ok, I'm running debian on 2.6. I want to install java and a good IDE. The sun website is confusing me, every post I look up here confuses me further and don't even get me started on the stuff I'm seeing on google... Anyways can people help me out with the exact steps necessary to install java (I'll go find an IDE after that). Assume I don't know much (ha ha strong assumption) and guide me through it if you dare lol. Thanks all.

Java, as M$ has found, has some strings attached. So Debian isn't working so very nicely with it. Bascially pull in the http://www.eclipse.org stuff and go with that.

Or even better, go with a nice clean, easy it all just works language like Ruby http://www.ruby-lang.org (It is nicely debianised.)

Well, right now I want to install everything I need to write/compile/run java programs. So far, the best I have is this: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...nstalling+java
I've gotten to the part about writing soemthing to /etc/profile.d and I do know what that means, I have no such file. What all do I need to write/compile/run java programs on linux and how do I get it on there? lol

In agreement here... Sun homepage _is_ messy, if not even more messy then Microsoft's page. Rants apart, I wrote this:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...171#post921171

it's also about installing Limewire and Java RE, but the principle is the same: Download, run the javaee_whateverxxx.bin and create either links.

Read that link and further suggestions in that same link and see if helps. Or else post here how much far you are, what you have done, etc and we see if that would help.

Best Regards!

ok, I just went from lost and confused to very confuzzled. When I try to ./j2re-1_4_2_04-linux-i586.bin I get a 'permission denied' error. I'm root for sure which just means I am very confuzzled, what's up? I'm sure it's something basic I'm just missing.

Is the file executable: use "ls -l j2re-1_4_2_04-linux-i586.bin" to see the permissions. If it is not executable, run the command "chmod +x j2re-1_4_2_04-linux-i586.bin" to make it executable.

Then follow MegaManX's instructions to install java.

--Ian

Ok, lemme see.. First, you are using the Java 2 Runtime Environment (j2re) meaning that it's not what you want. The Runtime Environment does not come with the compiler javac, so it's basicaly only to run java and browser plugin, I guess... The one you want is Java 2 SDK Standard Edition, v 1.4.2 (J2SE):

http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/download.html

The installation instructions is found here:

http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/install-linux.html

Drop a line in here if you get stuck. I understand it can be quite confusing my fellow. We all been there and done that (some once in a while too like me)

i don't know what debian 2.6 is (you mean 2.6 kernel yes?)
the blackdown debian archives are now running sarge and sid have dropped potatoe and woody
i wonder why they did that ? blackdown has always been the debian way for java
if you are using sarge or sid
but by all means use these
ftp://metalab.unc.edu/pub/linux/deve...wn.org/debian/
or another blackdown mirror for debian java packages for apt to use
edit
oy... as you say the web post trashed the link
above without deb ftp:// to trick it into posting without truncate
metalab.unc.edu/pub/linux/devel/lang/java/blackdown.org/debian sarge main non-free

i also have used and like ibm's jdk
http://www-106.ibm.com/developerwork.../jdk/linux140/

sorry, I meant 2.6 kernel. I'm really not trying to be difficult, but... foo_bar_foo you have lost me lol. I really don't understand what that command in the 'code' line is doing, and I really don't understand what I am to do with the ftp. Please enlighten me!