actions/setup-java

Install a JDK (Temurin, Zulu, Corretto, and more) and cache Maven or Gradle dependencies.

Official actionCategory: Language & Toolchain SetupLatest v4View on GitHub

What it does

actions/setup-java installs a JDK from a chosen vendor distribution and exposes java/javac on PATH, and it can cache the Maven or Gradle dependency directory.

Unlike setup-node, the distribution input is required: you pick the vendor (for example temurin, zulu, corretto).

Usage

workflow (.yml)

steps:
  - uses: actions/checkout@v4
  - uses: actions/setup-java@v4
    with:
      distribution: temurin
      java-version: '21'
      cache: maven
  - run: mvn -B verify

Inputs

Input	Description	Default	Required
`distribution`	JDK vendor: temurin, zulu, corretto, microsoft, etc.	-	Yes
`java-version`	Version, e.g. 17 or 21.	-	No
`java-version-file`	Read version from a file such as .java-version.	-	No
`cache`	Dependency cache: maven, gradle, or sbt.	-	No
`cache-dependency-path`	Path(s) used for the cache key.	`auto`	No

Outputs

Output	Description
`distribution`	The distribution that was installed.
`version`	The Java version installed.
`path`	Path to the JDK (also set as JAVA_HOME).
`cache-hit`	true if an exact dependency cache was restored.

Notes

distribution is required. Use cache: maven or cache: gradle to reuse dependencies between runs.

Common errors

Input required and not supplied: distribution means you set only java-version. Add distribution.
A cache warning means cache is set but no pom.xml/build.gradle was found where expected.

Security and pinning

Pin setup-java to a commit SHA.

Frequently asked questions

Which Java distribution should I pick?

temurin (Eclipse Adoptium) is a common default. corretto, zulu, and microsoft are also supported. The distribution input is required.

References

GitHub Actions documentation