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Oracle changed their licensing recently, you really need to look into it:
https://java.com/en/download/r...
https://www.oracle.com/technet...

Also, OpenJDK is now open source releases of the Oracle JDK except without the Oracle enterprise support.

I'm not surprised that Java 9 and later is seeing limited traction, especially since you still have to jump through hoops to download the JRE for Java 9 or later.

If you actually go to Oracle's Java.com runtime download site, they suggest the latest version of Java 8.

Don't blame Java for this. Or at least not entirely. I think it's the application's vendor who should fix this. They should have upgraded their applications to use Java Web Start instead of NPAPI-reliant applets. Besides, you can keep the Java plugin disabled and enable it only when you're gona use it, can't you?

now improved to remove even obsolete versions, courtesy of an FTC lawsuit.... https://www.java.com/en/uninst...

Check with Oracle about the terms they use if you want to distribute their Java Virtual Machine in a commercial product. I can assure you it involves you providing them with cash before they will let you even distribute Java, unmodified, as part of your product. I know this from experience. I'll warn you, Java from Oracle does NOT come cheap if you wish to distribute it. Sure they will let you and your customer download it for free, but they want their cut if you download and distribute Java to a customer.

OK, I checked with Oracle, and they said this:

Can I distribute Java with my software?
Yes, you can provide Java with your software provided you abide by the terms and conditions of Java binary code license.

Go is great, and there are definitely advantages to Go's BSD licensing model, but this is not one of them :)

Yes but by having crapware in the online version they are forcing you to act to disagree with their offer and find another way, ie use the offline installer, you should only have to act to agree to it

You can turn those offers off.

The PROBLEM with disabling Java, is that a significant majority of sites use it heavily

Uh, really? Can you name one website that uses Java heavily?

Here is one: Verify your Java Version

Including the ones installed by previous versions of Java.

I wonder if Oracle will remove the Ask Toolbar from the Java installer with this change or if they'll keep in bundled, so the two will fight during install?

Per the Java support site, go here: chrome://flags/#enable-npapi They probably won't support enabling it forever, but for now it's a workaround.

FWIW, that doesn't seem to work under Linux on Chrome 42+.

Per the Java support site, go here: chrome://flags/#enable-npapi

They probably won't support enabling it forever, but for now it's a workaround.

I agree; ads should portray a product or service in a tasteful, non-distracting manner. Unfortunately, those standards were thrown out the window entirely about 10 to 15 years ago, with an ever-escalating arms race:

- Popup ads
- Java ads (yes, remember those? The "Punch the monkey and win $20" banner ad from 2000 was one of the most notorious instances of this.)
- Flash ads (vector-based)
- Flash video ads (made more prevalent with the increasing consumer bandwidth)
- And now, HTML5 ads.

Most of these types of ads had some form of ultimate opt-out:

- Popup ads: from 2001 onward, an increasing number of browsers received either plug-in or native support to screen or fully disable popup ads. This ultimately made the "window.open" Javascript method taboo in most legitimate website design (and rightfully so; it was abused ad nauseam by ads like X10).

- Java ads: don't install Java. Unless you want to play Minecraft or use software which (unfortunately) requires Java, this is pretty easy. Alternatively, there are other ways to disable Java, including an Oracle-sanctioned method to disable it via the Java Control Panel: http://java.com/en/download/he...

- Flash ads: you can set Flash to "click to activate", and never activate it. I'm still waiting for Firefox to natively support HTML 5 playback so I can finally dump Flash on my Windows gaming PC.

- HTML5: .... .... *crickets chirping* ...yeah. Well, the ball is in your court, browser coders! I remember back in 2001, I switched over to Opera 5.11 (and purchased it!) mainly due to its tabbed browser functionality, and uncanny ability to block any and all unwanted popups. My ideal HTML5 control panel would be something similar to NoScript, which would block various levels of abuse of the audio, video, and canvas capabilities, on a per-domain or per-server basis. (Most canvas abuse is perpetrated via JavaScript, which makes NoScript an excellent tool for defusing annoying redraws, faux-paywalls, ad networks, and other cross-site shenanigans, but for the other HTML5 multimedia elements, I'd like stronger tools to prevent their abuse.)

I went to program in Java and all I got was this Ask Toolbar instead.

For the JRE, you can get it directly via a valid SSL download here:
https://www.java.com/en/downlo...

For the JDK, I will try your method.
Thanks for the tip about the checksum!

http://www.java.com/en/downloa...

It's not that Chrome requires Java, it's that Java 7 on Mac requires a non-Chrome browser:

Browser requirements: A 64-bit browser (Safari or Firefox, for example) is required to run Java 7 on Mac OS X. 32-bit browsers such as Chrome do not support Java 7 on the Mac platform.

(source)

Not on OS X. See http://www.java.com/en/downloa...

Safari and Firefox are both 64-bit, fwiw. I don't understand why Google is dragging their feet on this.

The 32-bit version will install in a 32-bit browser.

And don't forget about bugs with Java itself. We spent about half a day trying to figure out why an application that had been functioning until a Java upgrade stopped talking to the MS-SQL server it used, until we stumbled across JDK-7103725. We had to rollback until it was fixed (which actually took a few builds). There is a tiny bit of truth to the "Write once, break everywhere." troll.

I HAD forgotten the bugs... until I took on this project. That too has been part of the problem. I remember all too clearly now. :-/

And since the original project actually started in January 2002, a bunch of the code was actually written for Java 1.3 (and then, 3 years later, when the project was complete and in testing, ran on Java 1.4 and eventually a combo of 1.4.2 and 1.5).

But java.com states that it's about whether you're using a 32 or 64 bit browser, not OS:

http://www.java.com/en/downloa...

Isn't the 32-bit version of Internet Explorer still the default on Windows 8? Isn't Firefox (the one you normally get anyway) and Chrome still also 32 bit?

And don't forget about bugs with Java itself. We spent about half a day trying to figure out why an application that had been functioning until a Java upgrade stopped talking to the MS-SQL server it used, until we stumbled across JDK-7103725. We had to rollback until it was fixed (which actually took a few builds). There is a tiny bit of truth to the "Write once, break everywhere." troll.

I wonder why Oracle's own page describing the Ask.com toolbar doesn't describe a single benefit -- that is, unless the end user already thinks that "[searching] the Web using the Ask.com search engine directly from the browser" is a benefit.

https://www.java.com/en/downlo...

Can someone please explain why people say there's a toolbar in the Java installer? I have always gotten the JRE/JDK from http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html and have never encountered such a thing. Am I the only one who knows these even exist?

Most people just get it from the home page, and that's a different installer.
Remember, a large number of people who get Java only do so because Pogo tells them to. For those people this is "surfing the internet". And they're going to click the first search result, which is that same installer. Yeah, your page is the third result, but they will ask "Is 'Java SE' the same as 'Java'?" and they'll skip it.

When the consumer version automatically notifies you of an update, the updater has the same type of installer (with the tag-along software), so you have to uncheck the option every time you update Java now.

Sometimes I wonder if people have making life more difficult for themselves just to give them something to rant about.

More difficult like digging through a tech-net website looking for a installation program, and coming to this page (which would intimidate any non-techy person)?

There's also the issue that Java Auto Update is apparently still not supported on 64-bit versions of Java (see question "Why is the Update tab missing from the Java Control Panel?"). So you will just have to remember to check for updates yourself.

You mean, like this window?

That's from the current Java release trying to load Oracle's Java detection applet. And before you ask, I'm required to have Java installed for work because one of our apps relies on an applet.

http://www.java.com/en/download/help/disable_browser.xml

We're lucky to get that one. Oracle have publicly stated that there wont be any updates to Java 6 post February 2012. http://java.com/en/download/faq/java_6.xml

For example, installing Java updates on a PC installs, by default teh ASK Toolbar and makes ASK the default web search engine.

You know, Java? That crap from Cisco?

http://www.java.com/en/download/faq/ask_toolbar.xml

Oracle tells you how (scroll down)

disable java - https://www.java.com/en/download/help/disable_browser.xml

They still do it. See here: http://www.java.com/en/download/faq/ask_toolbar.xml
From Java.com:

The Ask Toolbar is integrated with the Java download. During the installation of Java, users are presented with an option of downloading the Ask Toolbar

Also, although it's fixed now, for a time, you couldn't direct link to the Win x64 JRE. It forced you through a page, that would check your browser and give you a x32 if your browser was 32bit. I used to have to fire up IE 64 on Server 2008 to grab a JRE to install on my 64bit os.

Windows

Linux

Mac OS X

Windows

Linux

Mac OS X

Windows

Linux

Mac OS X

Would it really kill the editors to include a link to the http://java.com/en/ download? Come on, guys...

Even the JRE is not much of a threat. The browser plugins are another story entirely.

PDFs, IIRC, just recently were a threat in and of themselves. But that's neither here nor there.

Your link exposes that the browsers and the Java Deployment Toolkit appear to be the culprits, not the JRE itself.

Agreed that PHP needs a major cleanup, but the resultant product probably shouldn't be called PHP 6

I agree entirely.. try some of these forks: http://www.ruby-lang.org/ http://www.python.org/ http://www.java.com/ http://www.microsoft.com/net, http://nodejs.org/

They are actually good for a change!

Apple stopped installing Java with Lion. But if you attempt to run a Java app you get a prompt asking if you want to install Java. I believe that is still the Apple Java implementation, with Apple still handling the updates.

In fall 2010, Apple announced that they were stopping their in-house Java development and was putting their support into OpenJDK. It looks like that is targeting Java SE 7, so I think that Apple must be continuing their Java development in house until that is released. So perhaps Apple is in the middle of the transition from in-house to OpenJDK; that could have caused the delay in the last Java update.

As a side note, Apple is not the only vendor to have their own Java. If you go to the Oracle Java download page it lists only Windows, Solaris and Linux versions. IBM and HP do their own. Looks like IBM spun their update quickly after Oracle, but HP took about a month for their update.

See also Webstar: The Java Web Start software caches (stores) the entire application locally on your computer.
Applets operate in a similar fashion and if there is a way to get web start or applets to load entirely by being streamed off the net then that's the bug that needs to be fixed. They always have the initial code downloaded. Sure they might do other things after that, but you're suggesting that they can get around that starting code that begins the exploit, and I don't see anything that says that's how it works. Until you break out of the Web Start/Applet Sand Box java doesn't have a full IO for you to play with.

Use Sun's site to check:
http://java.com/en/download/testjava.jsp

I doubt it's still installed after an upgrade, though.

Version 7 is on the same page as the 6 download

Url is http://www.java.com/en/download/faq/java7.xml

Even then, you can download JRockIt 28.2 separately. As far as I can tell, this is synced with Java 6 r29. Since Java6 r30 is the latest Java6, it's not that far out of date.

Now, whether it will be compatible with Java7 is a whole different ballgame.

Side note: java.com does not yet offer Java7 for download, so 6r30 is the latest version in its eyes, despite 7u2 being out.

Don't worry dude, I know of a highly secretive website where you can get the java warez. Are your ready for it?

OK, here it is: java.com

Ta-dah! We'll show Oracle that they can't take their java away from us!

All your fancy math aside, I can state simply that Apple would not acquire Yahoo because that would cheapen their brand. The layperson assumes that everything Apple makes is totally proprietary, top-notch, justifying a higher price. Apple's purchase of Yahoo would be a Frankenstein-esque grafting of some ugly diseased limb. People will lose respect for Apple because they will believe that Apple is "going plebian" and becoming uncool.

I am not an Apple fanboy and will use any chance I can to ridicule Apple and its users, but I'm only being straight-up here. I know the feeling personally, because I lost a lot of respect for Java (then still overseen by SUN) when they started shoehorning the Yahoo Toolbar in with Java installs. The move was cheap, tacky, and a huge disappointment overall.

As you mentioned Chrome makes all uncommon plugins click to play by default (you can even see an explicit note about this on the Java website.

For what it's worth Chrome has a general click to play feature but you need to enable it in chrome://flags/ , restart and then enable the newly available option in the general plugin preferences.

If you fail this test: http://java.com/en/download/testjava.jsp
Does that mean you are protected from Java exploits through the browser?

If not, how can you tell? (aside from uninstalling Java altogether)

If only there were a mainstream language that runs on nearly every platform out there...

http://www.java.com/en/download/faq/java7.xml -- "Why is Java SE 7 not yet available on java.com?

Java SE 7 is the latest release for Java that contains many new features, enhancements and bug fixes to improve efficiency to develop and run Java programs.

Why is Java SE 7 not yet available on java.com?

The new release of Java is first made available to the developers to ensure no major problems are found before we make it available on the java.com website for end users to download the latest version. If you are interested in trying Java SE 7 it can be downloaded from Oracle.com..."

It sounds like even Oracle, itself, doesn't think Java 7 is ready for the public!

Hm, or do they? http://www.java.com/en/about/ seems to suggest that they're not counting Android.

It's hard to believe that "31 times more Java phones ship every year than Apple and Android combined" these days. Maybe a couple of years ago?

You look like a douche when you spell Java in all caps.

just sayin...

You mean, like on java.com? Hmm,,,, Yeah, you've got a point. ;-)

In standard usage, saying X is a Y language refers to the canonical implementation of X. So Python is an interpreted language means CPython is interpreted, and doesn't refer to any of the experimental JIT versions.The Python that everyone actually uses is an interpreter that works with an intermediate bytecode representation. The Java everyone has uses a just in time compiler. The difference is kind of hazy sometimes, but there is enough of one to talk meaningfully about Python being interpreted and Java being compiled. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpreter_(computing))

I say that in "standard usage," a compiled language is one whose implementation produces an executable, native code file. By that definition, Java is not a compiled language (unless you use GCJ or another non-canonical native code compiler). Which standard are you using?

If you want to say that an "interpreted language" is distinct from a "compiled language," where does that leave Java? Most implementations involve both compilers and interpreters. The most commonly used implementations currently use Java byte code interpreters, with JIT compilers that generate native code from some of the byte code. They are completely functional with the JIT turned off, but can't do anything without their interpreters. While it is useful to describe a language implementation as using a JIT compiler, to simply call it a "compiled language" is not, since an increasingly overwhelming majority of source code is compiled at some point.

Since you mention "canonical implementation," what is the canonical implementation of Java? Is it whatever you can download from Oracle at the moment, OpenJDK, IcedTea, whatever comes with your OS, or something else? The early releases of Java from Sun did not have a JIT compiler. Did Java suddenly transform from being an "interpreted language" to a "compiled language" when Sun started including the HotSpot JIT compiler?

Don't forget to read to the bottom of that PyPy blog article. PyPy is certainly an impressive tool, but you can get a big improvement with something like Cython that lets you give the translator hints. The actual benchmarks:

CPython: 59.593 s
PyPy: 8.947 s
Cython: 3.5 s after adding a few types

Adding a few types in Cython means statically typing a few heavily used variables. His other (approx. 26 s) result with Cython I can only assume involved just Cythoning his straight Python code, which isn't really what Cython is supposed to do. The beautiful part of Cython is that you CAN give it straight Python code, or straight C code, or anything you want in between.

Yes, Cython clearly does have great advantages in speed over pure Python code and I shouldn't have implied that it didn't. I certainly will consider using it if I find some Python code that's running too slowly. However, that blog post also didn't compare an implementation in RPython, PyPy's Python-like language which also executes much faster than full Python.