How to Install and Use Java On Chromebook

Posted by Heather on August 27, 2019

How to Use Java on Your Chromebook
Java is a powerful programming language and operating environment that runs on a
wide variety of hardware, including your Chromebook. One of the coolest things
about Java is that a program can run using the same code on a lot of different
machines.

Also see our article

How to Access Your iTunes Library from a Chromebook

You�ll need Java if you want to play Minecraft and some other cool games on your
Chromebook.

Installing Java on your Chromebook so that you can use Java applications is pretty
straightforward. You�ll need to be in developer mode to install Java on your
Chromebook, and you�ll have to use the Crosh (command-line shell) to download Java
and get it installed.

It will take some setup time, but it�s not complicated and this tutorial will walk
you through it. You can also just enable Javascript to run on your Chromebook;
that�s even easier, and I�ll show you how to do that as well.

I�ll start with the simplest option: allowing Javascript to run on your Chromebook.
This is done simply by adjusting the settings on your Chromebook.

ENABLE JAVASCRIPT ON YOUR CHROMEBOOK

The easiest way to let Javascript run on your Chromebook device is as follows in
these instructions:

Go to your profile picture in the lower right-hand side of your Chromebook and then
click on it.
Then, click on the gear icon, which brings you to your Chromebook settings.
Chromebook Settings
Scroll down to the Show Advanced Settings link, which is highlighted in blue. Click
on Advanced Settings. Show advanced settings
Then, go down to Privacy Settings and click the gray Content Settings button.
Content settings
You�ll see Javascript listed as the third item down in the pop-up window that
appears. Check off the circle next to �Allow all sites to run Javascript
(recommended),� if it isn�t already selected. Allow
Javascript
You�ve now enabled Javascript to run on your Chromebook. Any site you visit which
requires Javascript should now run correctly within the Chrome browser on your
Chromebook device. And it was no more difficult than adjusting your settings at any
other time for any other purpose.

If you want to put a full-fledged Java installation on your Chromebook, however,

then there are some additional steps to take. You should also keep in mind that
your Java installation may be unstable, or it may not work at all; Chromebooks are
designed for people who only need access to the basics, so they�re relatively
simple and pared-down when compared to other operating systems.

But if you decide that you still want to try installing Java itself, proceed with
caution.

INSTALLING JAVA ON YOUR CHROMEBOOK

After putting your Chromebook device in developer mode and logging in to your
device, you�ll proceed to open the command shell; it�s similar to the Terminal you
would use with Windows or Mac. Press the Ctrl + Alt + T keys on the keyboard, to
open the Crosh shell.

Then, type �shell,� which opens the full Bash shell. (Don�t worry if you don�t
know the difference between these shells; it isn�t important for this tutorial.)
Now you�ll be able to run commands with sudo, which enables you to run commands as
�root� from your ordinary user account.

Type �sudo su� (no quotes) and press Enter on your Chromebook�s keyboard.
You�ll be prompted for a password. Depending on the Chrome OS build you are using,
the password could be �chronos�, �chrome�, �facepunch�, or �password�. If you�ve
set your own shell password previously, it may be that password.
Next, you�ll need to make the system file writable.

Type �mount -o remount, exec, rw/� then press the Enter key on your keyboard.
Type �cd /home� and press Enter again.
You�ll download the Java 8 application from Oracles website. If you have a 32-bit
device:

Type �wget http://javadl.sun.com/webapps/downlo�undleId=106238 -Ojre.tar.gz� then

press Enter.

If you�ve got a 64-bit Chromebook device:

Type �wget http://javadl.sun.com/webapps/downlo�undleId=106240 -Ojre.tar.gz� then

press Enter.
The next step is to extract the file you�ve just downloaded. To do that:

Type �tar zxvf jre.tar.gz� and then press Enter on the keyboard.
Type �mv jre1.8* /bin� and press Enter.
Type �cd/bin� and press Enter; that will open the executable folder on your device.
Type �1n -s/bin/jre1.8.0_45/bin/java/bin/java� and press Enter (but replace the
number 45 with the number of the Java version found on the Java website).
If everything has gone according to plan you should now be able to run Java on your
Chromebook device. Keep in mind, that�s if everything has gone according to plan.
Of course, something can go wrong during this process.

Type �java-version� in the shell to write the version of Java you�ve just installed
into the Chrome operating system.

Please note that installing Java may not work on all Chromebooks because of
compatibility issues. Your system could freeze and become unresponsive. If this
happens, reboot your device; it�s probably not compatible with Java.

You now know how to enable Javascript on your Chromebook device, and if you�re
feeling adventurous, you can do an actual install of the Java application to your
Chromebook.

Keep in mind that enabling Javascript through your Chromebook is the safer
alternative of the two, and it�s more stable and more reliable than trying to
install the Java application. Should you decide to install Java through developer
mode in the command shell, please do so with extreme caution. Do so at your own
risk.

If your system freezes, reboot and abort the mission to install Java, as you�re not
going to get anything but a headache out of any further attempts. It�s not worth
crashing your Chromebook repeatedly to install Java.

If you are a Chromebook user, you might find other TechJunkie articles useful,
including these:

Chromebook Won�t Connect to Printer�How to Fix

How to Use Split Screen on a Chromebook

How to Turn Closed Captioning On or Off on Chromebook

Chromebook Won�t Boot � What To Do

Have you installed Java on your Chromebook? If so, do you have any advice for
Chromebook users trying to install Java? Please leave us a comment below!

10 thoughts on �How to Install and Use Java On Chromebook�

Rick April 9, 2019 at 5:17 pm
The links to downloading java are abbreviated with ���
REPLY
Samrat__ March 13, 2019 at 4:02 pm
none of the given passwords work
I have never set the password before
REPLY
Adriel Lorenzo November 9, 2018 at 12:11 am
� mount -o remount,exec,rw /, � mount point does not exist error. Any ideas as to
why?
REPLY
Jim August 20, 2018 at 2:18 pm
You do know that JAVA and JavaScript are NOT the same, but two DIFFERENT languages
with two different purposes. JAVA code gets compiled to bytecode which needs a JVM.
JAVA is used for writing programs on a variety of platforms. Javascript is the
�general� language of web browsers. Every current browser builds this language into
their browser. JavaScript deals with webpages only.
Two very different languages with two very different purposes.