Re: What is the difference between Java JRE 5.x and 6.x (1.5.x / 1.6.x) ???

Arved Sandstrom wrote:
"Arne Vajhøj" <arne@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:494702c4$0$90273$14726298@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Arved Sandstrom wrote:
"Arne Vajhøj" <arne@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:49459376$0$90271$14726298@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Arved Sandstrom wrote:
[ SNIP ]
I don't know if it was possible before in a Java applet to select JRE version, but it is now (I think as of SE 6 Update 10).
Just x.y.z or x.y.z update w ?
You can get as specific as update. From http://java.sun.com/javase/6/webnotes/6u10/plugin2/version-selection/index.html:
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The new Java Plug-In provides a new platform- and browser-independent mechanism for selecting a JRE version upon which to launch an applet: the java_version applet parameter. This new parameter supports:

a.. Selection of a particular JRE version ("1.5.0_11")
b.. Selection of a particular JRE family ("1.5*")
c.. Selection of a particular JRE family or later ("1.5+")
In which case the original poster should worry.

Fully updated with all x.y.z version should mean that
it is safe to allow an applet to pick x.y.z version.

But fully updated with all x.y.z versions (have latest w)
but not having deleted the old w-1 mean that it is not safe
to allow an applet to pick x.y.z update w.

Arne

Except that (from the same link):

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When considering a request to launch an applet on a specific JRE version (for example, a particular update release like "1.5.0_11"):

1.. The list of available JREs is consulted. If there is an exact match of the version string, that JRE version is selected. Otherwise, if there are one or more installed JREs in the same family, the latest version is selected. Otherwise, the latest available JRE on the machine is selected.
2.. The selected JRE version is compared against the security baseline for the family. If it is equal to or more recent than that version, no further prompting is done and the applet is launched.
3.. Otherwise, the code for the applet is downloaded in a JVM instance of the selected JRE version. If the applet is signed and the user accepts the security dialog for the applet (or the code source has already been trusted), no further prompting is done and the applet is launched.
4.. Otherwise, we are dealing with an unsigned applet on an "older" JRE version. A dialog box is presented indicating that this applet is requesting to run on top of an older JRE release, and asks the user whether he or she wants to allow it to. If the user clicks "yes", the applet is launched. If the user clicks "no", the applet is re-launched on top of the latest available JRE version.

When considering a request to launch an applet on a particular family, the most recent JRE from that family will be selected and the above steps starting from (2) will be followed.

When considering a request to launch an applet on a particular family or any later family, the latest available JRE will be used to launch the applet.

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So in your example it's quite unlikely that the applet code will get automatically launched without the user having something to say about it.

So they will get a popup "This applet want to run on an
old JRE - do you want to allow it?" - the same model as for
trusted applets.

That seems fine.

Arne
.

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