to find the class “TheNetworkListener,” then it will be in the file “TheNetworkListener.java,” and so on.

To compile the program type:

If the compilation was successful then there will be no output. But if the program has errors, then they will be displayed.

To run the program type:

The output will be the string “Hello Make Tech Easier”

Congratulations, you have now written and run your first Java program on a Raspberry Pi.

You can also write GUI programs with Java. There are integrated development environments (IDE) like NetBeans, which allow you to design Java desktop applications graphically. But it is also possible to write GUI programs using just a text editor.

Create a file called “HelloDialog.java” with nano:

Copy and paste the following code:

Make sure you have the Raspberry Pi desktop running (using “startx” if necessary). Compile the program using “javac HelloDialog.java” and run it using “java HelloDialog“.

The program uses Java’s GUI widget toolkit called Swing. All it does is show a message dialog box. However, more complex programs can be written using Swing. Create a file called “SimpleSwing.java” and edit it with nano. Copy and paste the following code into the file.

The program is quite simple; however, it does show that you can create a window with a title. The window can be resized and closed, just as you would expect. This is the building block for more complex applications.

There are lots of tutorials online about the Java programming language. Here is a small selection:

  • Getting Started
  • Learning the Java Language
  • Essential Java Classes
  • Introduction to Java programming – Tutorial
  • Introduction to Programming Using Java

If you have any problems with the examples given above or with getting Java to work on the Raspberry Pi, then please feel free to leave a comment below and we will see if we can help.

Gary has been a technical writer, author and blogger since 2003. He is an expert in open source systems (including Linux), system administration, system security and networking protocols. He also knows several programming languages, as he was previously a software engineer for 10 years. He has a Bachelor of Science in business information systems from a UK University.

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