Running java with JAVA_OPTS env variable has no effect

Question

In a shell script, I have set the JAVA_OPTS environment variable (to enable remote debugging and increase memory), and then I execute the jar file as follows:

export JAVA_OPTS="-Xdebug -Xrunjdwp:transport=dt_socket,address=8001,server=y,suspend=n -Xms512m -Xmx512m"
java -jar analyse.jar $*

But it seems there is no effect of the JAVA_OPTS env variable as I cannot connect to remote-debugging and I see no change in memory for the JVM.

What could be the problem?

PS: I cannot use those settings in the java -jar analyse.jar $* command because I process command line arguments in the application.

score 104 · Answer 1 · answered Jul 23 '12 at 15:48

104

You can setup _JAVA_OPTIONS instead of JAVA_OPTS. This should work without $_JAVA_OPTIONS.

answered Jul 23 '12 at 15:48

HEX

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_This_ this the real answer. I went looking around for hours to find this. – BitwiseMan Dec 12 '12 at 22:34
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@Nerrve Special for you installed Windows XP. Works fine. Are you sure you did everything correctly? – HEX Jan 16 '13 at 10:02
@Nerrve You must create environment variable called `_JAVA_OPTIONS`. Example: http://cs417020.userapi.com/v417020976/3764/hwBZ419TXcQ.jpg – HEX Jan 16 '13 at 10:32
oops! you're right. its works! i had made a spelling mistake earlier :P thanks a bunch! – Abbas Gadhia Jan 16 '13 at 12:28
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You may also would use JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS (http://stackoverflow.com/questions/28327620/difference-between-java-options-java-tool-options-and-java-opts) – Hubbitus Apr 17 '15 at 16:01
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@Hubbitus your suggestion appears to be the correct answer. you should add it – geg Feb 24 '19 at 18:22
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I can't. I got "Trivial answer converted to comment" – Hubbitus Feb 24 '19 at 18:52
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Holy moly this worked. Why is this so badly documented? – habitats Dec 27 '19 at 22:08
Beware: this prints a line to stderr – André Werlang Jul 22 '20 at 17:58
Thanks, I was able to set `_JAVA_OPTIONS` environment variable using Java 8u282 running in a Docker container and it was picked up! – Neon Feb 24 '21 at 20:41

score 60 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 06 '10 at 07:08

I don't know of any JVM that actually checks the JAVA_OPTS environment variable. Usually this is used in scripts which launch the JVM and they usually just add it to the java command-line.

The key thing to understand here is that arguments to java that come before the -jar analyse.jar bit will only affect the JVM and won't be passed along to your program. So, modifying the java line in your script to:

java $JAVA_OPTS -jar analyse.jar $*

Should "just work".

See HEX's answer. That is how you set the options using an environment variable on OS X. — BitwiseMan, Dec 12 '12 at 22:33

t0r0X · Answer 3 · 2023-08-05T12:10:23.303

In the past 12 years some changes were made:

Environment variable JDK_JAVA_OPTIONS: this is the recommended way to do what you wanted starting with Java 9, see Using the JDK_JAVA_OPTIONS Launcher Environment Variable in the Oracle Java 9 documentation, and this comprehensive answer What is the difference between JDK_JAVA_OPTIONS and JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS when using Java 11?.
Environment variable JAVA_OPTS: it was NOT and is NOT a standardized option. Some shell script wrappers for Java based tools do evaluate it, an example of how this works is in the answer from ZoogieZork.
Environment variable _JAVA_OPTIONS (mentioned by HEX): it is nowadays deprecated/undocumented, see Oracle announcement (section "Add a new launcher environment variable JDK_JAVA_OPTIONS").

Running java with JAVA_OPTS env variable has no effect

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