diff --git a/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_java.sh b/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_java.sh
index 9ad7659941..e7fc3c0191 100644
--- a/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_java.sh
+++ b/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_java.sh
@@ -154,18 +154,22 @@ END_OF_JCLOUDS_FILE
 
 function installOpenJDK() {
   if hash apt-get 2>/dev/null; then
-    export pkg=openjdk-7-jdk
-    apt-get-install $pkg || ( apt-get-upgrade && apt-get-install $pkg )
-    export JAVA_HOME=`ls -d /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-openjdk-*|grep -v common`
+    pkg=openjdk-7-jdk
+    (apt-get-install $pkg || ( apt-get-upgrade && apt-get-install $pkg )) &&
+      export JAVA_HOME=`ls -d /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-openjdk*|grep -v common`
+    # ex. lucid where jdk 7 is not present
+    export JAVA_HOME=${JAVA_HOME:-/usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk}
+    test -d $JAVA_HOME || apt-get-install openjdk-6-jdk
   elif hash yum 2>/dev/null; then
     #TODO: find a jdk7 yum repo
     export pkg=java-1.6.0-openjdk-devel
-    yum --nogpgcheck -y install $pkg
+    yum --nogpgcheck -y install $pkg &&
     export JAVA_HOME=`ls -d /usr/lib/jvm/java-1.6.0-openjdk-*`
   else
     abort "we only support apt-get and yum right now... please contribute!"
     return 1
   fi
+  test -n "$JAVA_HOME" || abort "JDK installation failed!"
   ln -Fs $JAVA_HOME /usr/local/jdk 
   /usr/local/jdk/bin/java -version || abort "cannot run java"
   setupJavaHomeInProfile
diff --git a/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_jboss.sh b/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_jboss.sh
index b745f96667..4186f24f62 100644
--- a/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_jboss.sh
+++ b/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_jboss.sh
@@ -154,18 +154,22 @@ END_OF_JCLOUDS_FILE
 
 function installOpenJDK() {
   if hash apt-get 2>/dev/null; then
-    export pkg=openjdk-7-jdk
-    apt-get-install $pkg || ( apt-get-upgrade && apt-get-install $pkg )
-    export JAVA_HOME=`ls -d /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-openjdk-*|grep -v common`
+    pkg=openjdk-7-jdk
+    (apt-get-install $pkg || ( apt-get-upgrade && apt-get-install $pkg )) &&
+      export JAVA_HOME=`ls -d /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-openjdk*|grep -v common`
+    # ex. lucid where jdk 7 is not present
+    export JAVA_HOME=${JAVA_HOME:-/usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk}
+    test -d $JAVA_HOME || apt-get-install openjdk-6-jdk
   elif hash yum 2>/dev/null; then
     #TODO: find a jdk7 yum repo
     export pkg=java-1.6.0-openjdk-devel
-    yum --nogpgcheck -y install $pkg
+    yum --nogpgcheck -y install $pkg &&
     export JAVA_HOME=`ls -d /usr/lib/jvm/java-1.6.0-openjdk-*`
   else
     abort "we only support apt-get and yum right now... please contribute!"
     return 1
   fi
+  test -n "$JAVA_HOME" || abort "JDK installation failed!"
   ln -Fs $JAVA_HOME /usr/local/jdk 
   /usr/local/jdk/bin/java -version || abort "cannot run java"
   setupJavaHomeInProfile
diff --git a/compute/src/test/resources/runscript.sh b/compute/src/test/resources/runscript.sh
index ea2874ccd0..6d10394a79 100644
--- a/compute/src/test/resources/runscript.sh
+++ b/compute/src/test/resources/runscript.sh
@@ -154,18 +154,22 @@ END_OF_JCLOUDS_FILE
 
 function installOpenJDK() {
   if hash apt-get 2>/dev/null; then
-    export pkg=openjdk-7-jdk
-    apt-get-install $pkg || ( apt-get-upgrade && apt-get-install $pkg )
-    export JAVA_HOME=`ls -d /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-openjdk-*|grep -v common`
+    pkg=openjdk-7-jdk
+    (apt-get-install $pkg || ( apt-get-upgrade && apt-get-install $pkg )) &&
+      export JAVA_HOME=`ls -d /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-openjdk*|grep -v common`
+    # ex. lucid where jdk 7 is not present
+    export JAVA_HOME=${JAVA_HOME:-/usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk}
+    test -d $JAVA_HOME || apt-get-install openjdk-6-jdk
   elif hash yum 2>/dev/null; then
     #TODO: find a jdk7 yum repo
     export pkg=java-1.6.0-openjdk-devel
-    yum --nogpgcheck -y install $pkg
+    yum --nogpgcheck -y install $pkg &&
     export JAVA_HOME=`ls -d /usr/lib/jvm/java-1.6.0-openjdk-*`
   else
     abort "we only support apt-get and yum right now... please contribute!"
     return 1
   fi
+  test -n "$JAVA_HOME" || abort "JDK installation failed!"
   ln -Fs $JAVA_HOME /usr/local/jdk 
   /usr/local/jdk/bin/java -version || abort "cannot run java"
   setupJavaHomeInProfile
diff --git a/scriptbuilder/src/main/resources/functions/installOpenJDK.sh b/scriptbuilder/src/main/resources/functions/installOpenJDK.sh
index 0ac3b2f2ca..8f24fec87c 100644
--- a/scriptbuilder/src/main/resources/functions/installOpenJDK.sh
+++ b/scriptbuilder/src/main/resources/functions/installOpenJDK.sh
@@ -19,18 +19,22 @@ END_OF_JCLOUDS_FILE
 
 function installOpenJDK() {
   if hash apt-get 2>/dev/null; then
-    export pkg=openjdk-7-jdk
-    apt-get-install $pkg || ( apt-get-upgrade && apt-get-install $pkg )
-    export JAVA_HOME=`ls -d /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-openjdk-*|grep -v common`
+    pkg=openjdk-7-jdk
+    (apt-get-install $pkg || ( apt-get-upgrade && apt-get-install $pkg )) &&
+      export JAVA_HOME=`ls -d /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-openjdk*|grep -v common`
+    # ex. lucid where jdk 7 is not present
+    export JAVA_HOME=${JAVA_HOME:-/usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk}
+    test -d $JAVA_HOME || apt-get-install openjdk-6-jdk
   elif hash yum 2>/dev/null; then
     #TODO: find a jdk7 yum repo
     export pkg=java-1.6.0-openjdk-devel
-    yum --nogpgcheck -y install $pkg
+    yum --nogpgcheck -y install $pkg &&
     export JAVA_HOME=`ls -d /usr/lib/jvm/java-1.6.0-openjdk-*`
   else
     abort "we only support apt-get and yum right now... please contribute!"
     return 1
   fi
+  test -n "$JAVA_HOME" || abort "JDK installation failed!"
   ln -Fs $JAVA_HOME /usr/local/jdk 
   /usr/local/jdk/bin/java -version || abort "cannot run java"
   setupJavaHomeInProfile
diff --git a/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_install_jdk_scriptbuilder.sh b/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_install_jdk_scriptbuilder.sh
index d35c30b1d7..f88f8fcdc5 100644
--- a/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_install_jdk_scriptbuilder.sh
+++ b/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_install_jdk_scriptbuilder.sh
@@ -154,18 +154,22 @@ END_OF_JCLOUDS_FILE
 
 function installOpenJDK() {
   if hash apt-get 2>/dev/null; then
-    export pkg=openjdk-7-jdk
-    apt-get-install $pkg || ( apt-get-upgrade && apt-get-install $pkg )
-    export JAVA_HOME=`ls -d /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-openjdk-*|grep -v common`
+    pkg=openjdk-7-jdk
+    (apt-get-install $pkg || ( apt-get-upgrade && apt-get-install $pkg )) &&
+      export JAVA_HOME=`ls -d /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-openjdk*|grep -v common`
+    # ex. lucid where jdk 7 is not present
+    export JAVA_HOME=${JAVA_HOME:-/usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk}
+    test -d $JAVA_HOME || apt-get-install openjdk-6-jdk
   elif hash yum 2>/dev/null; then
     #TODO: find a jdk7 yum repo
     export pkg=java-1.6.0-openjdk-devel
-    yum --nogpgcheck -y install $pkg
+    yum --nogpgcheck -y install $pkg &&
     export JAVA_HOME=`ls -d /usr/lib/jvm/java-1.6.0-openjdk-*`
   else
     abort "we only support apt-get and yum right now... please contribute!"
     return 1
   fi
+  test -n "$JAVA_HOME" || abort "JDK installation failed!"
   ln -Fs $JAVA_HOME /usr/local/jdk 
   /usr/local/jdk/bin/java -version || abort "cannot run java"
   setupJavaHomeInProfile