How to Install OpenJDK 17 on Arch Linux

Java 17 remains the baseline for many Spring Boot 3.x, Jenkins, Gradle, Android tooling, and older Minecraft server workflows that are not ready for newer Java branches. To install OpenJDK 17 on Arch Linux, use Arch’s official jdk17-openjdk package for development work, or choose one of the matching runtime packages when you only need to run Java applications.

Arch can keep several Java major versions installed side by side, but the Java 17 JDK and JRE variants conflict with each other because the larger packages already provide the smaller runtime layers. The unversioned jdk-openjdk package tracks Arch’s newest OpenJDK feature release, so use jdk17-openjdk when a project specifically requires Java 17.

Install OpenJDK 17 on Arch Linux

Choose an OpenJDK 17 Package

Arch publishes the Java 17 packages in the official extra repository. Choose one package from the JDK/JRE group; the full JDK is the safest default because it includes the compiler, runtime, and development tools.

Package	Includes	Best Fit
jdk17-openjdk	Full Java 17 JDK, runtime, compiler, and tools	Development, build tools, and general use
jre17-openjdk	Java 17 runtime with desktop GUI support	Running desktop Java apps without compiling code
jre17-openjdk-headless	Java 17 runtime without desktop GUI libraries	Server workloads and command-line Java tools
openjdk17-doc	Offline Java 17 API documentation	Optional after the full JDK is installed
openjdk17-src	OpenJDK 17 source files	Optional after the full JDK is installed

For normal Arch systems, skip generic Java download pages and install one of these packages through pacman so file ownership and updates stay package-managed.

The documentation and source packages depend on jdk17-openjdk, so install them only after choosing the full JDK path. If your search intent is a Docker image such as openjdk:17 or an Alpine openjdk17 package, keep that separate from this host install flow; start with installing Docker on Arch Linux when you need local container tooling.

Update Arch Linux Before Installing OpenJDK 17

Synchronize package databases and apply pending upgrades before installing Java. On a rolling-release system, this avoids mixing a new package with stale dependencies.

sudo pacman -Syu

These commands use sudo for tasks that need root privileges. If your user is not in the sudoers file yet, run the commands as root or follow the guide on how to add and manage sudo users on Arch Linux.

Install the OpenJDK 17 JDK

Install the full Java 17 development kit when you need java, javac, build tools, or framework tooling that compiles source code.

sudo pacman -S jdk17-openjdk

Confirm that pacman installed the package branch you requested. The exact patch release changes as Arch updates the package, but the package name should match jdk17-openjdk.

pacman -Q jdk17-openjdk

Relevant output starts with:

jdk17-openjdk 17.0.x

Install a Runtime-Only OpenJDK 17 Package

Use the runtime package only when you run Java applications and do not need javac. The GUI runtime is appropriate for Swing or AWT desktop applications.

sudo pacman -S jre17-openjdk

For a server, container host, or command-line-only Java application, install the headless runtime instead.

sudo pacman -S jre17-openjdk-headless

Do not install the Java 17 JRE package after the Java 17 JDK. The JDK already provides the runtime, and pacman treats the same-branch JDK, JRE, and headless JRE packages as conflicting package variants.

Install Optional Documentation or Source Files

If you installed jdk17-openjdk, add only the optional package you need. Install the offline API documentation when you want local Javadoc reference material.

sudo pacman -S openjdk17-doc

Install the source package separately when a debugger or IDE needs JDK source stepping.

sudo pacman -S openjdk17-src

Verify OpenJDK 17 on Arch Linux

Check the active Java runtime. Patch numbers vary with Arch package updates, but the major version should stay on 17.

java -version

Relevant output starts with:

openjdk version "17.0.x"
OpenJDK Runtime Environment
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM

If you installed the full JDK, confirm the Java compiler is available.

javac -version

The compiler should report the same Java 17 branch:

javac 17.0.x

Test the OpenJDK 17 JDK with a Sample Program

Use this compile-and-run test after installing the full JDK. Runtime-only installs do not include javac, so they can stop after the java -version check. Create a temporary source file in the current directory.

cat > HelloWorld.java <<'EOF'
public class HelloWorld {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("Hello, Arch Java 17!");
    }
}
EOF

Compile the file and run the resulting class.

javac HelloWorld.java
java HelloWorld

Expected output:

Hello, Arch Java 17!

Remove the temporary files after the test if you no longer need them.

rm -f HelloWorld.java HelloWorld.class

Manage Java Versions on Arch Linux

Arch installs the archlinux-java helper through java-runtime-common. Use it to view installed Java environments and set the default when Java 17 coexists with newer or older branches.

List Installed Java Environments

Check the available Java environments and the current default.

archlinux-java status

Example output on a system with multiple branches installed:

Available Java environments:
  java-17-openjdk (default)
  java-21-openjdk

The environment marked (default) is the branch used by unqualified java and javac commands.

Set OpenJDK 17 as the Default Java Version

Set Java 17 as the system default when another installed branch is currently active.

sudo archlinux-java set java-17-openjdk

Verify the selected branch after switching.

java -version

The first line should report the Java 17 branch. The Arch Wiki Java documentation covers additional archlinux-java behavior, including how default JVM symlinks work.

Use OpenJDK 17 for One Application

You do not need to change the system default when only one application needs Java 17. Call the Java 17 binary directly, or set JAVA_HOME only for that command.

JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-17-openjdk /usr/lib/jvm/java-17-openjdk/bin/java -jar app.jar

Update OpenJDK 17 on Arch Linux

OpenJDK 17 updates arrive through normal Arch package upgrades. Keep Java 17 package-managed with pacman instead of layering a manually downloaded JDK over the same system paths.

sudo pacman -Syu

Check the installed Java 17 variant after the upgrade if a project depends on this branch.

for package in jdk17-openjdk jre17-openjdk jre17-openjdk-headless; do
    pacman -Q "$package" 2>/dev/null
done

The output shows whichever Java 17 variant is installed:

jdk17-openjdk 17.0.x

Troubleshoot OpenJDK 17 on Arch Linux

Java Command Not Found After Installation

If java -version fails after installation, the shell may not have refreshed its Java profile scripts or the default Java environment may be unset.

bash: java: command not found

First, confirm that one of the Java 17 packages is installed.

for package in jdk17-openjdk jre17-openjdk jre17-openjdk-headless; do
    pacman -Q "$package" 2>/dev/null
done

If the command prints no package, return to the install section and choose the JDK or runtime package you need. If a package is present, relevant output starts with the installed package name:

jdk17-openjdk 17.0.x

Refresh the current shell profile and clear Bash’s command hash.

source /etc/profile
hash -r
java -version

If the package is installed but no default environment is set, repair Arch’s Java symlinks.

sudo archlinux-java fix
archlinux-java status

Relevant output should list a valid Java 17 environment, for example:

Available Java environments:
  java-17-openjdk (default)

Pacman Reports a Java 17 Package Conflict

The Java 17 JDK, GUI runtime, and headless runtime are alternate variants of the same branch. If pacman asks to remove jre17-openjdk or jre17-openjdk-headless while installing jdk17-openjdk, that is expected because the JDK already provides the runtime.

Confirm the package metadata if you want to verify the conflict before replacing anything.

pacman -Si jdk17-openjdk | grep '^Conflicts With'

Relevant output shows the same-branch runtime variants that conflict with the full JDK:

Conflicts With  : jre17-openjdk  jre17-openjdk-headless

Choose the package variant you actually need, then let pacman replace the conflicting Java 17 variant. Keep other major versions, such as Java 21, installed if another project depends on them.

JAVA_HOME Is Required by an Application

Arch Java packages do not need JAVA_HOME for normal command-line use. When an application specifically checks this variable, point it at Arch’s default JVM symlink for the current shell session.

export JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/default
echo "$JAVA_HOME"

Expected output:

/usr/lib/jvm/default

Use /usr/lib/jvm/java-17-openjdk instead when a script must point to Java 17 even after you switch the system default to another branch.

Wrong Java Version After Switching

If java -version still shows another branch after running archlinux-java set, list the exact environment names and set the Java 17 entry again.

archlinux-java status
sudo archlinux-java set java-17-openjdk
java -version

If the status output shows a broken default link, run the repair command and check the status again.

sudo archlinux-java fix
archlinux-java status

Remove OpenJDK 17 from Arch Linux

Remove optional documentation or source packages first if you installed them. They depend on jdk17-openjdk, so removing them first avoids dependency errors when you remove the JDK.

for package in openjdk17-doc openjdk17-src; do
    if pacman -Q "$package" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
        sudo pacman -Rns "$package"
    fi
done

Preview the recursive removal for the full JDK before deleting it. The preview uses -Rs because pacman does not combine --print with -n.

sudo pacman -Rs jdk17-openjdk --print

Remove the JDK after reviewing the package list.

sudo pacman -Rns jdk17-openjdk

If you installed a runtime-only package instead, remove the matching runtime package.

sudo pacman -Rns jre17-openjdk

For the headless runtime, use this package name instead.

sudo pacman -Rns jre17-openjdk-headless

Verify that the Java 17 packages from this article are no longer installed. This loop also confirms that optional documentation or source packages are gone if you removed them earlier.

for package in jdk17-openjdk jre17-openjdk jre17-openjdk-headless openjdk17-doc openjdk17-src; do
    if pacman -Q "$package" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
        echo "$package is still installed"
    else
        echo "$package is not installed"
    fi
done

Expected output after removing all Java 17 packages covered here:

jdk17-openjdk is not installed
jre17-openjdk is not installed
jre17-openjdk-headless is not installed
openjdk17-doc is not installed
openjdk17-src is not installed

If other Java branches remain installed, run archlinux-java status after removal and set a new default if needed. If OpenJDK 17 was your only Java installation, unqualified java commands will stop working until you install another Java package.

Conclusion

OpenJDK 17 is available on Arch through the package variant that matches your workload, with archlinux-java handling default JVM selection when multiple branches coexist. For JVM work beyond a basic Java install, install Kotlin on Arch Linux once the Java runtime is ready.