How to get operating system name in Java

In this tutorial, we will learn how  to  get an operating system name in Java.

Introduction:

When you run a program written in Java, it can run on different types of computers with different operating systems like Windows, mac OS, or Linux. Sometimes, the program needs to know what kind of operating system it’s running on.

In Java, there’s a way to ask the computer what operating system it is. It’s like asking, “Hey computer, are you a Windows computer or a Mac computer?”

How to get operating system name in Java :

Getting the operating system name in Java involves accessing system properties provided by the java.lang.System class.

Here’s a detailed explanation:

1. System Class in Java:  Java provides the 'System' class in the ‘java.lang' package, which contains several useful methods and properties for interacting with the system on which the Java Virtual Machine  is running.
2. System Properties:  System properties are a set of key-value pairs that provide information about the environment in which the Java Virtual Machine is running. These properties include details such as the operating system name, version, Java version, user home directory, etc.
3. Accessing System Properties:  The ‘System.getProperty(String key)' method is used to access system properties. You pass the key corresponding to the property you want to retrieve as an argument to this method.
4. Operating System Name Property:  The key ‘"os.name"' is used to retrieve the operating system name. When you call ‘System.getProperty("os.name")' it returns a string representing the name of the operating system.
5. Example:

   public class Main {
       public static void main(String[] args) {
           String OsName = System.getProperty("os.name");
           System.out.println("Operating System: " +OsName);
       }
   }

    

   

   In this example, System.getProperty("os.name") retrieves the operating system name, and it is printed to the console.

6. Output:  When you run this code, it will print out the name of the operating system on which your Java program is running. For example:
   • On Windows: “Windows 10”
   • On macOS: “Mac OS X”
   • On Linux: “Linux”
7. Portability:  This method allows your Java program to be portable across different operating systems. By retrieving the operating system name dynamically, your program can adapt its behavior based on the environment in which it is running.

References:

http://how-do-i-programmatically-determine-operating-system-in-java

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Conclusion:

In Java, you can easily find out the name of the operating system your program is running on using a simple line of code: ‘System.getProperty("os.name")'. This code retrieves the operating system name as a string, allowing you to adapt your program’s behavior based on the operating system it’s running on. It’s a handy tool for making your Java programs more versatile and compatible across different operating systems.