problems getting java to work on linux madrake

i was wondering if any body could please help me i have down loaded java 1_3_1 for linux (both versions and i have tried to install it and it wont even start to install
[183 byte] By [colin57] at [2007-9-26 3:11:25]
# 1
Could you describe a bit more ? What messages do youhave while trying to install ? What command do youtype to install ?
ydolisi at 2007-6-29 11:18:51 > top of Java-index,Archived Forums,New To Java Technology Archive...
# 2
basically i have downloaded 2 versions of linux that are apllicable to linux i have manged to unpack the files so that all the various files etc show up in the folder i created ie "java" but i cannot get the program to execute
colin57 at 2007-6-29 11:18:51 > top of Java-index,Archived Forums,New To Java Technology Archive...
# 3
basically i have downloaded 2 versions of java that are apllicable to linux (i thought originally that i downloaded the wrong one) i have manged to unpack the files so that all the various files etc show up in the folder i created ie "java" but i cannot get the program to execute
colin57 at 2007-6-29 11:18:51 > top of Java-index,Archived Forums,New To Java Technology Archive...
# 4
did you set your classpath environment variable? does your os know the path to the binaries? If the binaries are not executing then it is probably the latter.
amishslayer at 2007-6-29 11:18:51 > top of Java-index,Archived Forums,New To Java Technology Archive...
# 5

i had a problem with it too (note- i'm using redhat, so my situation could be slightly different); i don't know if this will help, but maybe something was wrong when you unpacked the files-

did you do it by running the shell script they provided?

(i had to chmod it to be executable, then just run it- i hadn't realized that it WAS a shell program at all, so that had me stymied at first)

2ndly, setting the path- mine looks sort of like

setenv PATH "${PATH}:.:path_to_jdk_folder"

so maybe you'd need to do that in your .cshrc file

well, i hope you get it to work

~spoongirl

spoongirl at 2007-6-29 11:18:51 > top of Java-index,Archived Forums,New To Java Technology Archive...
# 6
i am very new to it all, i dont understand that r there any good books i can get on linux and java that you could recommend
colin57 at 2007-6-29 11:18:51 > top of Java-index,Archived Forums,New To Java Technology Archive...