Also in the release notes, there's a lot of information about Apple moving the location of its JVM:
"The location of the Java SE 6 runtime home has changed to /System/ Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home. JDK bundles provided via the Developer package, developer previews, and 3rd party JVMs should be installed in /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines or ~/ Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines. Developer previews of Java can now be installed and uninstalled without affecting the system JVM(s)." And also this: "In testing, some Java IDEs have shown problems navigating into the new JDK bundle structure, and persisting the location of the new JDK bundles. Some IDEs may have to change how they prompt users to locate a JVM on Mac OS X, and should ideally present a list of JVMs generated from /usr/libexec/java_home --xml, which outputs each discovered JVM, and orders them according to the user's order in Java Preferences." I think the takeaway here is that Apple does intend to get out of the JVM business, and their exit strategy allows for multiple VMs to fill the void for users who need Java. They're laying down an explicit plan for multiple JVMs to coexist, and let the user set their respective priorities (via /Applications/Utilities/Java Preferences) A few historical notes: * This sort of reverts to the state the Mac was in around '97 or '98, when there were many competing VMs for the Mac (developer-oriented VMs from Metrowerks and Roaster, user-oriented VMs from Microsoft and Netscape, etc.). At the time, Apple licensed Java from Sun and said it would be better for users to have a single, system-standard JVM. Obviously, times have changed. * At least once, I've wondered aloud about whether Java on the Mac is more important to Apple or Sun (now Oracle, of course). Would a lack of Java hurt Mac sales, or hurt Java's cross-platform legitimacy? Maybe now we're going to find out. * Various actions that have offended the Java community -- such as the nearly one-year delay in getting Java SE 6 onto the Mac, or Steve Jobs' oft-quoted dismissal of Java as a "ball and chain" -- have prompted calls for either the open-source community or Sun/Oracle to take over Java on the Mac. Looks like it may be "put up or shut up" time for that crowd. * Anyone who insists on bringing up Steve Jobs' quote about wanting to make the Mac "the best Java platform" needs to at least consider than when Jobs made that statement, the current US President was Bill Clinton (the statement was made at JavaOne 2000). Times change. For a brief while, it may even have been true: Apple's Swing L&F was widely praised, and James Gosling once described Mac OS X as "Linux with QA and taste" (this was obviously before he decided he hated Apple again). --Chris On Oct 21, 3:06 am, Michael Neale <[email protected]> wrote: > http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#releasenotes/Java/JavaSnowLeo... -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Java Posse" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en.
