macOS X® 10.7, 10.8, and 10.9 Require Java Runtime Environment 6

Last modified by Microchip on 2023/11/09 09:11

macOS® X Lion, Mountain Lion, or Mavericks (Version 10.7, 10.8, or 10.9 Respectively)

You will need Java 6 to run MPLAB® X Integrated Development Environment (IDE). If you have encountered a Java 6 issue during the MPLAB X IDE installation, please follow these instructions.

Your Computer Doesn't Have Java Installed or Has Java 7 Installed, but Not Java 6

In this case, you need to download the update for Java 6 from Apple® by visiting the "Download Java for OS X 2017-001" page. The download button for Java 6 is in the upper right corner of the page.

Java 6 and 7 should be able to coexist on your machine, though Java 7 should be installed first. If you install Java 6 first, then Java 7, it will be treated as an upgrade and will remove Java 6.

The default Java Virtual Machine (JVM) used to run applications will continue to be Java 7 after the installation of Java 6. The MPLAB X IDE installer will find and use Java 6 once it is installed.

How to Check Your Computer's Java Version

If you're not sure what version of Java is installed on your computer, open a Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal.app) and type this at the shell prompt:

java -version

This will report which default version you have installed on your computer. If Java is not installed, it will open a window with a message about Java missing. In that case, install Java 6.

If you have more than one JVM installed on your machine, you can locate each of them by executing these commands:

/usr/libexec/java_home -v 1.6
/usr/libexec/java_home -v 1.7