How to detect OS in Java

Here is a handy Java class that use System.getProperty("os.name") to detect which type of operating system (OS) you are using now.

This code can detect “Windows”, “Mac”, “Unix” and “Solaris”.

package com.mkyong.core;
 
public class OSValidator {
 
	private static String OS = System.getProperty("os.name").toLowerCase();
 
	public static void main(String[] args) {
 
		System.out.println(OS);
 
		if (isWindows()) {
			System.out.println("This is Windows");
		} else if (isMac()) {
			System.out.println("This is Mac");
		} else if (isUnix()) {
			System.out.println("This is Unix or Linux");
		} else if (isSolaris()) {
			System.out.println("This is Solaris");
		} else {
			System.out.println("Your OS is not support!!");
		}
	}
 
	public static boolean isWindows() {
 
		return (OS.indexOf("win") >= 0);
 
	}
 
	public static boolean isMac() {
 
		return (OS.indexOf("mac") >= 0);
 
	}
 
	public static boolean isUnix() {
 
		return (OS.indexOf("nix") >= 0 || OS.indexOf("nux") >= 0 || OS.indexOf("aix") > 0 );
 
	}
 
	public static boolean isSolaris() {
 
		return (OS.indexOf("sunos") >= 0);
 
	}
 
}

References

os.name value – http://lopica.sourceforge.net/os.html
System.getProperty() – http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/api/java/lang/System.html

Tags : java

mkyong

Founder of Mkyong.com, love Java and open source stuffs. Follow him on Twitter, or befriend him on Facebook or Google Plus.

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/** * Simple static class to retrieve platform information. * For more detailed OS information use the org.apache.commons.lang.SystemUtils library: * http://commons.apache.org/lang/api-2.4/org/apache/commons/lang/SystemUtils.html * * @author PjotrC */ public class OS { public enum Platform { Windows, Mac, Unix, Solaris, unsupported } private static Platform m_os = null; public static Platform getOS() { if(m_os == null) { String os = System.getProperty("os.name").toLowerCase(); m_os = Platform.unsupported; if(os.indexOf("win") &gt;= 0) m_os = Platform.Windows; // Windows if(os.indexOf("mac") &gt;= 0) m_os = Platform.Mac; // Mac if(os.indexOf("nux") &gt;= 0) m_os = Platform.Unix; // Linux if(os.indexOf("nix") &gt;= 0) m_os = Platform.Unix; // Unix if(os.indexOf("sunos") &gt;= 0) m_os = Platform.Solaris; // Solaris } return m_os; } public static boolean isWindows() { return (getOS() == Platform.Windows); } public static boolean isMac() { return (getOS() == Platform.Mac); } public static boolean isUnix() { return (getOS() == Platform.Unix); } public static boolean isSolaris() { return (getOS() == Platform.Solaris); } // for testing public static void main(String[] args) { // A switch block is always better than else if forks! // On Java 7 it is even possible to switch for strings - no enums are needed. switch( getOS() ) { case Windows: System.out.println("This is Windows"); break; case Mac: System.out.println("This is Mac"); break; case Unix: System.out.println("This is Unix (including Linux)"); break; case Solaris: System.out.println("This is Solaris"); break; case unsupported: System.out.println("Your OS is not support!"); break; } // But the easiest way would be following (including also the version number): System.out.println("This is " + System.getProperty("os.name")); } }

private static String os = System.getProperty("os.name").toLowerCase(); private static boolean isUnix = os.indexOf("nix") &gt;= 0 || os.indexOf("nux") &gt;= 0; private static boolean isWindows = os.indexOf("win") &gt;= 0; private static boolean isMac = os.indexOf("mac") &gt;= 0;

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Mircea March 22, 2013 at 1:24 am
Thanks a lot!
Sunflower March 7, 2013 at 1:24 am
Thanks! Was very helpful and simple!
tizzi December 12, 2012 at 12:08 pm
I used windows7. Could that be the reason why the code isn’t working for me? Please write back if there is any necessary modification to help the code work on my OS. thanks
Dale August 24, 2012 at 6:28 am
Yet another version of Unix: AIX
Change the unix test to
return (os.indexOf(“nix”) >= 0 || os.indexOf(“nux”) >= 0 || os.indexOf(“aix”) >= 0);

PjotrC April 10, 2012 at 8:28 pm

Sometimes you don’t want to import a big library, for this case I improved this class to meet my standards:

/**
 * Simple static class to retrieve platform information.
 * For more detailed OS information use the org.apache.commons.lang.SystemUtils library:
 * http://commons.apache.org/lang/api-2.4/org/apache/commons/lang/SystemUtils.html
 * 
 * @author PjotrC
 */
public class OS {
 
	public enum Platform {
		Windows,
		Mac,
		Unix,
		Solaris,
		unsupported
	}
 
	private static Platform m_os = null;
 
 
	public static Platform getOS() {
		if(m_os == null) {
			String os = System.getProperty(&quot;os.name&quot;).toLowerCase();
 
			                             m_os = Platform.unsupported;
			if(os.indexOf(&quot;win&quot;)   &amp;gt;= 0) m_os = Platform.Windows;		// Windows
			if(os.indexOf(&quot;mac&quot;)   &amp;gt;= 0) m_os = Platform.Mac;			// Mac
			if(os.indexOf(&quot;nux&quot;)   &amp;gt;= 0) m_os = Platform.Unix;			// Linux
			if(os.indexOf(&quot;nix&quot;)   &amp;gt;= 0) m_os = Platform.Unix;			// Unix
			if(os.indexOf(&quot;sunos&quot;) &amp;gt;= 0) m_os = Platform.Solaris;		// Solaris
		}
 
		return m_os;
	}
 
	public static boolean isWindows() {
		return (getOS() == Platform.Windows);
	}
 	public static boolean isMac() {
		return (getOS() == Platform.Mac);
	}
 	public static boolean isUnix() {
		return (getOS() == Platform.Unix);
	}
 	public static boolean isSolaris() {
		return (getOS() == Platform.Solaris);
	}
 
 
 	// for testing
	public static void main(String[] args) {
 
		// A switch block is always better than else if forks!
		// On Java 7 it is even possible to switch for strings - no enums are needed.
		switch( getOS() ) {
			case Windows:		System.out.println(&quot;This is Windows&quot;);					break;
			case Mac:			System.out.println(&quot;This is Mac&quot;);						break;
			case Unix:			System.out.println(&quot;This is Unix (including Linux)&quot;);	break;
			case Solaris:		System.out.println(&quot;This is Solaris&quot;);					break;
			case unsupported:	System.out.println(&quot;Your OS is not support!&quot;);			break;
		}
 
		// But the easiest way would be following (including also the version number):
		System.out.println(&quot;This is &quot; + System.getProperty(&quot;os.name&quot;));
 
	}
 
}

Slowl March 26, 2012 at 10:24 pm
How about to use path separator or line separator to detect OS?
I mean http://www.browserleaks.com/java
Sean December 7, 2011 at 4:12 pm
why make ‘String os’ as a field?
daemonna December 1, 2011 at 8:11 pm
unix keyword doesnt work on Solaris, so fix is
System.getProperty(“os.name”).toLowerCase().indexOf(“sunos”)
for SOLARIS 10 and higher (didnt try older), as Solaris is still pretty used in enterprise and is main JAVA platform (regarding performance)
- mkyong December 2, 2011 at 8:26 pm
  Thanks for your invaluable input, code is updated to support Solaris.
Scipio Xaos November 19, 2011 at 12:59 am
Well, personally, I love to reinvent the wheel. It keeps you learning.
- sonam lohia July 27, 2012 at 5:11 pm
  I need java code for checking the operating system of iphone,ipad etc,means whatever device i have connected,it should get its OS.

Sergom December 24, 2010 at 1:34 am

Dynamically getting and parsing of os.name is not a good idea. Use static

private static String os = System.getProperty(&quot;os.name&quot;).toLowerCase();
private static boolean isUnix = os.indexOf(&quot;nix&quot;) &amp;gt;= 0 || os.indexOf(&quot;nux&quot;) &amp;gt;= 0;
private static boolean isWindows = os.indexOf(&quot;win&quot;) &amp;gt;= 0;
private static boolean isMac = os.indexOf(&quot;mac&quot;) &amp;gt;= 0;

and simply static getters for all boolean fiels

Win7 April 1, 2010 at 8:37 pm
with windows seven and java 1.6(with my test)
you have to change this:
return (os.indexOf( “win” ) >= 0);
into this:
return ((os.indexOf( “win” ) >= 0 ) || (os.indexOf( “Win” ) >= 0 )) ;
- mkyong April 1, 2010 at 10:16 pm
  thanks for your tip
- Mauro(IT) April 9, 2010 at 11:45 am
  4 Win7
  The code you added:
  return (os.indexOf( “win” ) >= 0);
  into this:
  return ((os.indexOf( “win” ) >= 0 ) || (os.indexOf( “Win” ) >= 0 )) ;
  sounds a bit strange, cause
  the line
  os = System.getProperty(“os.name”).toLowerCase()
  should permit to ignore the letters case.
Tristan December 1, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Why don’t you just use Apache Commons, see: http://commons.apache.org/lang/api-2.4/org/apache/commons/lang/SystemUtils.html
It has many useful classes you don’t have to write yourself.
- mkyong December 2, 2009 at 12:01 am
  Thanks me introduce this library :)
Bardisch August 22, 2009 at 7:34 am
Thank a lot!

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