Java v1.5 -- installing/finding/using
 

I need to use a specific program under JVM v1.5.x, Because I found (on my SUSE v9.3 installation) only directories java-1.4.2-sun-1.4.2.06 (and -.08), I undeerstood that these are the only JVMs available, and downloaded jre-1_5_0-linux-i586-rpm.bin from the Sun site. I extracted the RPM file from it and attempted to run RPM on the result, following which the system informed me the "jre-1.5.0_04-fcs is already installed". (what, by the way, is the meaning of "fcs"?)

I am a newcomer to SUSE and to Linux, and am still flummoxed by many things in this OS. I have tried for most of today to find where this directory resides, and have dispaired.

I have read the man pages for <find>, but have not been able get this command to perform for me. For example, <find java* -iwholename> , which I thought would get me the path, tells me that there is no file or directory that fints the pattern. Since this is nonxense, I have misunderstood profoundly.

I assume that after I find the directory, I will need to make a symbolic link to the executable so that I can call it and point it to the application.. I have not tried to make a symbolic link yet, but am hoping that there is a clear explanation in man or info pages that will tell me how to do this, and how to be sure that I am calling java from the v1.5.0 directory.

the quickest way might be to use the locate command. Log in as root and run "updatedb" which will update a database somewhere with all the files on your machine. Then run something like "locate java" to find files with java in its name. Maybe you'll notice multiple java directories.

Many thanks!!

Unfortunately, SUSE here thinks that there is no such command as <updatedb>. The same is true of <locate>. For that matter, there is no man page for updatedb, although there is an info page listing the available options. That such information is missing is extremely off-putting, and this is not the first time I have seen it. Linux is not the kind of OS that one can step up to and operate it without a lot of documentation; if the writers of the documentation want to keep Linux safe from outsiders, they are on the right track.

On a more practical level: Evidently <update> and <locate>, as important as they are, are not installed by default. What do I have to do to install them?

Looks like in Suse its part of the findutils package. Look at the link below. It shows the rpm that you need to install for it.

http://www.novell.com/products/linux...ls-locate.html

I have JDK 1.5.0_03 installed.

Make sure you add one of the online YaST repositories, and you should be able to get it.

I have it on my online:

http://suse.cs.utah.edu/suse/i386/current

which is located here:

http://suse.cs.utah.edu/suse/i386/9....3-0.1.i586.rpm



In addition, I downloaded the 1.5.0_04 JDK RPM from Sun and installed that.

HTH!