Sun Java VM

[mapsonx]

Some time ago I was advised to switch to Sun Java VM due to MS VM security issues, the upcoming cessation of MS support for Win98se, etc.

I downloaded & installed "Sun Java 2 Runtime Environment, Std Edition 1.4.1_05", 7.88mb, which I believed to be appropriate for my purposes as a non-programmer.

When I go to the Java applet in my control panel and check for updates, I get "You already have the most up-to-date version of the JavaTM platform."

However, when I go to the Sun website (not the most dummy-friendly place), it tells me that the latest version is j2re-1_4_2_01-windows-i586.exe, which is a huge 14.3M, & twice the size of the previous version, if in fact they are the same programs.

Furthermore, at http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.1/download.html it says that Edition 1.4.1_05 has "begun the Sun End of Life (EOL) process. The EOL transition period is from July 15, 2003 until January 15, 2004. With this notice, customers should now begin to move to current product versions"

In addition, before I had noticed these discrepancies, I loaded the later version (1_4_2_01) on a Win ME machine. Accordingly, when I now go to Windws Update on that machine, it no longer advises me that I need any MS VM related security updates.

But when I go to Windows Update on the 98se machine with the suppossedly older version installed, It still reports that I need the MS VM updates.

Can someone please straighten me out on this confusing mess :confused:

Thx

- J -:)

[doctorgonzo]

Why don't you just put the newest version on your Windows 98 machine?

[mapsonx]

Originally posted by doctorgonzo
Why don't you just put the newest version on your Windows 98 machine? Sorry, I guess I wasn't making myself clear.

As I said, when I check for updates from the control panel applet, it says I already have their latest version, but the Sun website says different, or at least that it how it appears to me.

But when you go to certain Sun d/l pages where you think the latest VM d\l is supposed to be, there is absolutely no indication, designation, or explanation whatsoever of what your going to be downloading, i.e.

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

When I realized the file I was prospectively downloading was literally twice the size of my currently installed version, which in & of itself is considerably large, I wondered if it might be an SDK version, which I am not in need of.

That is why I am here. To verify which is the latest version that is appropriate for my purposes.

[doctorgonzo]

That version is not the SDK. The SDK is around 50 MB.

I would install the latest version regardless.

[mapsonx]

Thanks