How do I update Oracle Java 7 (JDK and JRE)

Question

Recently, I've installed JDK 7 from the Oracle site, using these instructions.

Now, I'm wondering what is the correct method to update it (or, better, to keep up-to-date automatically)? For instance, there were some security issues fixed few days ago.

Answer 1

You can use the webupd8 java ppa, so you get updates automatically through the package manager.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/java
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install oracle-java7-installer
sudo update-java-alternatives -s java-7-oracle

• Are "PPA's" safe to add to my system, and what are some "red flags" to watch out for?

If you need the latest Oracle Java 6, you install it too:

sudo apt-get install oracle-java6-installer

If you want test Oracle Java 8 early access builds, you can install it too:

sudo apt-get install oracle-java8-installer

To switch between different Java versions, you could use the following terminal command:

sudo update-alternatives --config java

Source:

• Web Upd8: Install Oracle Java 7 in Ubuntu via PPA Repository
• Web Upd8: Oracle Releases Critical Security Update For Java 7 (7U13) And Java 6 (6U39), PPA Updated
• Web Upd8: Install Oracle Java 8 In Ubuntu Via PPA [JDK8]