Getting started with java & Linux

[fguy64]

Greetings.

I have debian lenny, and I'm just getting started with the Gnome desktop. I thought I'd just use the Epiphany web browser for now, and I just want to set myself up with a jvm so I can run java applets from the web.

I'd like to go with Sun jvm, just to be official, but it kind of looks to me that the available packages from the debian package site, that are available using apt or synaptic, aren't from Sun.

Also, when I visit the Sun site for information on supported systems, it kind of looks like I am not going in the right direction. My setup isn't supported. It kind of looks like epiphany browser isn't the way to go. So I thought I'd get a little advice before proceeding. Here's the Sun link for supported systems.

Supported System Configurations for Java SE 6 and Java SE for Business 6

[reed9]

Debian has the official sun JRE in their non-free section.
Debian -- Details of package sun-java6-jre in lenny

Debian GNU/Linux Java FAQ. - Java Development

[fguy64]

OK thanks. I would never have found that, it doesn't seem to be linked. I guess it a non-free (as in legal) thing.

[reed9]

It's non-free in that JRE isn't released under an open-source license.

Sun does have an open source implementation, openjdk.
Free and Open Source Java - FAQ

If you enable the non-free section in your sources.list, you can download and install JRE normally with APT.

In /etc/apt/sources.list you'll see something like

deb http://http.us.debian.org/debian stable main contrib non-free
deb http://non-us.debian.org/debian-non-US stable/non-US main contrib non-free
deb http://security.debian.org stable/updates main contrib non-free

Make sure the non-free bit is there.