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Operating system

JavaOptionsCli is designed specifically for Debian-based Linux distributions. This includes:
  • Ubuntu
  • Debian
  • Linux Mint
  • Pop!_OS
  • Elementary OS
  • Other Debian derivatives
The tool relies on update-alternatives, which is specific to Debian-based systems. It will not work on Red Hat-based (Fedora, CentOS) or Arch-based distributions without modifications.

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Essential dependencies

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sudo privileges

You must have sudo access to run JavaOptionsCli. The tool requires elevated privileges for:
  • Creating and managing the /opt/java directory
  • Registering Java versions with update-alternatives
  • Moving extracted Java installations to system directories

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update-alternatives

The update-alternatives command must be available on your system. This is typically pre-installed on all Debian-based distributions. To verify it’s available: 
which update-alternatives
Expected output: /usr/bin/update-alternatives
JavaOptionsCli uses update-alternatives to manage java, javac, and jar binaries, allowing seamless switching between multiple Java versions.

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Optional dependencies

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lsd (LSDeluxe)

The tool uses lsd for enhanced directory listings when displaying installed Java versions. While optional, it provides a better user experience. Install lsd: 
sudo apt install lsd
Or download from the official repository.
If lsd is not installed, the tool will still function but you’ll see error messages when listing Java versions. Consider installing it for the best experience.

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Directory structure

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/opt/java

All Java versions are installed to /opt/java. The tool will automatically create this directory if it doesn’t exist. Example structure: 
/opt/java/
├── jdk-17.0.1/
│   └── bin/
│       ├── java
│       ├── javac
│       └── jar
├── jdk-21.0.2/
│   └── bin/
│       ├── java
│       ├── javac
│       └── jar
└── jdk-11.0.18/
    └── bin/
        ├── java
        ├── javac
        └── jar

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Working directory

You must run JavaOptionsCli from the same directory where your Java .tar.gz files are located.
The tool expects to find the tar.gz file in the current working directory. If you run it from a different location, the installation will fail.

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Pre-installation checklist

Before using JavaOptionsCli, ensure:
  • Running a Debian-based Linux distribution
  • Have sudo privileges
  • update-alternatives is available
  • (Optional) lsd is installed for better output
  • Downloaded Java .tar.gz files are in your current directory
  • Have write permissions in /opt (through sudo)

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