The cleanest way to manage multiple java versions on Mac is to use Homebrew.

And within Homebrew, use:

• homebrew-cask to install the versions of java
• jenv to manage the installed versions of java

As seen on http://hanxue-it.blogspot.ch/2014/05/installing-java-8-managing-multiple.html , these are the steps to follow.

1. install homebrew
2. install homebrew jenv
3. install homebrew-cask
4. install a specific java version using cask (see "homebrew-cask versions" paragraph below)
5. add this version for jenv to manage it
6. check the version is correctly managed by jenv
7. repeat steps 4 to 6 for each version of java you need

homebrew-cask versions

Add the homebrew/cask-versions tap to homebrew using:

Copybrew tap homebrew/cask-versions

Then you can look at all the versions available by searching for Eclipse temurin, more details here

Copybrew search temurin

Then you can install the version(s) you like, though version 7 no longer shows up in homebrew via these casks:

Copybrew install --cask temurin8
brew install --cask temurin9

And add them to be managed by jenv as usual.

Copyjenv add <javaVersionPathHere>

I think this is the cleanest & simplest way to go about it.

Another important thing to note, as mentioned in Mac OS X 10.6.7 Java Path Current JDK confusing :

For different types of JDKs or installations, you will have different paths

You can check the paths of the versions installed using /usr/libexec/java_home -V, see How do I check if the Java JDK is installed on Mac?

On Mac OS X Mavericks, I found as following:

1. Built-in JRE default: /Library/Internet\ Plug-Ins/JavaAppletPlugin.plugin/Contents/Home

2. JDKs downloaded from Apple: /System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home/

3. JDKs downloaded from Oracle: /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_11.jdk/Contents/Home

Resources

• Removing Java 8 JDK from Mac
• http://hanxue-it.blogspot.ch/2014/05/installing-java-8-managing-multiple.html
• http://sourabhbajaj.com/mac-setup/index.html
• http://brew.sh
• https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew/tree/master/share/doc/homebrew#readme
• http://sourabhbajaj.com/mac-setup/Homebrew/README.html
• "brew tap” explained https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew/blob/master/share/doc/homebrew/brew-tap.md
• “brew versions” explained Homebrew install specific version of formula? and also https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-versions
• https://github.com/caskroom/homebrew-cask
• “cask versions”, similar to “brew versions”, see https://github.com/caskroom/homebrew-versions and also https://github.com/caskroom/homebrew-cask/issues/9447
• http://www.jenv.be
• https://github.com/gcuisinier/jenv

First run /usr/libexec/java_home -V which will output something like the following:

Matching Java Virtual Machines (3):
1.8.0_05, x86_64:   "Java SE 8" /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_05.jdk/Contents/Home
1.6.0_65-b14-462, x86_64:   "Java SE 6" /System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home
1.6.0_65-b14-462, i386: "Java SE 6" /System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home

/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_05.jdk/Contents/Home

Pick the version you want to be the default (1.6.0_65-b14-462 for arguments sake) then:

export JAVA_HOME=`/usr/libexec/java_home -v 1.6.0_65-b14-462`

or you can specify just the major version, like:

export JAVA_HOME=`/usr/libexec/java_home -v 1.8`

Now when you run java -version you will see:

java version "1.6.0_65"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_65-b14-462-11M4609)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 20.65-b04-462, mixed mode)

Add the export JAVA_HOME… line to your shell’s init file.

For Bash (as stated by antonyh):

export JAVA_HOME=$(/usr/libexec/java_home -v 1.8)

For Fish (as stated by ormurin)

set -x JAVA_HOME (/usr/libexec/java_home -d64 -v1.8)

Updating the .zshrc file should work:

nano ~/.zshrc

export JAVA_HOME=$(/usr/libexec/java_home -v 1.8.0)

Press CTRL+X to exit the editor Press Y to save your changes

source ~/.zshrc
echo $JAVA_HOME
java -version