[UNSW - School of Computer Science and Engineering] [Computer Science and Engineering Logo]  Java


These web pages contain local copies of some useful Java resources. These should be faster, cheaper and more reliable to access than fetching pages over the net.

There is also a collection of useful links at the end.

Local Java implementation

The current version of Java is installed in /usr/local/java with symlinks from /usr/local/bin for the most popular commands. We install the J2SE SDK and add OpenGL libraries from the JOGL project to /usr/local/java/<version>/jre/lib/ext. Older versions, along with any additions, are archived in /home/java/pc.i86.linux if sufficiently different from the other versions there (for example, a major version change or different libraries installed).

A note on upgrades

The java version is usually upgraded to the latest stable release just before the start of session 1 each year. It may be upgraded again during the midyear break if there is demand for a new version. Like all teaching software, java will not be upgraded during session unless there is an urgent reason to do so; for instance, a major vulnerability was found and patched.

JDK Downloads

These distributions are taken directly from Sun's website and do not include any local modifications such as the addition of OpenGL libraries.
Windows Platform
Linux Platform
Linux x64 Platform
MacOS Platform
  • Download Apple's J2SE 5.0 Release 1 for MacOS X 10.4 (Tiger). Note this does not replace Tiger's installation of J2SE 1.4.2, nor is it intended to work with previous versions of MacOS X.
Check Sun's Java Archive for older versions.

Other versions of Java
Sun invented Java and own the language. Although their implementation is the best-known and widely used, it is not the only one. Some others that are well-regarded by developers are:

IDEs

Documentation The API specs are normally available as zipped downloads, but are also fully expanded here to allow users to compare any differences between Java 2 and Java 5.

Tutorials

The tutorial can also be found on Sun's website.

Newgroups

The main newsgroup is comp.lang.java, comprising a dozen or so specialised groups. Beginners should read and send questions to comp.lang.java.help. You will need a newsreader such as Thunderbird, Mozilla or trn to read newsgroups.

Applets

Training and Certification

Sun Australia offers java certification and training. See their website for details

Sites

Mailing list

There is a mailing list for Java users in the school which is used to announce changes to the java implementation and may also be used by members to ask questions. You can subscribe with the command
mlalias java-users -a <username>

Comments or suggested additions to

ss@cse.unsw.edu.au