brew

Install openjdk@21 with Homebrew, apt, apk, MacPorts, Nix, chocolatey, winget

Development kit for the Java programming language. Version 21.0.11 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-25.

Install command Security notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install openjdk@21

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install openjdk21

MacPorts ports tree · java/openjdk21/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install openjdk-21-dbg

Debian stable package indexes · openjdk-21-dbg · source: deb.debian.org

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add openjdk21

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · openjdk21 · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#openjdk21

nixpkgs package indexes · openjdk21 · source: raw.githubusercontent.com

Windows

Chocolateyverified · 92%

choco install openjdk

Chocolatey community package catalog · openjdk · source: community.chocolatey.org

Windows Package Managerverified · 92%

winget install --id Microsoft.OpenJDK.17 -e

Windows Package Manager source index · Microsoft.OpenJDK.17 · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com

overview

Package summary

Development kit for the Java programming language

Project links

Commands and aliases

No executable aliases were found in the local package database.

history

Project history and usage

OpenJDK 21 is the open-source reference implementation of Java SE 21. It reached General Availability on 19 September 2023 and became the next major long-term-support Java line after JDK 17, with virtual threads as its headline operational feature.

Project history

JDK 21 was produced by the OpenJDK JDK Project under the same time-based release model used for earlier post-Java-9 releases. The release implements Java SE 21 as specified by JSR 396 and was tracked through the JEP process.

The feature set shows how the Java platform evolved after JDK 17: virtual threads were finalized, record patterns and pattern matching for switch were delivered, sequenced collections joined the core libraries, Generational ZGC arrived, and several Panama, Amber, Vector, and structured-concurrency features remained preview or incubator work.

Adoption history

The OpenJDK release page identifies JDK 21 as a long-term-support release from most vendors. That made it the natural upgrade candidate for teams already on Java 17 that wanted the newer concurrency model, pattern-matching improvements, and garbage-collector work without tracking every six-month feature release.

Virtual threads drove much of the ecosystem attention around JDK 21. The JEP describes them as lightweight threads intended to preserve the simple thread-per-request programming style while improving the scalability of high-throughput server applications, which made the release especially relevant to web frameworks, application servers, observability tools, and JVM operators.

How it is used

The package supplies the complete Java 21 developer kit: compiler, runtime, packaging tools, serviceability tools, jshell, jlink, jpackage, jwebserver, signing tools, and diagnostics. Developers install it to build and run Java 21 applications, test virtual-thread workloads, target Java 21 bytecode, and keep CI environments aligned with a named LTS release.

Operators and build engineers care about openjdk@21 because it offers a pinned Java 21 toolchain independent of the unversioned latest JDK. That is useful for reproducible Maven/Gradle builds, container base images, local development shells, and production systems that certify against a particular Java release family.

Why package nerds care

OpenJDK 21 is where a package entry is more than 'the Java package': it is a versioned runtime contract. The package lets downstream formulas, buildpacks, language servers, and CI runners ask for Java 21 specifically while other software remains on Java 17 or moves to newer feature releases.

For package nerds, the interesting bit is the coexistence problem: a modern workstation or build farm may need JDK 8 for legacy code, JDK 17 for one LTS fleet, and JDK 21 for virtual-thread-capable services. Versioned OpenJDK packages make that matrix explicit.

Timeline

19 September 2023: JDK 21 reached General Availability as the Java SE 21 reference implementation.
JDK 19 and JDK 20: virtual threads were delivered as preview features before finalization in JDK 21.
JDK 21 release train: record patterns, pattern matching for switch, virtual threads, sequenced collections, and Generational ZGC landed in one LTS-labeled release.

Related projects

JDK 21 follows the JDK 17 LTS line and precedes later feature releases such as JDK 22 through JDK 25. It is also tied to OpenJDK projects such as Loom for virtual threads, Amber for language features, Panama for foreign-memory and vector work, and ZGC work in HotSpot.

Sources

security posture

No protected-tool coverage found yet

No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for openjdk@21. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
Installs with 6 runtime dependencies.
Build metadata lists 2 build dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
No executable data was present.

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version21.0.11

manager updated2026-06-25

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/openjdk/jdk21u

infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/openjdk/jdk21unone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:openjdk@21
Version	21.0.11
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/openjdk@21
Homepage	https://openjdk.org/
Repository	https://github.com/openjdk/jdk21u
Upstream docs	https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/21
License	GPL-2.0-only WITH Classpath-exception-2.0
Source archive	https://github.com/openjdk/jdk21u/archive/refs/tags/jdk-21.0.11-ga.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-06-25T13:37:59+02:00
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	freetype, giflib, harfbuzz, jpeg-turbo, libpng, little-cms2
Build dependencies	autoconf, pkgconf
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared
Caveats	For the system Java wrappers to find this JDK, symlink it with sudo ln -sfn $HOMEBREW_PREFIX/opt/openjdk@21/libexec/openjdk.jdk /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/openjdk-21.jdk

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	openjdk@21
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Requirements	xcode
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	yes
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

openjdk-21-dbg 21.0.11+10-1~deb13u2

Java runtime based on OpenJDK (debugging symbols)