Java Homeland Security warning

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BDFL - Memuneh
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#744609 14-Jan-2013 15:36

*You* need Java. Average Joe on the street probably not.

I certainly try not to install anything that needs Java. And yes, I know the vulnerability is in the browser add-on, but even so, it's not something that the installer gives an option to not install.

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#744644 14-Jan-2013 16:21

Note: LibreOffice requires Java for Base but not a lot else. If you don't need Base you can get by without it.

alexx

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#744655 14-Jan-2013 16:38

freitasm: *You* need Java. Average Joe on the street probably not.

I'm sure there are non-geek types that use some of the applications that I'm using, like Cisco Webex for online meetings. Even if we are talking purely about someone's home pc (and not servers etc), people might want to join a webex meeting from home, so they need a pc with Webex (and therefore Java) at home too.

I would think that there must be many companies, where many if not most of the employees need java on either their work pc, their home pc or both.

#include <standard.disclaimer>

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BDFL - Memuneh
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#744659 14-Jan-2013 16:43

As I said, I understand some people need Java. I am just saying there isn't the need to install it if there's no use for it. For example these days you buy a laptop from HP and Dell and they come with Java installed out of the box - that's unnecessary.

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#744699 14-Jan-2013 18:13

Sadly most people are going to install it as soon as they visit a page using JRE and the web browser prompts to install it. If it is required for just one or two sites then runtime launch in IE can be limited to desired sites only using group policy and registry combinations apparently.

tedzart

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#744837 15-Jan-2013 03:36

Quote from PC World: Oracle is working on an update to address a flaw in its Java software.
The company says it will release a patch that will fix 86 vulnerabilities in Java 7 on Tuesday.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2025171/oracle-says-java-update-coming-tuesday.html

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Behodar

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#744843 15-Jan-2013 07:40

Version 7u11 has now been released and is not blocked by Apple.

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BDFL - Memuneh
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#744857 15-Jan-2013 08:32

By the time CW published that Oracle had already released the update...

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BDFL - Memuneh
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#744874 15-Jan-2013 09:18

Also, just in case Computerworld takes three days to publish it... The new Java 7u11 doesn't fix everything and it's still a security issue.

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dontpanic42

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#745084 15-Jan-2013 13:53

freitasm:
dontpanic42:
freitasm: Do you *REALLY* need Java installed on your PC? Do you have any software that uses it?

Doesn't CrashPlan use/need it?

No, it doesn't. If CrashPlan needed Java I wouldn't use it. I don't install Java on my PCs and if a software needs Java then I look for an alternative.

I am of the "less is more" line of thought.

Just to clarify, I've contacted CrashPlan asking whether Java was needed to run CrashPlan (on Windows, at least).
They said that Java JRE does not need to be installed separately on a Windows system in order for CrashPlan to run. However, they also confirmed that Windows CrashPlan has its own in-built Java components.

Quoted response from CrashPlan:
On Windows, the JRE is included in the CrashPlan installer, so it's not required that you have a separate copy of the JRE installed.

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BDFL - Memuneh
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#745097 15-Jan-2013 14:00

Different beasts though.

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#745219 15-Jan-2013 17:12

Excuse my ignorance -- isn't java required for speedtest.net?

SCM

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#745231 15-Jan-2013 17:30

I think you will find speedtest.net is flash based...

gzt

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#745235 15-Jan-2013 17:39

nunz: Excuse my ignorance -- isn't java required for speedtest.net?

Speedtest requires Javascript. Javascript is not Java.

To be more specific: Javascript is not Java Runtime. Java Runtime is also known as JRE = Java Runtime Environment.

Again, Javascript is not JRE. Hope that helps clarify some things.

dontpanic42

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#745236 15-Jan-2013 17:42

nunz: Excuse my ignorance -- isn't java required for speedtest.net?

The pingtest area of speedtest.net requires Java for the packet loss test.

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