Most Java Friendly Linux Distribution?
Me and two friends are hoping to install Linux on our desktops
in the next month. We figured if we did it as a team things
would run smoother.
Can anyone recommend a distribution that is specifically Java friendly?
(Id also prefer if it was as "lightweight" as possible and good for scientific work.)
I read in several places that it is difficult to get Java to work in Linux.
I cant confirm the veracity of that statement (though it does sound very
silly) so I figured id ask.
Thanks!
Just one thing to consider when teaming up with linux. It can be a great advantage to help you out but it can also be a huge slowdown. Me and a friend did exactly what you are suggesting. We both had very similar laptops which worked out incredibly well. We started off with knoppix (the distro you can boot off the cd and share a partition on the harddrive ) so that we could go back and forth from windows to linux without any huge headaches (this was before vmware had a free version not that our machines would have been powerful enough to do that anyways ). We ended up having the machines dual booting knoppix and windows which was lots of fun. Was working on c programs at at the time but I can't see why java would be so difficult to get it to work. ( The only part that can suck is if you do everything from source like another friend insists on doing ). I would think about using knoppix that way you aren't forced to dive into the deep end (granted diving in forces you to learn faster but also leads to more frustrations ).
Try Ubuntu feisty... installing Java is as easy assudo apt-get install sun-java6-jdk http://www.ubuntugeek.com/how-to-install-java-runtime-environment-jre-in-ubuntu.html
Thank you both for your great responses.
@ kevjava,
that is a good link. i found this link while searching the forums here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Java?highlight=%28Java%29
It started getting into Multiverses and all that and my theoretic
quantum physics breadth of knowledge is small so I was a bit freaked.
@ aknibbs,
im in the same scenario! me and my friend bought the same exact
Dell desktop last year with WinCrash on it. i reached the proverbial
straw yesterday when after a WinUpdate my computer crashed
and wouldnt start up.
We were considering openSUSE or Ubuntu just because a more
popular distro might offer a greater support community but id really
like to go with something as stripped down as possible just for
programming. ill look into knoppix. thanks!
> that is a good link. i found this link while searching the forums here:
> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Java?highlight=%28Java%29
> It started getting into Multiverses and all that and my theoretic
> quantum physics breadth of knowledge is small so I
> was a bit freaked.
Heh heh...
Yeah, forgot that part. If you want to enable the multiverse the hard way, you do this:
Hard (but geeky) way:
1. nano (or gedit or vim) /etc/apt/sources.list
2. Delete the pound signs in front of (i.e. un-comment) all lines containing "multiverse".
3. sudo apt-get update
Easy way:
1, Run Synaptic through the Applications menu
2. Options->Repositories (via Menu)
3. Check the "non-free (multiverse)" box.
4. Click OK.
Either way, it's drop-dead simple compared to how it used to be to get it working. I actually use Ubuntu at home for Java development now because it's become more easy (for me) and up-to-date than on the Mac (Apple is still in alpha phase on jdk 1.6).You can even get Eclipse 3.2.2 with a
sudo apt-get install eclipse
Thats awesome! It sounds easy and its comforting to know that I can
conceivable get my Java suite up and running the same day I switch over.
I just checked and some distros have optional
repositories of like 4 GBs of software. Thats EXACTLY what im
trying to avoid. I want a penguin that is light on its feet, lol.
> Thats awesome! It sounds easy and its comforting to
> know that I can
> conceivable get my Java suite up and running the same
> day I switch over.
>
> I just checked and some distros have optional
> repositories of like 4 GBs of software. Thats EXACTLY
> what im
> trying to avoid. I want a penguin that is light on
> its feet, lol.
Did you miss the word in bold ?
I have been using Java on Linux for YEARS.
I have installed JDKs and JREs on RedHat, SuSE, Debian (Potato/Woody/Etch/Sarge/Sid), Ubuntu, Xandros, to name a few (even DSL)
Set your PATH, and you're golden :-)
The biggest trouble I've seen is in getting the Java plugin running under Mozilla/Firefox. I am pretty sure this is easier now in any modern distribution.
Dave
> Did you miss the word in bold ?
sir. im the one who typed it.
it just seems to me - a novice - that if all this stuff is installable with
one command (like that eclipse command he gave) that it must
exist somewhere in the installation. it makes me question how much
other stuff is included. it may be optional to install but that doesnt
necessarily mean that they arent included (copied to the harddrive).
i just ask because i dont know.
Thanks Dave.>> The biggest trouble I've seen is in getting the Java plugin running under Mozilla/Firefox.Im not an applet fan anyway, lol. ;)
> I want a penguin that is light on its feet, lol.
If you're looking for lean and mean (i.e. low RAM consumption):
http://www.xubuntu.org/
Based on [url=http://www.xfce.org]XFCE[/url] (it's like Gnome Light), and you still get to use Ubuntu packages.
The default Ubuntu install used up (for me) about 1.6 GB, as opposed to my latest Vista (beta, mind you--haven't installed the final) install that took up 9.1GB. Mac OS X was even more of a hog, but I didn't do an exact disk inventory after my last restore.
When you apt-get install something, it downloads it from a mirror server somewhere on the 'net... it's not stored locally until you install it.
> Thats awesome! It sounds easy and its comforting to know that I can
> conceivable get my Java suite up and running the same
> day I switch over.
Oh it is easy. I'm positive you'll get the hang of it in no time.
> I just checked and some distros have optional
> repositories of like 4 GBs of software. Thats EXACTLY what im
> trying to avoid. I want a penguin that is light on its feet, lol.
During the (graphical!) installation procedure, you are asked what to install and what not. If you want it light, light it is.
> > Did you miss the word in bold ?
>
> sir. im the one who typed it.
I'm no sir. We are likely the same age TP. (Besides sir is entirely unneeded to adress me)
>
> it just seems to me - a novice - that if all this
> stuff is installable with
> one command (like that eclipse command he gave) that
> it must
> exist somewhere in the installation. it makes me
> question how much
> other stuff is included. it may be optional to
> install but that doesnt
> necessarily mean that they arent included (copied to
> the harddrive).
>
> i just ask because i dont know.
fair enough I misunderstood what you said, I was under the impression you wanted lightweight and that these 'optional' pieces were weighing you down, but I now understand what you meant, that even though they were optional they may still be on the harddrive waiting to be installed. (One of the great things about linux is the ablitity to get things from the internet with a single command - least I think so ).
Sorry for the confusion.
@ kevjava,
thanks for the xubuntu heads up!
a 1 gb install sounds reasonable but i had always heard about how
linux can run on a floppy and so forth, lol, so under that impression
i guess i was just surprised.
> When you apt-get install something, it downloads it
> from a mirror server somewhere on the 'net... it's
> not stored locally until you install it.
WHAT! Thats AWESOME.
@ aknibbs,
no problem, lol. i didnt mean "sir" for real, haha.
its just a light hearted way to rib someone.
i even use it at work (on people who are 30+ years older than me
and it always works to lighten the mood and get everyone joking).
im 26. i dont know if you are the same age, as you have guessed
but if you are i wonder if you are feeling the sinking weight of
student loans and general chaotic waywardness, hahahaha.
thanks for everyones help. im starting a (id hate to call it a blog)
journal/tutorial on my webiste of my forays into Linux and on
the installation if anyone wants to jump off the WinHindenburg
with me.
> a 1 gb install sounds reasonable but i had always heard about how
> linux can run on a floppy and so forth, lol, so under
> that impression i guess i was just surprised.
There are floppy-sized distributions but most of them are for a special purpose. You get a usable shell and a few programs.
http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Software/Operating_Systems/Linux/Distributions/Tiny/Floppy_Sized/
My main Linux distribution is Fedora Core 5 and on top of that I run VMWare to allow me to test my applications on other operating system. Using VMWare I have installed Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98, Redhat 9 Linux and Ubuntu 7.04 .
Since I installed Ubuntu a couple of months ago it has become my favorite Linux installation. It was very easy to install and it is very easy to add new modules. I run JDK1.4.1, 1.4.2, 1.5.0 and 1.6.0 on Ubuntu without any problems.
Since it can be run off a CD, I use Knoppix as a rescue system but I can't recommend it for day to day use.
> @ kevjava,
> thanks for the xubuntu heads up!
> a 1 gb install sounds reasonable but i had always
> heard about how
> linux can run on a floppy and so forth, lol, so under
> that impression
> i guess i was just surprised.
>
> > When you apt-get install something, it downloads
> it
> > from a mirror server somewhere on the 'net...
> it's
> not stored locally until you install it.
>
> WHAT! Thats AWESOME.
>
> @ aknibbs,
> no problem, lol. i didnt mean "sir" for real, haha.
> its just a light hearted way to rib someone.
> i even use it at work (on people who are 30+ years
> older than me
> and it always works to lighten the mood and get
> everyone joking).
I figured as much - unfortunately my joke doesn't translate as well (look both ways and then say who are you calling sir I don't see my dad around - of course he says sir is his dad and his dad used to say... )
> im 26. i dont know if you are the same age, as you
Guess I should be calling you Sir ;-P
> have guessed
> but if you are i wonder if you are feeling the
> sinking weight of student loans
Got through without them thank goodness. I couldn't imagine having a mortgage payment and not having it being put towards a house ;-P It makes all those years with no social life seem that much more worth it when hearing how into debt some people are.
>and general chaotic waywardness,
That I can feel in abundance.
> hahahaha.
>
> thanks for everyones help. im starting a (id hate to
> call it a blog)
> journal/tutorial on my webiste of my forays into
> Linux and on
> the installation if anyone wants to jump off the
> WinHindenburg
> with me.
I will definately look into it but right now i'm jumping into using solaris for fun.
I've run Java on Fedora Core 5, CentOS, and Ubuntu. For the past year I have been dual-booting Ubuntu and Windows on my home computer (I mainly use Ubuntu, going on Windows once in a blue moon; I only have Windows for convenience). Also, for the past year I have been running CentOS on my server. Ubuntu is great; Ubuntu would be my first recommendation, and my second would be Fedora Core (the company for which Linus Torvalds works). And yeah, programming on Linux is way more fun than on Windows =p The only thing fun about Windows is hacking it.
I like to think of Linux as having its own family of open-source languages and suites. To mention a few of these languages and suites: C, C++ (although C is far more linux-ish than C++), NASM, Java, Perl, Python, Ruby, PHP, and MySQL for the languages; and Eclipse, vi(m), and emacs for the main environments (there are thousands of other IDEs and text editors you can download for free through the package manger). All of these languages and suites are easy to use and convenient on Linux. In fact, I find programming on Linux much more convenient than programming on Windows.
If you do get Linux, make sure you spend some time getting to learn it, especially the shell. This doesn't mean read a 500-page book from cover-to-cover; just read a few linux tutorials online and you'll learn linux as you use linux. I especially like this tutorial: http://www.tldp.org/LDP/gs/node5.html#SECTION00500000000000000000
N.B.: All Linux distributions are extremely friendly to popular free languages and suites, whether they be open-source or not. Linux was friendly to Java before it went open-source.
> Fedora Core (the company for which Linus Torvalds works).
A little nit here... Linus works for the OSDL (Open Source Development Lab). Not that it matters, but he doesn't work for any particular distribution or their companies:
http://news.com.com/2100-1016_3-1018057.html
Everything else you said is great, though :).
>> If you do get Linux, make sure you spend some time getting to learn it, especially the shell.
I used Unix in school and here at work so im familiar with the shell
(at the very least its basic day to day operations).
>> I like to think of Linux as having its own family of open-source languages and suites. To mention a few of these languages and suites
Thats the main reason for my switch over. Im tired of VC++ and
even Java to some degree and would like to do some fun Lisp stuff.
Im excited to finally have some real control over my computer!!!
> Thats the main reason for my switch over. Im tired of VC++ and > even Java to some degree and would like to do some fun Lisp stuff.I see... a geek and a masochist. Welcome to the Linux world, you'll fit in just fine. ;)
If your Linux distro has GNU Java installed, I recommend uninstalling them before using Sun's tools. If a part of you system depends on the GNU Java, you have to take some trouble for using Suns.
hiwaa at 2007-7-21 21:28:40 >
> > Thats the main reason for my switch over. Im tired
> of VC++ and
> > even Java to some degree and would like to do some
> fun Lisp stuff.
>
> I see... a geek and a masochist. Welcome to the
> Linux world, you'll fit in just fine. ;)
LOL. I'll be putting that on my quotes page.
> If your Linux distro has GNU Java installed, I
> recommend uninstalling them before using Sun's tools.
> If a part of you system depends on the GNU Java, you
> have to take some trouble for using Suns.
Agreed. GNU Java is a PAIN. There are a lot of applications I can't get to run under GNU Java, but that I can get to run under Sun's JDK.
Has anyone worked with FC6.
when i tried to install it at home(FC5), it doesn't work with my screen whereas Ubuntuworked well so i vote UBUNTU !
> Has anyone worked with FC6.I'm using it currently. Why?
FC7 comes out very soon. I have FC6 at home, and I have a few FC5 and FC6 boxes around at work. I have 1 Slackware 10 box. I started out with Mandrake/Mandriva, and found after using FC at work, that it was far better. I have no input on other popular flavors. I like FC, its been very easy to keep up to date with yum.
This is a valuable link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Linux_distributions
Although it does not mention anything about Java, it could be useful in your decision.
To partially answer your question, about the 'Most Java Friendly Linux Distro', they are all pretty even. If I replaced 'Linux' with 'Unix' then I would point you here:
http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/get.jsp (it says free)
Solaris 10 x86, Java Desktop Environment, all made by Sun....that just bleeds Java.
For most desktop implementations I recommend Ubuntu (The current release is Fiesty Fawn or (7.04 for you numerically inclined types). I run it on both my desktop and my laptop and have had less than 0 problems out of it (Well not any that weren't my own stupidity) with one caveat. I find that connecting to a wireless network is not as easy as I would like it to be, but we can't have everything and it does work it's just not the easiest thing in the world.
One thing to be aware of when dealing with any Linux distro though, the newer your hardware the more likely you are to encounter oddities with your installation and configuration. One of my teammates just bought a new HP laptop and wanted to install Fiesty along with Vista as a dual boot and is having all manner of problems out of it. Originally I figured it was just vaguries with Windows Vista, but it turns out that just getting Fiesty to install on his laptop without anything else involved is a bit of a trick.
Just by means of information his is a 2Ghz Intel dual core machine.
Getting comfortable with Linux as a desktop environment can be a somewhat rocky road, but now, I truly despise having to work on a Windows box for anything other than gaming, and I do wish there was an Linux version of iTunes.
PS.
> Solaris 10 x86, Java Desktop Environment, all made by> Sun....that just bleeds Java."Java desktop environment" has nothing to do with Java
haha, you are right! It is just Gnome designed with the look and feel of Java. I was disappointed to see that no java processes were even running on mine :-(
>> I find that connecting to a wireless network is not as easy as I would like it to be
I have read that online quite a bit unfortunately. Thats bad news
for me, because thats all i have, lol. I use a Linksys Wireless Internet
USB key.
>> One of my teammates just bought a new HP laptop and wanted to install Fiesty along with Vista as a dual boot and is having all manner of problems out of it.
Thats a bit disconcerting to hear. My desktop is less than a year old.
It is a 3.6 Ghz HyperThreading P4, with 250 gb hd, 2 gb ram and an ATI x400 (or possibly 6 or 800, lol) graphics card.
I have XP Pro installed and want to config a dual-boot.
I hope I dont turn my desktop into an ottoman but there are many
very detailed tutorials online so im not really that scared.
Fiesty Fawn, huh? Sounds like a good pet name for my next girlfriend
(better than Hoary Hedgehog!).
> "Java desktop environment" has nothing to do with JavaJust curious, why has JDE support been discontinued for Linux?By the way, I CAN NOT WAIT to use Beryl!!! http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6445291323298388242
> I have XP Pro installed and want to config a dual-boot.Dual-boot issues with Windows/Ubuntu are only a problem because of Vista, you'll be fine with XP.Also, I thought you wanted a lightweight Linux distro... putting Beryl on there is really going to slow things down.
bjb39a at 2007-7-21 21:28:45 >
> Also, I thought you wanted a lightweight Linux
> distro... putting Beryl on there is really going to
> slow things down.
Curses! I found that video about Beryl yesterday
and got so excited. I guess im a sucker for eye candy!
I guess I can go without. I really do want things to pop.
Well.. it depends on the amount of system resources you can spare, realistically. I wouldn't imagine that Beryl is too much more of a hog than Vista's Aero. Although, I haven't really played around with Beryl.. just XGL/Compiz which is similar. I know that took up a good chunk of my GPU processing, but since the Compiz and Beryl projects are merging and there's been a great deal of development since I last gave it a go, things could be wildly different now.
bjb39a at 2007-7-21 21:28:45 >
