How to Uninstall JDK 21 on Linux OS or Amazon EC2 | Uninstalling JDK 21 on Linux and EC2 Instances

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How to Uninstall JDK 21 on Linux or Amazon EC2

Removing JDK 21 from your Linux environment or an Amazon EC2 instance is a necessary step when you're upgrading or troubleshooting. This guide provides the exact terminal commands to ensure a clean and successful removal.

Step 1: Verify the Active Java Version

Before proceeding, check if JDK 21 is currently installed on your system by running:

java -version

Step 2: Locate the Installation Path

If you have multiple Java versions, use this command to find where JDK 21 is located:

sudo update-alternatives --config java

Note down the directory path (e.g., /usr/lib/jvm/java-21-amazon-corretto).

Step 3: Uninstall the JDK Package

Based on your Linux distribution, use the appropriate command to remove the package:

• For Amazon Linux/CentOS (YUM): sudo yum remove java-21-amazon-corretto-devel
• For Ubuntu/Debian (APT): sudo apt-get remove openjdk-21-jdk

Step 4: Clean Up Environment Variables

Don't forget to remove the JAVA_HOME path from your profile settings to avoid system errors. Open the file:

sudo nano /etc/profile

Find and delete any lines referencing JDK 21, save the file, and then refresh your environment using: source /etc/profile

Step 5: Final Verification

Run the version check one last time. If uninstalled correctly, the system will either show another version or a "command not found" error.

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