Java Bunnies Breeding

February 19, 2009 4:32 PM

Which of these Java programs can i get rid of and why are they breeding like bunnies?

Everyone that has my computer has the same issue where these things keep building up. It is school issued so i know a lot of people with the same computer and many of the same programs pre-installed. I have been deleting the old versions every now and again but why so many versions & which can I get rid of? I don't like 100+ MB bunnies breeding in my computer.

J2SE runtime vs Java 2 runtime vs Java 2 SDK vs Java(TM) update vs Java(TM) SE runtime

...I don't program so I don't need any if that is what they are used for. Oh and I run windows xp.

posted by Black_Umbrella to computers & internet (12 comments total)

There's a software app called JavaRa that can delete any old versions of Java and check and download the latest version.
posted by lilkeith07 at 4:38 PM on February 19

"SDK" stands for "Software Development Kit", which is usually an environment for developing code. Odds are you don't need it.

In fact, it's likely you don't need Java at all. Very little uses it because lots of people don't have it installed.

I've been running for years with Java outright disabled and haven't missed it. Even the few sites which do use it only use it for gimcracks.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 4:43 PM on February 19

As to the "breeding like bunnies" aspect, it's because Windows doesn't ever throw anything away. It has to keep old versions so that you can retreat to them in case you go to to an older setpoint. (I think that's what they're called.)
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 4:46 PM on February 19

It has to keep old versions so that you can retreat to them in case you go to to an older setpoint.

Huh? It's because the old versions of the JRE aren't uninstalled when you update. Just use JavaRa, or get rid of them all.
posted by niles at 5:09 PM on February 19

This is Sun's fault, not MS, regardless of how much as the chronic linux trolls would like to think it is. Sun wrote their MSI installers purposely so they add up and do not uninstall the old versions. They also wrote the installer so it lists updates in a silly manner (update 7, update 12). If you feel a need to clean this you can simply uninstall all of them and then get the newest version (6 update 12) here.
posted by damn dirty ape at 5:21 PM on February 19 [1 favorite has favorites]

you can retreat to them in case you go to to an older setpoint

You are confusing the add/remove system with the System Restore feature. They are mutually exclusive. How you add/remove listing looks like is dependent on the installer/uninstaller from the software developer.
posted by damn dirty ape at 5:22 PM on February 19

There is someone who always has to go with the typical "just install linux."

In my laptop case it will not work. I have no desire to jump through the loops to get Pro-E, matlab, solidworks, and the numerous modules that i use within them to run in a VM. From what i read in the past anyways you generally can only run older versions which i dont have licenses for. On top of that who knows what happens when i connect to my servers to check for a licenses.
posted by Black_Umbrella at 5:25 PM on February 19

Looking at your location, I think you go to the same school I do. Don't get rid of Java completely, Elearn requires it to log in. Just uninstall Java and completely reinstall it.
posted by miscbuff at 6:35 PM on February 19

I'd second miscbuff. Unless a program is very out of date, it won't require an older JRE to run. You can uninstall all old JDK copies and JRE copies and install the newest JRE. If a particular application refuses to run, then you might have to go to the support website for it, but it'd be a common issue that should be addressed.
posted by mikeh at 6:51 PM on February 19

Wow another duck on MeFi, interesting...

I was not planning on getting rid of Java entirely for practical reasons. However, as i only got a couple of months left, elearn is not one of those reasons :-)
posted by Black_Umbrella at 9:03 PM on February 19

You dont need 8 different versions of Java. You can safely uninstall all 8 of them, then go to Java.com and grab the latest version (6 .11)
posted by jmnugent at 7:16 AM on February 20

Sun has done this with Java ever since the beginning. It may suit their development/support purposes, but it isn't normal for Windows software to do this.

I don't think you need to clean up unless it bugs you, though. Certainly not for a community machine, unless you're somehow responsible for its upkeep.
posted by dhartung at 1:08 PM on February 20