How can I detect the java runtime in Mac OS X?

Question

Our cocoa app may invoke a module that is written with Java, but the Java environment is not always installed on Mac OS X, especially in Mac OS 10.7.

So, how can I detect whether the java runtime exists or not before invoking the module with cocoa?

Answer 1

Try checking the value of `exec /usr/libexec/java_home` (note the backticks! not apostrophes!). This will give you the location of the current Java installation, and should include the version number.

Answer 2

You can use the command:

$ java -version

$ which java