Installing Java

Java is needed to run Sponge and Minecraft: Java Edition. You most likely already have Java, but you may need to update it.

SpongeAPI 7 and 8 requires Java 8 (specifically 1.8.0_20 or above). SpongeAPI 8 will also run on later versions of Java, we recommend Java 17 as the latest LTS version.

Installing Java

If you have Windows or macOS for your computer, you can download builds of OpenJDK from Adoptium here. Builds of Java 8, 11 and 17 are all available here.

You may have to configure the path to the JRE/JDK in your

  • launcher using Profile (Advanced Options) -> <Your Profile> -> Java-Executable (.../java.exe)

  • server using either the PATH variable or using the full path to your java executable

32-bit vs. 64-bit

If your computer supports it, you should use 64-bit versions of Java whenever possible. Most modern computers will be running 64-bit operating systems. The Adoptium site linked above should detect what you’re running and offer the correct download.

It is also possible to look this up in the system information window.

  • Windows: Press <Win> + <Pause> or via Systeminformation have a look at your system type.

  • Linux: Open a terminal and type arch or uname -m. i686 -> 32-bit. x86_64 -> 64-bit.

  • macOS: All supported Macs are 64-bit - however if you are running an Apple Silicon machine, choose arm64 over x64.

If you are sure to about your system’s architecture you can manually choose the correct installer yourself.