Everything you need to get started with Helidon is listed here.

Prerequisites

Helidon requires Java and Maven. You might also need Docker and Kubernetes depending on how you plan to deploy your services.

Table 1. Prerequisite product versions for Helidon 4.3.0-SNAPSHOT

Java SE 21 (Open JDK 21)

Helidon requires Java 21+ (25+ recommended).

Maven 3.8+

Helidon requires Maven 3.8+.

Docker 18.09+

If you want to build and run Docker containers.

Kubectl 1.16.5+

If you want to deploy to Kubernetes, you need kubectl and a Kubernetes cluster (you can install one on your desktop.
Verify Prerequisites
java -version
mvn --version
docker --version
kubectl version

Setting JAVA_HOME

Setting JAVA_HOME
# On Mac
export JAVA_HOME=`/usr/libexec/java_home -v 21`

# On Linux
# Use the appropriate path to your JDK
export JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/jdk-21

Try the Quickstart Examples

Now you are ready to try the Quickstart Examples:

  1. Helidon MP Quickstart Example

  2. Helidon SE Quickstart Example

Tip
 See About Helidon for more information on the differences between Helidon MP and SE.
Tip
 See Helidon on Windows for some tips on using Helidon on Windows.