Java Runtime Environment

The Validate Tool was developed using Java and runs on any platform with a supported Java Runtime Environment (JRE) >= Java version 11. The software was specifically compiled for and tested in OpenJDK 15.0.1. The following commands test the local Java installation in a UNIX-based environment:

% which java
/usr/bin/java

% java -version
openjdk version "15.0.1" 2020-10-20
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 15.0.1+9)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 15.0.1+9, mixed mode, sharing)
        

NOTE: Validate requires 64-bit Java in order to enable Java Virtual Machine memory requirements. In version output above, note the line Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM.

For Windows Users: The 32-bit JRE is the default on Windows, and even the the online installer for Windows on the Java Download All Operating Systems page only installs the 32-bit JRE. If you see an error like that described under this common error, you have the wrong JRE installed.

If the either of these commands fail, it indicates Java is not installed or the version is not at least 1.9. Consult the local system administrator for installation of this software. For the do-it-yourself crowd, the Java software can be downloaded from the Java Download page.

UNIX-Based Environment

This section details the environment setup for UNIX-based machines. The binary distribution includes a couple shell scripts that must be executed from the command-line. Setting the PATH environment variable to the location of the scripts, enables the shell scripts to be executed from any location on the local machine.

The following command demonstrates how to set the PATH environment variable (in Bourne shell), by appending to its current setting:

# For a Bash Unix system, add the following to your $HOME/.bashrc
% export PATH=${PATH}:/usr/local/validate-3.6.3/bin

# For a C-Shell Unix system, add the following to your $HOME/.cshrc
% set "PATH=${PATH}:/usr/local/validate-3.6.3/bin"
        

In addition, it is recommended that the JAVA_HOME environment variable be set. It should point to the appropriate location of the Java installation on the local machine. If this is not set, then the shell script tries to resolve it via the which java command. If it still cannot find Java at this point, then an error is returned.

The following command demonstrates how to set the JAVA_HOME environment variable:

# For a Bash Unix system, add the following to your $HOME/.bashrc
% export JAVA_HOME=/path/to/java/home

# For a C-Shell Unix system, add the following to your $HOME/.cshrc
% set JAVA_HOME=/usr
        

The system administrator for the local machine may need to be consulted for this location. The path specified should have a bin sub-directory that contains the java executable. This variable may also be defined within the scripts. Edit the scripts (files without the .bat extension) and change the line in the example above to represent the local Java installation.

Windows Environment

This section details the environment setup for Windows machines. The binary distribution includes a couple batch scripts that must be executed from the command-line. Setting the PATH environment variable to the location of the files, enables the batch scripts to be executed from any location on the local machine.

The following command demonstrates how to set the PATH environment variable, by appending to its current setting:

C:\> set Path=%Path%;C:\Program Files\validate-3.6.3\bin
        

In addition, the batch scripts require that the JAVA_HOME environment variable be set to the appropriate location of the Java installation on the local machine. This may have already been set when Java was installed. However, if it hasn't, then run the following command to set the JAVA_HOME environment variable:

C:\> set JAVA_HOME=C:\path\to\java\home

# For example
C:\> set JAVA_HOME=C:\Program Files\Java\some-jre-version
        

The system administrator for the local machine may need to be consulted for this location. The path specified should have a bin sub-directory that contains the java executable. This variable may also be defined within the scripts. Edit the scripts (files with the .bat extension) and change the line in the example above to represent the local Java installation. Additional methods for setting Windows environment variables can be found in the Windows System Properties document.

Installation Location

Both the shell and batch scripts for this software utilize system commands for determining the installation home directory that may or may not be available on all platforms. If these commands are not available in the current environment, their use can be replaced in the scripts by setting the PARENT_DIR variable with the actual installation path. Modify the UNIX-based shell scripts as follows (the actual installation path may be different in the current environment):

SCRIPT_DIR=`dirname $0`
PARENT_DIR=`cd ${SCRIPT_DIR}/.. && pwd`

  should be replaced with:

PARENT_DIR=/usr/local/validate-3.6.3
        

Modify the Windows-based batch scripts as follows (the actual installation path may be different in the current environment):

set SCRIPT_DIR=%~dps0
set PARENT_DIR=%SCRIPT_DIR%..

  should be replaced with:

set PARENT_DIR=C:\Program Files\validate-3.6.3
        

Verifying the Installation

Verify that the tool was installed correctly by running the shell script or Windows batch file with no arguments. The output should look something like the following:

% validate

Type 'validate -h' for usage