Not a bash, just the facts

[Loïc Martin]

I think I must be having visions or we're talking about to different 
things. For me, installing Sun's has always been faster on Ubuntu than 
on Windows : open Synaptic, do a search for "java" (name and 
description) then install j2re1.4 and the j2re that also has in the name 
"mozilla-plugin". Then just accept the license agreement that pops up.

I often see average Windows users that completely forgot how bare 
Windows is when it comes about codecs, and how difficult it is for any 
newbie to install them. It only seems simple and painless for the ones 
that already now where to look for (and what to look for). JFYOI, 
Windows 98 doesn't read mp3 either. Windows XP is no better, even though 
it reads mp3 and wma, it doesn't read much else. Using Synaptic on 
Ubuntu (or any debian variant) is far faster than having to go through 
multiples web pages to download the programs and codecs you will need. A 
bare Windows XP installation will need hours to get to the point I get 
after one hour of installation. And for XP (before SP1, sorry) you'll 
have to spend a few more hours downloading the updates (it forces you to 
install each of them individually, then you can install SP2 (3 or 4 
hours even on broadband, cause Microsoft site is really slow). Plus a 
few hours to get all the necessary firewall and antivirus on and 
working. Oh, and I forgot one or to hours because you have to get the 
drivers for your hardware yourself, at least if you want something 
better than 800x600.

Then you have to get the rest of the programs that will make your 
computer useful. And pray you won't be called in the next 6 months 
because the system has become unbearably slow.

Welcome back to reality : do the test, reinstall (clean format) XP for 
somebody that doesn't know computing. Even if you spend the afternoon 
and part of the night (if by chance they have broadband access) you'll 
soon be praying they would prefer Linux instead. Then you can give them 
the CD and they do everything themselves.

For me, I prefer not to help people install Windows any more. I say I'm 
using Linux, which saves me a lot of hassle when I install them 
something that "just works". *One* hours at the most if the machine has 
a recent hardware.

Cheers,

Chanchao wrote:
> because all websites seem to run fine without it) you click the download
> link and let it open up.
>
> On Ubuntu, from the wiki:
>
> ------------
>
> Go to [WWW]http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/download.jsp and click on
> “Download JRE 5.0 Update 6”. Ensure you do not choose one of the JDK or
> J2EE versions unless you are going to develop Java applications. 
>
> You must first accept the licence, then click on “Linux self-extracting
> file” (jre-1_5_0_06-linux-i586.bin). Save this file to your hard drive. 
>
> Make the downloaded file executable. At the command line, change to the
> directory where you downloaded the file, and type 
>
>   chmod +x jre-1_5_0_06-linux-i586.bin
>
> Install the java-package and java-common, as well as fakeroot (which
> allows a non-root user to create the package derived from Sun's bin
> file): 
>
>   sudo apt-get install fakeroot java-package java-common
>
> If you get an error when installing java-package, you need to enable the
> multiverse repository (see AddingRepositoriesHowto). 
>
> Use make-jpkg to translate Sun's bin file into a debian package: 
>
>   fakeroot make-jpkg jre-1_5_0_06-linux-i586.bin
>
> {i} Note: You can see warning mesages like the ones below, but there is
> nothing to worry about. 
>
>   mkdir: cannot create directory `/etc/.java': Permission denied
>   ./jdk-1_5_0_06-linux-i586.bin: line 507: /usr/share/mime-info/java-archive.keys: Permission denied
>
> {X} Note: If you get an error similar to this: 
>
>   Loading plugins: blackdown-j2re.sh blackdown-j2sdk.sh common.sh ibm-j2re.sh ibm-j2sdk.sh j2re.sh j2sdk.sh j2se.sh sun-j2re.sh sun-j2sdk.sh
>
>   No matching plugin was found.
>
> Try: 
>
>   DEB_BUILD_GNU_TYPE=i386-linux fakeroot make-jpkg jre-1_5_0_06-linux-i586.bin
>
> or similar command if you are not using i386 architecture. 
>
> Install the created package using dpkg: 
>
>   sudo dpkg -i sun-j2re1.5_1.5.0+update06_i386.deb
>
> {i} Note: in above example, i386 might have to be i586. 
>
> -----------
>
> I wasn't kidding when I called this rediculous!! :)
>
> Cheers,
> Chanchao