Mac echo $JAVA_HOME return blank

Question

I don't know why echo $JAVA_HOME return blank

Abdelmajids-iMac:~ majid$ vi .profile

export PATH=/usr/local/bin:(...)
[[ -s "$HOME/.rvm/scripts/rvm" ]] && source "$HOME/.rvm/scripts/rvm" # Load 
RVM into a shell session *as a function*
export JAVA_HOME=$(/usr/libexec/java_home)
~                                                                                                    

~      


Abdelmajids-iMac:~ majid$ /usr/libexec/java_home
/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_151.jdk/Contents/Home
Abdelmajids-iMac:~ majid$ vi .bash_profile
Abdelmajids-iMac:~ majid$ source .bash_profile
-bash: .bash_profile: line 1: syntax error near unexpected token `('
-bash: .bash_profile: line 1: `export PATH=/usr/local/bin:(...)'
Abdelmajids-iMac:~ majid$ echo  $JAVA_HOME

Abdelmajids-iMac:~ majid$

You should fix that syntax error on the line 1... Hint: Wherever you copied `(...)` from, it was not meant to be literal — OneCricketeer, Oct 30 '17 at 01:26

pradosh nair · Answer 1 · 2020-07-18T14:31:16.160

9

Statement export JAVA_HOME=$(/usr/libexec/java_home) seems correct; bash would have evaluated the information within $() and returned a blank if .

Looks like a syntax error caused the error not to execute, leaving JAVA_HOME empty.

The usage of $() is discussed in this link. Difference between ${} and $() in Bash.

edited Jul 18 '20 at 14:31

answered Oct 30 '17 at 01:53

pradosh nair

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On macOS hosts, `export JAVA_HOME=$(/usr/libexec/java_home)` is _not_ incorrect, it’s the standard way to set JAVA_HOME on that platform. [java_home(1)](https://web.archive.org/web/20160318211604/https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man1/java_home.1.html) is not a directory, but a binary that “Returns the path to a Java home directory from the current user's settings.” – Mark G. Jul 17 '20 at 16:55

score 4 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 30 '17 at 02:20

4

$(str) where str should be a command. In your case, $(/usr/libexec/java_home) will return nothing. Just use

export JAVA_HOME=/usr/libexec/java_home

answered Oct 30 '17 at 02:20

jprism

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Actually, /usr/libexec/java_home isn't the java home directory, it's an executable that tries to figure out where the java home directory is and output its path. As the example in the question shows, it outputs "/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_151.jdk/Contents/Home" on OP's computer. So that assignment looks correct to me. – Gordon Davisson Oct 30 '17 at 03:26

score 3 · Answer 3 · edited Jun 15 '21 at 20:55

3

Create a .zshrc file on your terminal
```
touch ~/.zshrc
```
now click go -> home -> press shift+command+.

You can now see the hidden files. Open .zshrc file and type:

export JAVA_HOME=$(/usr/libexec/java_home)
export PATH=/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH

edited Jun 15 '21 at 20:55

jrook

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answered Jun 15 '21 at 10:25

Arsh_arshu

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score 2 · Answer 4 · answered Apr 17 '21 at 07:13

I have just run into this issue after installing Amazon Corretto jdk15. But, in my case, I just closed and reopened the terminal and everything worked, that is, by running

echo $JAVA_HOME

It prints out to the console:

/Users/username/.sdkman/candidates/java/current.

Mac echo $JAVA_HOME return blank

4 Answers4