This is one question I know for sure.
Step 1. Point your browser to
http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4/download.html Step 2. Click on the "DOWNLOAD" link in the row that matches "Linux GNUZIP Tar shell script" and the column that mathches "SDK".
Step 3. Read the Licence!!!, Click on "ACCEPT"
Step 4. Click on the link "Download j2sdk-1_4_0_01-linux-i586.bin." and save to disk.
Step 5. Open open your command line termenal.
Navigate to the directory that you saved the file.
Step 6. Run the following command:
sh j2sdk-1_4_0_01-linux-i586.bin
Step 7 This will create a directory named "j2sdk1.4.0_01". You can change the name of this directory if you like, lets do that with the following command:
mv j2sdk1.4.0_01 java
Step 8. If you would like java to be avialable to all your users, login in as root, and move the java directory, I like to put it here:
mv java /usr/java
Other wise you can leave it in your home directory.
Step 9. Now the important part to remeber.
You must add the java directory's bin directory to your PATH enviromental variable.
If you want Java to be avialiable system wide to all your users, edit the /etc/profile file
and append :/usr/java/bin to your PATH varable.
If there is not a PATH variable make your own entry that looks like this.
export PATH="$PATH:/usr/java/bin"
Note! if you just want to make it available to your self you would edit your local profile, witch may be .profile, or .bach_profile in you home directory. if you do not have either of these files you may make them:
touch ~/.profile
Then edit that file with your favorite editor.
and add the following:
export PATH="$PATH:/<path to your java directory>/bin
Of cource apply the correct path to your java direcotry.
Then your set. you Have SDK, and the JRE installed and will beable to use either in the same way as your widows system.
I hope you enjoy, any trouble just email me
