#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
* The variable ~JAVA_HOME~
…
#+END_EXAMPLE

Exporting this to LaTeX and then compiling to PDF, produces the
following error:

  ! Missing $ inserted.
  <inserted text> 
                  $
  l.35 \section{The variable \verb~JAVA_HOME~}

Apparently, \verb is not allow in command arguments:

  http://www.tex.ac.uk/cgi-bin/texfaq2html?label=verbwithin

One solution is uses \cprotect:

  \cprotect\section{The variable \verb~JAVA_HOME~}

I don’t know how the exporter works but I wouldn’t be surprised if it
wasn’t entirely trivial to implement this.

The problem also exists in other situations where ~verbatim~ is used in
embedded contexts, for example when used in link descriptions:

  [[https://encrypted.google.com/search?q=JAVA_HOME][Google
  ~JAVA_HOME~]]

Is there anything that speaks against using \texttt for ~verbatim~?  The
HTML exporter uses the code tag for ~verbatim~ and =code=.

  Titus