AIX

What's New?

• April 2008 - AIX Java 6 32-bit update released (APAR IZ20750) and redistributional SDK refreshed, both using pap3260sr1-20080416_01 build (SR1).
• April 2008 - AIX Java 6 64-bit update released (APAR IZ20752) and redistributional SDK refreshed, both using pap6460sr1-20080419_01 build (SR1).
• March 2008 - AIX Java 5 32-bit update released (APAR IZ18002) and redistributional SDK refreshed, both using pap32dev-20080315 build (SR7).
• March 2008 - AIX Java 5 64-bit update released (APAR IZ18003) and redistributional SDK refreshed, both using pap64dev-20080315 build (SR7).
• Jan 2008 - SDK 1.4.2 32-bit update released (APAR IZ14148) and JRE 1.4.2 32-bit refreshed, both using pj9ap32142-20080125 build (SR10).
• Jan 2008 - SDK 1.4.2 64-bit update released (APAR IZ14149) and JRE 1.4.2 64-bit refreshed, both using pj9ap64142-20080125 build (SR10).
• September 2007 - SDK 1.3.1 32-bit PTF (APAR IZ05458) released and JRE 1.3.1 32-bit refreshed, both using ca131-20070913 build (SR11).
• September 2007 - SDK 1.3.1 64-bit PTF (APAR IZ05460) released and JRE 1.3.1 64-bit refreshed, both using caix64131-20070913 build (SR11).
• June 2006 - SDK 1.3.0 32-bit PTF (APAR IY85292) released and JRE 1.3.0 32-bit refreshed, both using ca131-20060605 build.
• September 2004 - Java security packages refreshed for 1.3.0, 1.3.1, and 1.3.1 64-bit.
• February 2003 - JDK 1.2.2 PTF (APAR IY40034) released and JRE 1.2.2 refreshed, both using the ca122-20030115 build.
• May 2002 - JDK 1.1.8 PTF 13 (APAR IY30886) released and JRE 1.1.8 refreshed, both using the a118-20020509 build.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What AIX levels are required for Java releases?
2. What should I download - JDK/SDK or JRE, base images or update images? Can you explain SDK 1.4.x installp images?
3. How do I extract from a tar or tar.gz file downloaded?  How do I install the base and update images?
4. Can these releases co-exist on a machine? In which directories are these releases installed?
5. How to find out what versions of Java I have installed? Why does "java -fullversion" still show 1.1.8 on my system after I have installed another release? How can 1.3.0 "java -fullversion" show 1.3.1?
6. What paths do I need to set to use a specific Java release on my system?
7. How do I know if an image file has been downloaded successfully?
8. How do I to get support information on Java for AIX?
9. Are there any Newsgroups for Java on AIX?

To take advantage of latest AIX fixes it is recommended/required that latest AIX Recommended Maintenance Level be used. The following is the minimum AIX level required at the time when a Java release was first released:

Java 1.1.8 requires AIX 4.2.1
Java 1.2.2 requires AIX 4.3.3 PLUS fixes
Java 1.3.0 requires AIX 4.3.3.10 PLUS fixes
Java 1.3.1 64-bit requires AIX 5.1.0.10
Java 1.3.1 requires AIX 4.3.3.75
Java 1.4 requires at least AIX 5.1.0.75 or AIX 5.2.0.10
Java 5 requires at least AIX 5.2.0.75 or AIX 5.3.0.30

For each release you can download either the Developer Kit (JDK or SDK) or the Runtime Environment (JRE).

The Runtime Environment is meant only for distributing Java with your applications.

The Developer Kit is in AIX's installp format. There are install images (base images) and update images (also called PTFs or fixes). Update images are to be installed on top of the base images; that is, update images can only be installed after the base images are installed.

All installp images have VRMF numbers associated with them. VRMF stands for Version, Release, Modification, and Fix. If you run command "lslpp -l | grep Java" on your machine you will see installed Java filesets and their VRMF numbers.

All SDK 1.4.x installp images (VRMF numbers 1.4.0.*, 1.4.1.*, and 1.4.2.*) install in the same directories, /usr/java14 for 32-bit code and /usr/java14_64 for 64-bit code. This is because AIX Java 1.4 is the product and 1.4.1 and 1.4.2 are maintenance levels (1.4.2 being the latest and last maintenance level) of the product.

Now what installp images does one need to install? Remember update images are to be installed on top of base images. These 1.4.x base images are available: the oldest 1.4.0 base images, the latest 1.4.1 base images, and the latest 1.4.2 base images. If Java 1.4 is not installed and you want to install it on your system, you will need to start with one of these base images, and then you can update using update images.

Base images can be downloaded directly from the individual release download pages. To download update images, please follow the "How and where to get fixes" link.
 

For base images after you downloaded either packagename.tar or the packagename.tar.gz file (the latter is recommended if you have gunzip utility available), you need to extract packagename from the downloaded file:

    tar -xvf packagename.tar  (example: tar -xvf Java14.sdk.tar), or
    gunzip -c packagename.tar.gz | tar -xvf -  (example: gunzip -c Java14.sdk.tar.gz | tar -xvf - )

For update images the .bff files are ready to be installed. Before installing, remove the old .toc file (if it exist) in the directory containing the .bff images.

You can use the smitty command to install (both base and update images):

        Run "smitty install"
        Select "Install and Update Software"
        Select "Install Software"
        Specify directory containing the images
        ...

Yes, releases can co-exist.

Java 1.1.8 installs in /usr/jdk_base
Java 1.2.2 installs in /usr/java_dev2
Java 1.3.0 installs in /usr/java130
Java 1.3.1 64-bit installs in /usr/java13_64
Java 1.3.1 installs in /usr/java131
Java 1.4 64-bit installs in /usr/java14_64
Java 1.4 installs in /usr/java14
Java 5 64-bit installs in /usr/java5_64
Java 5 32-bit installs in /usr/java5
Java 6 64-bit installs in /usr/java6_64
Java 6 32-bit installs in /usr/java6

The most accurate information is returned by command java -fullversion.
Example: java full version "J2RE 1.4.1 IBM AIX build ca141-20030522"
The date (20030522) tells when the code was built.

Java 1.1.8 - the command is "/usr/jdk_base/bin/java -fullversion"
Java 1.2.2 - the command is "/usr/java_dev2/jre/sh/java -fullversion"
Java 1.3.0 - the command is "/usr/java130/jre/bin/java -fullversion"
Java 1.3.1 64-bit - the command is "/usr/java13_64/jre/bin/java -fullversion"
Java 1.3.1 - the command is "/usr/java131/jre/bin/java -fullversion"
Java 1.4 64-bit - the command is "/usr/java14_64/jre/bin/java -fullversion"
Java 1.4 - the command is "/usr/java14/jre/bin/java -fullversion"
Java 5 32-bit - the command is "/usr/java5/jre/bin/java -fullversion"
Java 5 64-bit - the command is "/usr/java5_64/jre/bin/java -fullversion"
Java 6 32-bit - the command is "/usr/java6/jre/bin/java -fullversion"
Java 6 64-bit - the command is "/usr/java6_64/jre/bin/java -fullversion"

Installp installation for 1.1.8 creates a symbolic links in /usr/bin for commands such as java and javac. Installation of other releases does not create similar links. So, by default (when the PATH is not set for other releases), "java -fullversion" returns 1.1.8.

The command "/usr/java130/jre/bin/java -fullversion" can show 1.3.1, because the support for 1.3.0 ended 12/31/2002. All 1.3.0 PTFs shipped after that date use 1.3.1 code.

Java 1.1.8:
PATH=/usr/jdk_base/bin:$PATH

Java 1.2.2:
PATH=/usr/java_dev2/jre/sh:/usr/java_dev2/sh:$PATH

Java 1.3.0
PATH=/usr/java130/jre/bin:/usr/java130/bin:$PATH

Java 1.3.1 64-bit:
PATH=/usr/java13_64/jre/bin:/usr/java13_64/bin:$PATH

Java 1.3.1
PATH=/usr/java131/jre/bin:/usr/java131/bin:$PATH

Java 1.4 64-bit:
PATH=/usr/java14_64/jre/bin:/usr/java14_64/bin:$PATH

Java 1.4
PATH=/usr/java14/jre/bin:/usr/java14/bin:$PATH

Java 5 32-bit
PATH=/usr/java5/jre/bin:/usr/java5/bin:$PATH

Java 5 64-bit
PATH=/usr/java5_64/jre/bin:/usr/java5_64/bin:$PATH

Java 6 32-bit
PATH=/usr/java6/jre/bin:/usr/java6/bin:$PATH

Java 6 64-bit
PATH=/usr/java6_64/jre/bin:/usr/java6_64/bin:$PATH

After you downloaded a package in a tar or tar.gz file, if you can extract from the file successfully (see Question 3) the downloading must be successful.

If "smitty install" does not complain about an extracted package, the downloading must be successful.

For JDK/SDK base images, the download pages have numbers of bytes for all tar and tar.gz files. 

Please go to https://techsupport.services.ibm.com/server/support?view=pSeries. If you are a customer in the U.S.A. and have an AIX Support Line contract, you can call 1-800-CALL-AIX for support.

Newsgroup for Java on AIX:  ibmpub.java.aix
Newsgroup for AIX:  comp.unix.aix