What is Apples version of java

As explained by Apple's support page on this topic, Apple's version of Java is an older version of Java, and is intended for older software that does not support the newer versions of Java. If you need to use Java, download it at www.java.com.

OS X does not come with Java pre-installed. You can add Java 6 support via this download: Download Java for OS X 2015-001

Java 8 can be installed from http://www.java.com

Do you need it? The answer is, only if you need it 🙂 Some apps do require Java, and some apps specifically require Java 6. You can have Java 6 and Java 8 both installed simultaneously, if an app requires Java 6 that's what it will use; if it runs on Java 8 it'll do so automatically.

I don't suggest you install either one unless you are getting a message indicating you need Java or a "Java SDK Runtime"

To say the state of Java on a Mac is a mess would be a typical British understatement. 😉

There are actually four different types of Java on a Mac.

1. Apple's old Java 6 implementation which even though Apple describe it as a Java 6 Runtime actually also includes a bit of Java Development Kit - JDK as well
2. Oracle's Java 7 or Java 8 Runtime Environment aka. JRE
3. Oracle's Java 7 or Java 8 Development Kit aka. JDK
4. A Java runtime actually built-in to whatever app you are using

Apple have been saying for years that they have/will discontinue their Java 6 implantation. As far as I can tell they will not be issuing an update for this for use in macOS Sierra. Therefore software that still requires this old version will stop working under Sierra and sadly there are still a lot of programs needing Apple's Java 6.

Some programs will say they need a Java 7 or Java 8 Runtime i.e a Java 7 or Java 8 JRE, however what they really need is a Java 7 or Java 8 JDK. Kerio Connect at least is accurate when it says it needs a Java 7 or Java 8 JDK.

Some newer programs in an effort to avoid all the problems users may face in working out which correct Java to use now hide their own copy inside their own software. For example the PaperCut printer management/reporting software includes its own copy of Java inside itself.

Note: a Java JDK will include the equivalent version JRE as well.

You should only install Java if you really need it, Java is a notorious means by which malware will try and infect your computer, both because of vulnerabilities in Java and also because if they write their malware in Java it can infect Mac, Windows, and Linux systems with the same code. I am therefore somewhat horrified that companies producing security software or anti-malware software like Symantec use and therefore require Java to be installed.

Hello John,

Java gets a bad rap only because of Java applets integrated into web browsers. There are a number of technologies that greatly benefited from nothing more than defaults settings for the web.

If you take Java applets out of the picture, then Java, to a large extent, still runs most of the internet. Java runs most of Apple's back-end infrastructure, for example. It is unfortunate that so many enterprise apps don't realize that Java is (and has really always been) a disaster on the desktop.