Update Java in Linux Ubuntu

Tired of the browser pop-up window asking you to update Java ?

Yes, and we should do it specially because of the usual security concerns.
I’ve done this with Ubuntu 13.04 and 12.04 LTS.

Go to the Java download page and get your “Linux” or “Linux x64” version.

I got the x64 one.

Let’s unpack it. I already have /opt/java/64. You may have a different place.

$ cd /opt/java/64/

$ sudo tar zxvf ~biafra/Downloads/jre-7u25-linux-x64.tar.gz

Now update Ubuntu configuration with the new Java options

$ sudo update-alternatives --install "/usr/bin/java" "java" "/opt/java/64/jre1.7.0_25/bin/java" 1
$ sudo update-alternatives --install "/usr/bin/javaws" "javaws" "/opt/java/64/jre1.7.0_25/bin/javaws" 1

$ sudo update-alternatives --install "/usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libjavaplugin.so" "mozilla-javaplugin.so" "/opt/java/64/jre1.7.0_25/lib/amd64/libnpjp2.so" 1

Let’s force Ubuntu to use the new update

$ sudo update-alternatives --config java
There are 2 choices for the alternative java (providing /usr/bin/java).

  Selection    Path                               Priority   Status
------------------------------------------------------------
* 0            /opt/java/64/jre1.7.0_21/bin/java   2000      auto mode
  1            /opt/java/64/jre1.7.0_21/bin/java   2000      manual mode
  2            /opt/java/64/jre1.7.0_25/bin/java   1         manual mode

Press enter to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number: 2
update-alternatives: using /opt/java/64/jre1.7.0_25/bin/java to provide /usr/bin/java (java) in manual mode

Done!

Warning! You may think that everything is fine now but there’s a bug in the new update. If you try to open a page with a Java application you may be redirected to java.com!

I used this workaround:

$ rm ~/.java/deployment/config.cache

Go to the page which need Java and it will work again as expected.

Update 2013.10.18: Depending on your browser you may have to update your default java plugin with

$ sudo update-alternatives --config mozilla-javaplugin.so

or

$ sudo update-alternatives --config firefox-javaplugin.so