Ioannis Vranos wrote:
> Why should someone have 2 java SDKs/VMs installed on a system? How can 
> one expect that these would not mess around?
> 

If you install just the sun rpm, they are each installed in a different 
directory, independant of each other.

$ ls /usr/java/
j2sdk1.4.2_06  j2sdk1.4.2_12  j2sdk1.4.2_13  jdk1.5.0_05  jdk1.5.0_11 
jre1.5.0_06
$

The only reason you have java in your path, and a java plugin 
automatically in your browser is because of the java-1.4.2-compat rpm. 
This rpm set's all your paths correctly and puts in a link for the plugin.

> I suppose that SUN makes the Java installation to remove any previous 
> Java SDKs/VMs installed, because they can not guarantee that everything 
> will work as it should. In other words I think it is not a bug, but a 
> feature.
> 
> I think SL must update to the latest stable Java update, that is 
> 1.5.0_11 currently, or to the latest of 1.4.2 series, 1.4.2_13 
> currently. Any removal of any preexisting SDK/VM is a  SUN Java issue 
> and not an SL issue.
> 

Personally, I would love to update to the latest 1.5 (I'd wait until 1.6 
is more stable before updating to it.)
The problem is, that from what I've been told, there are lots of 
critical programs that people are running that depend on the version of 
java, and many of these are java 1.4.2 dependant.

Also, the java 1.5 doesn't remove the old 1.4.2.  So the update wouldn't 
be automatic.

Troy
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Troy Dawson  [log in to unmask]  (630)840-6468
Fermilab  ComputingDivision/LCSI/CSI DSS Group
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