Installing Java for Security Updates

Chris Pirillo — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 05:45:54 +0000

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http://live.pirillo.com/ – How much of a security risk is it to not update your Java Runtime Environment? Well, it’s definitely a good idea to always update. Usually, an update addresses a security issue.

A Java Runtime Environment is an application you install to your computer that allows you to run programs that were coded in Java, or use Java applets found on a Web page. As far as uninstalling older versions after an update, it’s entirely fine to do so. However, I would recommend keeping one previous update, in case of issues. Then you can uninstall that new version, and roll back to the older one until the bugs are fixed. There’s no need to keep seven or eight old versions of this lying around on your PC, though.

The nice thing about Java is that it’s basically “write once… run anywhere.” You install it, and can then use it on any Java-based program and application you come across. However, certain things about it are just plain ugly. For instance, our chat room used to be a Java applet. It was slow, clunky, and bloated. We now have an excellent Flash application, written by SC_Thor of ThunderIT. It’s much easier to use, prettier to look at, and all around just works better for us. That’s not to say Java doesn’t have its place. It is a great application, in the right environment. I personally think it runs and looks better on OS X than Windows. But of course, that’s just my opinion… for what it’s worth.

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Installing Java for Security Updates

Chris Pirillo » sun-java

Installing Java for Security Updates