MIDL Installation Steps

To be able to run MIDL on your computer, here are the simple setup steps needed:

(Basically these steps install Java on your computer, as well as a network launching package called Java WebStart)

 
NOTE: Java 1.5 is also called J2SE 5.0 and so you may see this label on some of Sun's and Apple's web sites.  

• For PC users:

  Install the latest version of Java, which comes bundled with WebStart.

  Go to this page at Sun:

  http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/download.jsp

  Click on the "Download JRE" link.

  (You can also install the JDK, which is a superset of what you need - it includes Java development tools, if you want to do Java programming!)

  On the next page you see, there will be a list of links. You want the link which says

  something like "Offline Windows Multi-language."

  Save the file behind this link, and once its downloaded, double click to install Java.

  NOTE: The most recently installed version of Java takes precedence over all other previously installed versions.

• For MAC users:

  NOTE: Java 1.5 and J2SE 5.0 are the same thing.
  Follow these steps:
  1. If you don't have it already, upgrade to Tiger, MAC OS 10.4.2 or higher.
     (the preferred version is whatever Apple's current highest version is - right now that's 10.4.2 or maybe 10.4.3).
     You also have to install a special update to get the latest version of Java. This is described in the steps below.
  2. Go to Apple's developer update site http://developer.apple.com/java/download/ and look for an update labelled J2SE 5.0 - download the DMG for this update.
  3. Install the DMG file
  4. There are some special steps to get the MAC to start using the new version of Java.
     Open this folder: Applications->Utilities->Java->J2SE 5.0
     and double click to open the Java Preferences item.
     In the choices at the top regarding applets and browsers, choose J2SE 5.0
     In a list farther down, you will probably see two versions of Java:
         J2SE 5.0
         J2SE 1.4.2
     Drag the J2SE 5.0 item so it is at the front of the list.

• For Linux and Solaris users:

  The instructions are basically the same as for PC/Windows users above, except select the download for your operating system.

  There may be some differences in how you install the downloaded file, and you may need to use a privelidged account.