Go to the Java download page (it will open in a new window).
Find the "download" link on that page, as shown below in Fig. 1. Note that since Sun is continuously developing the Java language, so the specific JSE version number may be higher than the one in the image -- this is fine.
Fig. 1
After clicking the "Download" link you will come to a license agreement. You will need to accept it to continue (see Fig. 2).
Download the "self-extracting file", as shown below in Fig. 3. Choose the version appropriate to your hardware -- if unsure, consult with your system administrator. The file name may be slightly different from those shown on the illustration.
Save the file to your computer, and note the location to which you are saving it. After the download is complete, change into the directory you saved it to, and make sure the file is executable. Then change to the directory where you want java to be installed and launch the file:
$ cd ~/Distribs $ pwd .../Distribs $ ls -l total 13288 -rw------- 1 username username 13582366 Jan 9 14:35 j2re-1_4_2_03-solaris-XXX.sh $ chmod 700 j2re-1_4_2_03-solaris-XXX.sh $ cd ~/ $ ~/Distribs/j2re-1_4_2_03-solaris-XXX.sh
The program will print out the license agreement, to which you must agree by typing "yes" at the prompt. The program will then install Java into a new directory inside the current directory, called j2re1.4.2_XXX. If during the install process the program prints error messages, they need to be analyzed -- you may be missing some libraries, which will need to be installed prior to Java.
You may need to adjust your browser settings to point them to the new java plug-in. The installation instructions from Sun can be found here: http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/manual_install_solaris.html