Problems with old Java applications

The main selling points of Java is that it can actually be used on any computer. All that the computer needs is an interpreter for Java bytecode. Such an interpreter simulates the Java virtual machine in the same way that Virtual PC simulates a PC computer. Theoretically if you write a Java program well, it should work on any computer, and for many years to come.

In practice there have been too many times where a certain Java program cannot be used on the computer you want to use it, even the computer has Java support in it. I have seen too many cases where a device configuration tool or user interface written with Java has become unuseable very soon, and you just can’t use that on modern computers. A typical case is that Java application has run nicely on some old Java version, but refuses to run on some newer Java version. And when you have a newer PC, you can’t get the needed very old Java version to that PC in any practical way. And the manyfacturer does not provide any updated softwere. So the somewhat old still well working hardware or software system too soon becomes unuseable, because the Java based user interface just don’t work.

Java is supposed to run on any PC, but in practice many Java application just don’t work. Why does many Windows program seem take better time (even very old version runs nicely on modern Windows version or Windows emulator on Linux system)? Is the problem that Java keeps changing too much too often (problem to compatibility) or are the Java applications just so baddly written (in incompatible way)?

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  12. Frank Bredelmann says:

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    But i dont have Problems under Linux with Java, only in Windows.
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  14. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Canonical To Remove Sun Java From Repositories, Users’ Machines
    http://developers.slashdot.org/story/11/12/18/1425230/canonical-to-remove-sun-java-from-repositories-users-machines

    “Apparently, Oracle’s ‘Operating System Distributor License for Java’ is expired, causing Ubuntu to not only remove sun-java from the partner repository, but from user’s machines.”

    http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/12/java-to-be-removed-from-ubuntu-uninstalled-from-user-machines/

    From the article: “Oracle, in retiring the ‘Operating System Distributor License for Java’, means Canonical no longer have permission to distribute the package.” So it’s not that Oracle has lost their right to distribute Java (JDK) or something, but they are retiring the license Canonical is using that granted them the right to distribute it with Ubuntu. The summary also states (correctly) that Ubuntu will remove the sun-java package from the repository and user’s machines, but does not state why: “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.

    Comment:

    It’s being replace by OpenJDK. It was planned to happen like this for years. This was planned obsolescence with a gradual move to OpenJDK. Their is no surprise here except for those who didn’t know it was coming. The summary is inflammatory but if you read the article you see that this is nothing really.

    OpenJDK is still the default, and still distributed. And like TFA pointed out, the Sun/Oracle version is old and has security issues anyway.

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  15. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Java Considered Harmful
    http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/archives/00002285.html

    Do you need Java in your web browser? Seriously, do you? If not, get rid of it.

    Turns out, most users don’t need Java any more, yet people keep running it.

    The risks of Java are nicely illustrated by the recent Java Rhino vulnerability (aka CVE-2011-3544). If you’re running Java, but not the latest version, you’re vulnerable. So either you have to check at all times that you have the latest version of Java — or get rid of it altogether.

    And the Java Rhino vulnerability is not theoretical: the most common exploit kits have incorporated this vulnerability in their default exploits, and it seems to be working very well for the online criminals.

    So, ditch Java if you can. It might not be as painful as you think

    Also note that Chrome has been doing a good job in sandboxing or otherwise securing risky add-ons and extensions. Many Java exploits do not work against Chrome. Also, Chrome does not use an Adobe Reader plugin to render PDF files.

    Reply
  16. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Java roadmap: Oracle’s two-year plan
    The company is planning aggressive moves for the critical software platform in the next few years. Here’s a rundown
    http://www.infoworld.com/slideshow/28552/java-roadmap-oracles-two-year-plan-185238

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  18. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Java dies – then what?

    Java has gained a strong position in enterprise software language. However, it has already achieved quite a respectable age of a programming language. From 1995 until today, nothing has been possible to remove the core language.

    Java language has not been possible to reform drastically, because of its widespread use. Sun Microsystems and now Oracle have also liked to insist that the old java-application works on newer platforms with minimal modifications. Therefore, it is started to articles of how a new java Cobol. What, then, is a new java?

    Perhaps it is too early to declare the death of java. Java language is still strong, but it does not live on forever. Before long, comes in with something new and so much better, the fact that the transition is inevitable. It can take up to five, fifteen or fifty years, but none of the programming language is not eternal.

    In 2020, King of the server programming language may well be someone other than java, but it is likely to run on top of the Java virtual machine.

    I started a storyline prototyping, testability, agility, and the programming language of the need to regenerate. One of the Java virtual machine language offers all of this. It is Groovy and Grails Framework. Grails have been developed based on ideas from an older Ruby on Rails platform.

    Grails is based on automation and a large number of assumptions, each of which can overwrite.

    Domain classes generated Gorm, the mechanism automatically codes the database, who know how to save, retrieve, update, and delete the record book. Grails will automatically use the test database.

    The best thing? When you’re done, you can wrap the whole package with one command. War-bundle, and run by any java web server such as JBoss, WebLogic, Websphere, Tomcat, GlassFish.

    Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/viisaat/tieturi/java+kuolee++mita+sitten/a828766?s=r&wtm=tietoviikko/-15082012&

    Reply
  19. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Experts Develop 3rd-Party Patch For New Java Zero-Day
    http://developers.slashdot.org/story/12/08/27/1658238/experts-develop-3rd-party-patch-for-new-java-zero-day

    “A new exploit for a zero-day vulnerability in Oracle’s Java JRE version 7 and above is making the rounds. A Metasploit module is now available to attack the flaw, and word in the underground is that it will soon be incorporated into BlackHole, a widely used browser exploit pack. KrebsOnSecurity.com talked to the BlackHole developer, who said the Java exploit would be worth at least $100,000 if sold privately.”

    You know what would be better idea than patching Java? Uninstalling it.

    We were told Java was going to be the answer to all our security problems. No more buffer over flows, and few if any other remote code exploits would be possible with applications written in Java.

    Its to bad someone finds a critical vulnerability in the platform every other month seemingly.

    There is no good reason to have Java installed in your primary browser. The only reason why it’s everywhere is that it often comes preinstalled for no good reason, and (even worse) the installer shoves its way into all your browsers, for even less reason. If there are specific business sites using Java that you must access, then use IE with Java exclusively for those, and Firefox or Chrome for normal browsing. Using Java on the open web is just asking to get 0wned.

    Before HTML5, Java was an acceptable way to implement app-like stuff in the browser. Now with dynamic HTML, Canvas, SVG, and AJAX, Java in the browser has become an anachronism.

    Reply
  20. Tomi Engdahl says:

    During SUN’s era, the motto for Java was : “if there is a vulnerability, stop everything until it’s fixed”… Sun was quite responsive in order to keep java’s secure reputation…

    But now, it’s Oracle… Oracle screwed on OpenOffice… Oracle is screwing up over MySQL… And it looks like Oracle is screwing up over Java… I wonder what treatement gets VirtualBox…

    Source: http://developers.slashdot.org/story/12/08/27/1658238/experts-develop-3rd-party-patch-for-new-java-zero-day

    Reply
  21. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Users urged to disable Java as new exploit emerges
    All operating systems, browsers vulnerable
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/08/27/disable_java_to_block_exploit/

    A new browser-based exploit for a Java vulnerability that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on client systems has been spotted in the wild – and because of Oracle’s Java patch schedule, it may be some time before a fix becomes widely available.

    The vulnerability is present in the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version 1.7 or later, Atif Mushtaq of security firm FireEye reported on Sunday, while PCs with Java versions 1.6 or earlier installed are not at risk.

    The vulnerability allows attackers to use a custom web page to force systems to download and run an arbitrary payload – for example, a keylogger or some other type of malware. The payload does not need to be a Java app itself.

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