How to download and install Java Runtime files.

[John Corliss]

Yeah, yeah. I know there are many of you out there that know how to
run Java programs. _*This post is for those that don't.*_

Also, note that Java is not to be confused with Javascript.

Yesterday, Tramp posted a link to a program that allows one to
create animated shorts:

http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~jeremy-wood/software/editor.html

When I went to the site, I discovered that the author uses a
MacIntosh computer. Still, he'd provided a version of the program that
was written in the Java programming language.
The Java language is just another way to create programs (like C,
C++, Visual C, Delphi, etc.) but programs written in Java are supposed
to run on most platforms and in most operating systems.
I downloaded the "Cartoon Editor" program and discovered that it
wouldn't run on my system.
"What?" I thought to myself. "I thought that Microsoft installed
Java runtime files with the OS automatically."
Not so. When I looked in Explorer, I discovered some kind of
stuff in a folder named "C:\WINDOWS\JAVA\Packages", but it only seemed
to contain archived (zip format in this case) files for some reason.
I went to the Microsoft site to see how to run Java in Windows,
but here is what I found:

http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/java/

This being the case, I decided to "download Java" (by which is
meant download the *Java runtime files*) directly from the Sun site:

http://www.java.com/en/download/windows_manual.jsp

(Click on the button marked "download" to get the latest version; it's
about a 9 mb download)

Once I had finished downloading the file to my hard drive, I got
offline, located it, double clicked on it and did the install. The
process was totally painless and also placed a shortcut to a module
called "Java Web Start Application Manager". This module only works
when you are online, and it opens a window with several little program
shortcut/links. If you click on one, the corresponding Java program
downloads so that you can run it on your computer. Kinda cute, but
we'll see.
After rebooting, I tried the shortcut I had made to the "Cartoon
Editor" program and it worked! However, there *was* another problem.
The Cartoon Editor program requires that the memory hogging piece of
crap known as Quicktime be installed. Ain't gonna happen on MY machine!

There is a less preferable alternative listed by the author in the
opening warning:

"Or the JMF (the Java Media Framework) is available at:
http://java.sun.com/products/java-media/jmf/index.html
Note QuickTime has many more compression options, and I highly
recommend it instead of JMF if possible."

*sigh*

Back to the drawing board for me, but I hope somebody will find this
of use.

 

[John Fitzsimons]

Yeah, yeah. I know there are many of you out there that know how to
run Java programs. _*This post is for those that don't.*_

Back to the drawing board for me, but I hope somebody will find this
of use.

I am "somebody". I found it of use. Thanks John.


Regards, John.

 

[Bill Day]

Perhaps we could start a list of recommended freeware programs which
require the Java runtime files. There are quite a lot but I have no
idea which ones are any good. I had a quick look at Arachnophilia,
Lupus' HTML editor, liked it but did not prefer it what I already use
and it has one major shortcoming: no word wrap with syntax colouring.

Any recommendations? Please give brief descriptions, home page links
and download sizes. List could perhaps become a pricelessware category
and/or become a FAQ?

Chris

I noted this Java photoviewer about a year ago, but perhaps this is the
time to point at it again..you may actually like it!

..."for those who are fascinated by
new applications of technology, this merits a look...
http://java.sun.com/features/2001/08/photomesa.html
it is a project of the computer lab at the Univ. of Maryland (USA), and
has a number of interesting features in its various menus... It is NOT
as fast to load as things like Irfanview, but it does what it says and
is reasonably fast after loading, and some may prefer the Java
zooming...etc. I found it thru the page about Java Web Start..(it
requires a recent version of Java, noted on the download page)
....it also keeps thumbnails, by default, so be warned that this, unless
turned off, can build up rapidly.

 

[bOb]

Now that you have a Java RunTime,
the following fishing hole provides
a fairly large and diverse array of available
Java applications ...

http://java.sun.com/products/jfc/tsc/sightings/

A lot of $ware!

bOb