macOS Error: Could not create the Java Virtual Machine

bash-3.2$ java -ver
Unrecognized option: -ver
Error: Could not create the Java Virtual Machine.
Error: A fatal exception has occurred. The program will exit.
bash-3.2$

If you are trying to check the Java version on macOS and you get the above error message then it may be that you are specifying the command wrong, let's try Java -help

bash-3.2$ java -help

Usage: java [-options] class [args...]
           (to execute a class)
   or  java [-options] -jar jarfile [args...]
           (to execute a jar file)
where options include:
    -d32	  use a 32-bit data model if available
    -d64	  use a 64-bit data model if available
    -server	  to select the "server" VM
                  The default VM is a server,
                  because you are running on a server-class machine.


    -cp 
    -classpath 
                  A : separated list of directories, JAR archives,
                  and ZIP archives to search for class files.
    -D=
                  set a system property
    -verbose:[class|gc|jni]
                  enable verbose output
    -version      print product version and exit
    -version:
                  require the specified version to run
    -showversion  print product version and continue
    -jre-restrict-search | -no-jre-restrict-search
                  include/exclude user private JREs in the version search
    -? -help      print this help message
    -X            print help on non-standard options
    -ea[:...|:]
    -enableassertions[:...|:]
                  enable assertions with specified granularity
    -da[:...|:]
    -disableassertions[:...|:]
                  disable assertions with specified granularity
    -esa | -enablesystemassertions
                  enable system assertions
    -dsa | -disablesystemassertions
                  disable system assertions
    -agentlib:[=]
                  load native agent library , e.g. -agentlib:hprof
                  see also, -agentlib:jdwp=help and -agentlib:hprof=help
    -agentpath:[=]
                  load native agent library by full pathname
    -javaagent:[=]
                  load Java programming language agent, see java.lang.instrument
    -splash:
                  show splash screen with specified image

so the correct argument to check java version is -version

bash-3.2$ java -version

java version "1.8.0_25"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_25-b17)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.25-b02, mixed mode)

bash-3.2$

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This is not an AI-generated article but is demonstrated by a human on an M1 Mac running macOS Sonoma 14.0.

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