To further confuse you, Sun refers to the various downloads of Java updates. They are not updates, but entire new versions. You don’t need a previous version installed.
Below is how to get Java for Windows, Linux and Solaris. For other platforms (e.g. various Unices) see your OS vendor’s site. For example for NetBSD Unix Java is included in pkgsrc (the Packages System).
| Version | Executables | Documentation | What’s New |
|---|---|---|---|
| JDK 1.6.0_17
(current) |
download
JDK 6 Update 17 73.55
mb self-installing executable. Select JDK 6
Update 17 then your platform and choose Windows (or whatever your
platform. Windows 7 is Windows 64 bit)
jdk-6u17-windows-i586.exe This is most likely the version you want to download. The JDK, described here, is for people who want to write their own Java programs. If all you want to do is run them, or browse Applets on the web, you should use the much smaller JRE instead. You don’t need both. The JDK includes the JRE. The Sun uninstaller is badly designed. Watch out for the following:
|
download
documentation jdk-6u10-docs.zip 56.16
MB in zipped HTML format.
1.6.0_17
requires updated documentation, unusual for a minor version release.
The link in is the middle of the page after the JDK and JRE downloads before the
source downloads. Only the very curious want the source downloads. You just
unzip the download into your J:\Program Files\java\jdk1.6.0_17
directory with folder names. There is no installer. I suggest you mark the docs
directory as compressed to save space after you download and unzip it.
It will install a JDK in: J:\Program Files\java\jdk1.6.0_17 and a client JRE in: C:\Program Files\java\jre6 and a debugging/server JRE in: J:\Program Files\java\jdk1.6.0_17\jre. The documentation goes in: J:\Program Files\java\jdk1.6.0_17\docs After you have installed the documentation, build a bookmark to it in your browser: Sun’s documentation on JDK : available:
|
release
notes. To use any of the new features you must compile with
rem compiling with JDK 1.6 features turned on javac.exe -source 1.6 -target 1.6 MyProg.javaYou might consider renaming src.zip to src.jar so that your IDE can see the source files for cross referencing. New features in JDK 1.6:
The install also puts some files in C:\Program Files\java\common files. It will install two copies of the JRE, a private one with debugging turned on in J:\Program Files\java\jdk1.6.0_17\jre for the SDK tools, and a public one with debugging turned off in C:\Program Files\java\jre6 for all apps to use. The private debugging version is designed for tracing code through step by step. You can also download source the source for everything. You don’t need it other than for curiosity. JET Version 6.5 supports up to Java 1.6.0_12. (The most recent Sun release is 1.6.0_17) or 1.5.0_22 Last revised/verified: 2009-11-03. JET supports Linux and Windows including Vista. JET comes with a precompiled JRE, so you don’t actually need to install a Sun 1.6.0_12 JRE though obviously you will need some JDK for development, usually JDK 1.6.0_17. Jet Beta 7.2 lets you natively compile Tomcat in either Windows or Linux. |
| Java 1.5.0_22 SDK/JDK (old) | download JDK The Windows Installation version is 88 MB and contains NetBeans. If you don’t want NetBeans, look lower on the page under 32-bit/64-bit for Windows/Linux/Solaris SPARC 32-bit for Solaris x86 where you can get the vanilla 55 MB JDK. You then get a choice of online or off-line install. off-line is preferable since it lets you reinstall later even if you have no Internet access or if Sun stops making it available. online uses less disk space since it downloads as needed during the install. You can also put the off-line version on CD for backup or to pass on to others. JDK version 1.5 is slated for end of life 2009-10-30, last updated on 2009-11-03. The JDK includes source in src.zip and class files in jre\lib\rt.jar. Includes the JRE and Java Web Start runtime jawaws.exe. Does not include JavaMail or JAF. | download documentation 49 MB in zipped HTML format. The link is way at the bottom of the page after the JDK executable downloads. I suggest you mark the docs directory as compressed to save space after you download and unzip it. . | release notes. You might consider renaming src.zip to src.jar so that your IDE can see the source files for cross referencing. This release includes major changes to the Java language such as boxing/unboxing (automatic int <-> Integer conversion), generic (Collections know what sort of objects are in them), enhanced for loops for iterating over Collections, and typesafe enumerations, and variable numbers of argument to a method. Here is a summary of the changes |
| Mac OS X
JDK 1.6.0_13 |
download executables | documentation | Java for Mac OS X. If you can find better URLs let me know. Apple’s site is chaotic. Mac’s ship with JDK 1.4.2. You must download 1.6.0_13 separately. release notes. |
| Mac OS
JDK 1.1.8 MRJ 2.2.5 |
download executables | download documentation | Java for the classic Mac OS. If you can find better URLs let me know. Apple’s site is chaotic. |
| Mac OS
MRJ 2.2 |
download | presumably bundled with the executables. | Java for the classic Mac OS. If you can find better URLs let me know. Apple’s site is chaotic. Available as *.dmg, *.bin and *.hqx formats. MacOS for the PowerPC is stuck at version 1.5. Intel Macs support version 1.6. |
To access the JDK under Linux, you need to set up two environment variables JAVA_HOME and the PATH.
For client use, you don’t need to put anything on the path. The JRE installer puts a dummy copy of java.exe on the path in C:\WINNT\system32 to get things started. When it is invoked, it looks in the registry to find the current actual java.exe. javaws.exe works the same way.
| Java JDK Major Releases and Released Differences | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Version | Codename | New Features Introduced In that Release |
| 1996-01-23 | 1.0 | Oak? | Java released to public |
| 1997-02-18 | 1.1 | Sparkler | No longer supported. Added a totally new event model, using Listeners, anonymous classes and inner classes. This is the level Microsoft has trapped many of its customers at. Netscape proprietary RSA code signing. Microsoft proprietary CAB code signing. |
| 1998-12-04 | 1.2 | Playground | No longer supported. Added ArrayList and other Collections, added Swing (though the initial release is missing many methods). Added DSA code signing. Added BufferedImage |
| 2000-05-08 | 1.3 | Kestrel | No longer supported. java.util.Timer, java.lang. StrictMath, Runtime. addShutdownHook, java.awt. Robot, java.awt.print. PageAttributes, java.media.sound (MIDI and sampled). Hotspot introduced. RMI now has the option of using CORBA’s IIOP protocol. Added RSA code signing, which quickly effectively obsoleted DSA certificates. |
| 2002-02-13 | 1.4 | Merlin | No longer supported. added regexes, assertions and nio. |
| 2004-09-29 | 1.5 | Tiger | added StringBuilder, java.util.concurrent, generics, enums, annotations, autoboxing, covariant return types, for:each, static import and variable-length argument lists. MacOS for the PowerPC is stuck at version 1.5. more. |
| 2006-12-12 | 1.6 | Mustang | System tray, subpixel antialiasing, Document-modal, Application-modal, Toolkit-modal, Applet splash screens, table sorting, true double buffering, digitally signed XML files, JWS support for *.ico and *.png, JavaCompiler, JDBC 4.0, smart card API, Console. readPassword, improved drag & drop. Apple OS X 10.5 supports JDK 1.6.0_13. more. |
| not released | 1.7 | Dolphin | There is still on-going discussion on what should be included. |
| You can get the freshest copy of this page from: | or possibly from your local J: drive (Java virtual drive/mindprod.com website mirror) | |
| http://mindprod.com/jgloss/jdk.html | J:\mindprod\jgloss\jdk.html | |
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