ubuntu Java To Be Removed from Ubuntu, Uninstalled from User Machines

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Java To Be Removed from Ubuntu, Uninstalled from User Machines

Oracle?s Sun Java JDK packages are to be removed from the Ubuntu partner repositories and disabled on users systems.

Oracle, in retiring the ?Operating System Distributor License for Java?, means Canonical no longer have permission to distribute the package.

The change will affect Ubuntu 10.04 LTs, Ubuntu 10.10 and 11.04 users only.

Users who have the package installed on their system will find it removed via a software update ? the exact date of which is ?TBD?.

Anyone requiring the software will need to switch to open-source alternatives (many of which are readily available in the Ubuntu Software Centre) or by manually installing the Java packages available through the Oracle web site.

Security Risk Update

The expiration of license coincides with a number of security issues present in the version of Java available through the Ubuntu partner repositories.

?Due to the severity of the security risk, Canonical is immediately releasing a security update for the Sun JDK browser plugin which will disable the plugin on all machines.? Ubuntu?s Marc Deslauriers wrote in a mail to the Ubuntu Security Mailing list.

?This will mitigate users? risk from malicious websites exploiting the vulnerable version of the Sun JDK.?

Source: OMG Ubuntu

View: Posting to the Ubuntu Security Announce mailing list

[Glassed Silver]

Not sure this is a good move...

I'd say no.

Push an update, that asks the user what to do.

Wasn't there a new release that was supposed to be more secure? Why not update to that one instead?

Glassed Silver:mac

[giantpotato]

Not sure this is a good move...

I'd say no.

Push an update, that asks the user what to do.

Wasn't there a new release that was supposed to be more secure? Why not update to that one instead?

Glassed Silver:mac

Because they no longer have a license to distribute Sun Java.

[Glassed Silver]

Because they no longer have a license to distribute Sun Java.

Okay, still, I guess there would be more graceful ways.

They include:

a) redirect users to Oracle

b) redirect them to Software Center

c) ???

There are better ways...

Glassed Silver:mac

[Gerowen]

Just read an interesting article as to the reasoning behind this move. I made a topic about it before I saw this.

https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1047169-the-truth-behind-the-java-on-linux-discussion/

[zivan56]

This is really annoying at work for Desktops, Ubuntu keeps pushing OpenJDK and seemingly random packages that depend on Java replace the default VM back to OpenJDK. None of our webapps work on OpenJDK properly (online banking, system monitoring, Terracotta, other 3rd party software). Its got a long way to go before being fully compatible with Java...

[Growled Member]

This is one of the reason I've give up on Linux. LIke zivan56, I've found OpenJDK just doesn't work right for many of my applications. I think Linux is in one of the worst state of affairs (between things like this and the desktop crisis) that we've seen in a long time.

[Digital.K]

I personally won't miss it. I think java is antiquated and I know some will dispute that. In every day computing, there really is no need for java run time...for much of anything.