jvman

README

jvman

Cross-platform Java Version Manager. Install and switch between multiple JDK versions on Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Installation

Download Binary (Recommended)

Download the latest release for your platform from GitHub Releases.

Linux/macOS:

# Download and extract (replace VERSION and PLATFORM)
curl -LO https://github.com/maskedsyntax/jvman/releases/download/VERSION/jvman_VERSION_PLATFORM.tar.gz
tar -xzf jvman_VERSION_PLATFORM.tar.gz
sudo mv jvman /usr/local/bin/

Windows: Download the .zip file and add jvman.exe to your PATH.

Using Go

If you have Go installed:

go install github.com/maskedsyntax/jvman/cmd/jvman@latest

Build from Source

git clone https://github.com/maskedsyntax/jvman.git
cd jvman
go build -o jvman ./cmd/jvman

Setup

After installation, initialize jvman:

jvman init

Add the bin directory to your PATH (the init command shows the exact path):

export PATH="$HOME/.jvman/bin:$PATH"

Add this line to your shell profile (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, etc.) to make it permanent.

Usage

Install a JDK

jvman install 21                      # Install Temurin 21 (default vendor)
jvman install 17 --vendor=corretto    # Install Amazon Corretto 17
jvman install 11 -v zulu              # Install Azul Zulu 11
jvman install 21 --arch=aarch64       # Install for specific architecture

Supported vendors: temurin (default), corretto, zulu

Supported architectures: x64, aarch64

List versions

jvman list                   # Show installed and available versions from all vendors
jvman list --vendor=temurin  # Filter to a specific vendor
jvman list --refresh         # Bypass cache and fetch fresh data

Version lists are cached for 1 hour. Use --refresh or jvman cache clear to get fresh data.

Switch versions

Set the global default:

jvman global 21           # Use version 21 (auto-detects vendor)
jvman global temurin-21   # Use specific vendor-version

Set a project-local version (creates a .jvman file):

jvman use 17

Run with a specific version

Use exec to run a command with a specific Java version without changing your global or local settings:

jvman exec 21 java -version
jvman exec corretto-17 javac Main.java
jvman exec zulu-11 mvn clean install

This sets JAVA_HOME and prepends the JDK's bin directory to PATH for the executed command.

Interactive mode

Launch the terminal UI for browsing and managing installed versions:

jvman tui

In the TUI you can:

• Browse installed versions
• Press Enter to set a version as global
• Press d to remove a version
• Use / to filter the list
• Press q to quit

Other commands

jvman which        # Show the currently active Java and how it was resolved
jvman remove 21    # Uninstall a version
jvman cache clear  # Clear the version cache
jvman upgrade      # Check for jvman updates
jvman version      # Show jvman version

Version Resolution

jvman resolves the active Java version in this order:

1. .jvman file in the current directory or any parent directory
2. Local override set in config for the current directory
3. Global default

Shims

After installation, ~/.jvman/bin contains shims for common JDK tools:

• java, javac, jar, jshell, javadoc, jarsigner, keytool, jlink, jpackage

These shims automatically use the resolved Java version based on your current directory.

Shell Completion

Generate shell completion scripts:

jvman completion bash > /etc/bash_completion.d/jvman   # Bash
jvman completion zsh > "${fpath[1]}/_jvman"            # Zsh
jvman completion fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/jvman.fish  # Fish

Run jvman completion <shell> --help for detailed instructions.