Is it safe to delete SDKMAN candidates?
Java versions and other JVM tools, such as Gradle, Maven and Kotlin, that SDKMAN has installed.
Review first
It's your own data, or hard to recreate. Decide item by item.
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What it is
SDKMAN installs each SDK version you ask for into a folder for that tool, such as candidates/java/21.0.4-tem, and marks one version of each tool as your default. Versions stay until you remove them, so the folder grows as you install new ones. SDKMAN removes one version at a time with its own uninstall option.
If it's removed
Projects and tools that use a removed version can't run it until you install it again with SDKMAN.
What to do instead
SDKMAN manages these versions and can uninstall the ones you no longer use. Keep the versions set as your defaults.
The free analyzer finds it and explains it. The app never removes it.
Sources
Last checked on 26 Sep 2026. Every entry is written and checked by hand; the app and the command-line tool use the same words.