Both versions will be installed in parallel. You may choose to keep either or both. Installation of the precompiled JDK is easy, change the executable bit for the downloaded file, change to the directory where you want it installed and execute the downloaded file. VERSION=&j2sdk-bin-version; && MV=`echo $VERSION | cut -d "_" -f 1,1` && V=`echo ${VERSION} | sed -e "s/\./_/g"` && chmod +x j2sdk-${V}-linux-i?86.bin && ./j2sdk-${V}-linux-i?86.bin && cd j2sdk${VERSION} && install -d /opt/j2sdk/j2sdk-precompiled-${MV} && mv * /opt/j2sdk/j2sdk-precompiled-${MV} The binary version is now installed. If you don't want to compile the source, skip ahead to the configuration section. Add the recently compiled JDK to the path. export JAVA_HOME=/opt/j2sdk/j2sdk-precompiled-${MV} && export PATH=$PATH:${JAVA_HOME}/bin Unzip and patch the source: VERSION=&j2sdk-src-version; && V=`echo $VERSION | sed -e "s/\./_/g"` && unzip j2sdk-${V}-src-scsl.zip && unzip j2sdk-${V}-mozilla_headers-unix.zip && patch -Np1 -i j2sdk-${VERSION}-gcc33-1.patch && patch -Np1 -i j2sdk-${VERSION}-fix-intl-files.patch && patch -Np1 -i j2sdk-${VERSION}-link-missing-libs.patch && patch -Np1 -i j2sdk-${VERSION}-remove-fixed-paths.patch && patch -Np1 -i j2sdk-${VERSION}-syntax-fixes.patch && patch -Np1 -i j2sdk-${VERSION}-use-included-motif.patch Set some variables which affect the build: export ALT_BOOTDIR="$JAVA_HOME" && unset JAVA_HOME && unset CLASSPATH unset CFLAGS unset CXXFLAGS unset LDFLAGS export ALT_DEVTOOLS_PATH="/usr/bin" && export BUILD_NUMBER="blfs-`date +%s`" && export DEV_ONLY=true && export ALT_MOZILLA_PATH=$PWD && export INSANE=true && export MAKE_VERBOSE=true && export ALT_CACERTS_FILE=${ALT_BOOTDIR}/jre/lib/security/cacerts Additionally, if you would like to make in parallel, add the following (adjust MAKE_PARALLEL to your liking): export HOTSPOT_BUILD_JOBS=$MAKE_PARALLEL The included Motif doesn't build properly with the current Glibc/XFree86 . A solution is to build the Motif library before compiling the J2SDK. Note that the Motif build fails during the first run owing to some syntax error. The brute force and easiest solution is to rerun the make command:) cd motif/lib/Xm && make || make && cd ../../.. Make and Install J2SDK with the following commands. There will be a lot of messages about missing files that look like errors. As long as the build doesn't stop, the messages are harmless, so ignore them. cd control/make && make && cd ../.. && cd control/build/linux-i?86 && cp -a j2sdk-image /opt/j2sdk/j2sdk-&j2sdk-src-version;