Java: Download/Installation Instructions

(based on document by Rich Pattis)

You may want to print these instructions before proceeding. You should read each step completely before performing the action it describes. Because these products may change slightly each semester, I would appreciate it if you would let me know if you find any discrepancies between these instructions and what actually happens when you try to follow them.

Java

The following instructions were composed for installing Sun Java 1.4.2_09. This is not the latest version, but it is the one that we are using this semester. Note: Java is already installed as part of Mac OS X, so no further installation is necessary for these machines.

A typical Java installation takes about 120 megabytes of disk space (plus the 52 Mb download, which you should keep on your machine, in case you need to reinstall it). The installation process reports the exact size.

Downloading

  1. Click Download Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition, v 1.4.2 (J2SE)
    A page, with this label in orange, will be displayed in your browser.

  2. Find the black bar labeled J2SE v 1.4.2_09 SDK.
    Note that the last three letters are SDK NOT JRE. A page, with this label Download in orange, will be displayed in your browser.

  3. Click the link under it labeled Download J2SE SDK.

  4. Click the Accept button, which appears under Required in red (it is in a small font: look for it carefully).
    This page will re-display itself, with this information absent.

  5. Find the black bar labeled Windows Platform - Java(TM) 2 SDK, Standard Edition 1.4.2_09

  6. Click the link labeled Windows Offline Installation, Multi-language

  7. Save the file it is about to download somewhere on your disk drive. The file will be named j2sdk-1_4_2_09-windows-i586-p.exe. The exact form of this interaction will depend on the version of your operating system. Store this exe file somewhere permanent on your disk drive, so that you can reexecute it (reinstall Java) later, if necessary.

  8. Terminate (X) any windows remaining from this process.

Installing

  1. Double-click the file that you just downloaded, to run it.
    You will see an InstallShield Wizard window temporarily, then a Preparing to Install window temporarily. You will then see a License window.

  2. Click the "I accept the terms..." button.

  3. Click the Next button.
    You will see a Custom Setup window. The default is to get a full installation (~120Mb)

  4. Click the Next button.
    You will see a Browser Registration window. If you need to, select a browser.

  5. Click the Install button.
    You will see a Progress window, an InstallShield window, a Preparing to Install window, and another Progress window. Eventually (from 15 seconds to a few minutes) you will see a CompleteWindow.

  6. Click the Finish button.


Class Path

Occassionally, something goes wrong during installation that is not discovered until you first try to compile or run your program.  

If you try to compile or run a java program and it doesn't understand the javac or java commands, that means that something went wrong in installation and you need to set your class path.    Instructions for fixing this can be found at:
http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/install-windows.html

Look at step 5, listed as optional.