Assuming brew is already installed and updated:

brew install openjdk@17

If using bash:

echo export "JAVA_HOME=\$(/usr/libexec/java_home)" >> ~/.bash_profile

Or using zsh (on macOS Catalina or newer), then it should be:

echo export "JAVA_HOME=\$(/usr/libexec/java_home)" >> ~/.zshrc

Restart your shell.

If you have multiple JDK versions installed, you can specify one, using -v flag:

echo export "JAVA_HOME=\$(/usr/libexec/java_home -v 17)" >> ~/.zshrc

Check the java version:

java --version

openjdk 17.0.2 2022-01-18
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 17.0.2+8-86)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 17.0.2+8-86, mixed mode, sharing)

In 2024, even if you can use just brew..

brew install openjdk@17 

Java will be installed here:

/opt/homebrew/opt/openjdk@17/bin/java

for Apple Intel path is /usr/local/... rather than /opt/homebrew/...

For the system Java wrappers to find this JDK, symlink it with:

sudo ln -sfn /opt/homebrew/opt/openjdk\@17/libexec/openjdk.jdk /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/openjdk.jdk

resp. for Intel

sudo ln -sfn /usr/local/opt/openjdk@17/libexec/openjdk.jdk /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/openjdk.jdk

Now, running /usr/libexec/java_home -V should show the path to JAVA 17, something like:

17.0.9 (x86_64) "Homebrew" - "OpenJDK 17.0.9" /opt/homebrew/Cellar/openjdk@17/17.0.9/libexec/openjdk.jdk/Contents/Home

(This is what you are missing btw, if javac or javac --version does not give you a command-not-found but an The operation couldn’t be completed. Unable to locate a Java Runtime.)

In case you see the wrong version, check if the path to JAVA_HOME is set correctly. If not, you could set it by:

export JAVA_HOME=\$(/usr/libexec/java_home)

...give a try to sdkman, it's far better than brew

curl -s "https://get.sdkman.io" | bash

then open a new shell and try list to see what you could install ;-)

sdk list java 

At time of writing you could use:

sdk install java 17.0.4.1-tem

Java will be installed here:

/Users/YOUR_USERNAME_HERE/.sdkman/candidates/java/17.0.4.1-tem