Java 7 will be discontinued in April 2015

[lyceus]

Hi gals and guys from the Chorus Line!

Usually I don't write on the plug-in forum but I want to share a funny thing that happened to me yesterday. As you may not know, my old Windows XP boot side blew up some months ago thanks a malware installed by some codec pack. Hence I jumped to my plan B: Windows 7.

Ok, now with this background enter Java in the plot: I was too lazy for update to Java 8 and I did keep Java 7 in the Windows 7 as well. I kept Java 7 in both partitions, because Oracle told me that I "may" install Java 8 in the Windows XP side but that was not a suggested (read: supported) install option.

Yesterday I got this note from Java updater as well with an option to upgrade to Java 8:

Java SE 7 End of Public Updates Notice After April 2015, Oracle will no longer post updates of Java SE 7 to its public download sites. Existing Java SE 7 downloads already posted as of April 2015 will remain accessible in the Java Archive on Oracle Technology Network.

Of course this means that the last version of Java 7 that supports Windows XP will be discontinued in April 2015. Java & Oracle websites only lists Java 8 as the only valid download. But you can still go here and get the last update of Java 7 (For Windows, MacOS and Linux):

Free Java Download
https://java.com/en/download/manual_java7.jsp

Well, better get prepared for this change that big companies always push over us.

[dudewithit]

afaik, java8 will not istall in winxp, but if you manually extract the files, they work

[lyceus]

afaik, java8 will not istall in winxp, but if you manually extract the files, they work

When I installed Java 8, it did warn me that it wouldn't work but installed anyway. As you pointed either install manually or use some early version and then upgrade will do the trick.

Off-topic:
Actually not sure about if Java 8 SDK will work as well, but with things rotting around Windows XP like end of life of Windows Server 2003 and end of life of the last Visual Studio that supports Windows XP; maybe the hope for Windows XP is to see into non-official sources like the guy who create the Windows XP SP4 (no joke is real).

Windows XP SP4 Unofficial 2
An unofficial service pack for 32-bit editions of Windows XP, allowing users to benefit from the latest available updates for their computer
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Others/Signatures-Updates/Windows-XP-SP4-Unofficial.shtml

[Moonchild]

As stated in another thread, Java 8 apparently removes the ability to run unsigned apps. There is no reason for that since any app will already need your permission manually, anyway, signed or not. This is going to be a problem because of the very few Java-powered pages I visit, half are not signed at least - and yes, that includes administration interfaces of embedded hardware that can't just be updated. Big no-no from Oracle there, as I'm not going to throw away my hardware just because their JRE is showing signs of paranoia.

[lyceus]

As stated in another thread, Java 8 apparently removes the ability to run unsigned apps. There is no reason for that since any app will already need your permission manually, anyway, signed or not. This is going to be a problem because of the very few Java-powered pages I visit, half are not signed at least - and yes, that includes administration interfaces of embedded hardware that can't just be updated. Big no-no from Oracle there, as I'm not going to throw away my hardware just because their JRE is showing signs of paranoia.

As usual Orcale messing up with software that just works. I just use java for a couple of pages per year, and yes some of these are unsigned. Maybe the bragging of "millions of devices run java" will be so true like Blackberry is the #1 smarthphone (was valid in 2008... now... er, it uses Java too.). Maybe soon we will need to run virtual machines for deal with these java apps. "code once, run everywhere." TEE-HEEE!

[davews]

I should qualify what i stated in the other thread. Java 8 removes the 'medium' security level in Java console - which in Java 7 allows unsigned applets to run after a security popup. The official Oracle way to run these applets in Java 8 is to add them to your exceptions. But doing this is fairly cumbersome as you have to separately open Java console, click your way to the exceptions pane, and type the site address in the box. Then reload the page. You cannot simply click within the browser popup to do it. And as pointed out, most applets found on the WWW are unsigned...

[Moonchild]

But doing this is fairly cumbersome as you have to separately open Java console, click your way to the exceptions pane, and type the site address in the box. Then reload the page. You cannot simply click within the browser popup to do it. And as pointed out, most applets found on the WWW are unsigned...

That's certainly not something I'm willing to contend with. And I'm a (very) technical user
There's nothing wrong with popping up a confirmation dialog and having the user choose on-the-fly...

So.. what would be left then: "Very high" and "High" as security levels, of which the lowest setting is recommended? How retarded is that?...
(And just wait: people will find some way to completely disable java security as a result so they don't have to jump through hoops every single time, and the floodgates for malware will be reopened again. Thank you Oracle, when that happens.)

EDIT: Also, just because an applet is Signed, doesn't mean it's in any way safer. In fact, running an unsigned applet you are sure it's always properly sandboxed because it's untrusted and what it can do is restricted, so running an unsigned applet is safer than a signed applet. Why would I want to break with that?

[lyceus]

EDIT: Also, just because an applet is Signed, doesn't mean it's in any way safer. In fact, running an unsigned applet you are sure it's always properly sandboxed because it's untrusted and what it can do is restricted, so running an unsigned applet is safer than a signed applet. Why would I want to break with that?

Off-topic:
In Apple Store there are PAID signed apps with official developer signatures that are a fraud.

Angry support queries fly, citing problems with mystery iOS apps -- that turn out to be scamware
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2854754/mobile-apps/fraudulent-apps-stalk-apples-app-store.html

So who is the genius in Oracle that really think about signature = safely is true for real?