How to remove Java 10? Or revert to the previous version

java

The Java updater on my Mac installed an obscure version of Java 10.0.1 which I never heard before. The result is that ALL my java apps are not running anymore, which makes Java pointless.

The official instructions to remove Java are:

  • sudo rm -fr /Library/Internet\ Plug-Ins/JavaAppletPlugin.plugin

Which is useless because I don't use Java on the browser (who is crazy enough to do it?)

  • sudo rm -fr /Library/PreferencePanes/JavaControlPanel.prefPane

Which is useless because it just removes the preference pane

  • sudo rm -fr ~/Library/Application\ Support/Java

Which is useless because this directory is already empty

The official instructions to remove Java on a Mac do absolutely nothing.

If I run my Java apps with java -jar from the terminal they work. From the terminal, I see this:

/usr/libexec/java_home -V
Matching Java Virtual Machines (3):
    1.8.0_131, x86_64:  "Java SE 8" /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_131.jdk/Contents/Home
    1.6.0_65-b14-468, x86_64:   "Java SE 6" /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home
    1.6.0_65-b14-468, i386: "Java SE 6" /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home

So, from the terminal, the Java version is 1.8.0_131, which is my desired version. From the desktop, when I launch apps with JavaAppLauncher, the Java version is 10.0.1.

How can I revert this disaster that Oracle did with their automatic updater?

Best Answer

I had this same problem: I had Java 8 installed, but later installed 10. Then, I removed 10, and when I launched a jar from the terminal it would run in version 8, and when I checked the version with java -version in the terminal I would get back java version "1.8.0_181. However when I ran a .jar from the Finder, it would run in v.10, and also if I went to the Java preference pane the version was listed as version 10. This was undesirable: I was trying to remove v10 completely.

Then, I deleted JavaAppletPlugin with rm /Library/Internet\ Plug-Ins/JavaAppletPlugin.plugin and reinstalled Java SE JDK 8 from online, and lo! it works now. When I run .jar, they run in Java 8.

I realize you mentioned this in your first step, but I infer that you didn't do this step? If I'm wrong about that then you've got a different problem. But this solved mine.

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