Installing the Java Runtime
When using a new OS X installation, you're likely to get an alert dialog box at some point saying that a particular service or application needs Java and asking if you would like to download Java.
The Java runtime is a tool that runs applications written in Oracle's Java language on the Mac. (There are also runtimes for Windows and Linux.) Java is often used by web-based applications because no matter what type of computer the user has, it can run.
Click Install Java to have OS X look for the latest version of Java and install it on your Mac. You need an active Internet connection. If you click Not Now, you can run Software Update to install Java later.
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