Identifying Java For Classic Mac Operating Systems (Mac OS 9 And Below)

Operating Systems & Open Source Mac & iOS
1

So, I’ve been looking at one of my previous posts about Java on/included with earlier versions of Mac OS, Mac OS X, but for earlier versions of Mac OS, Mac OS 9, and below, and I am wondering how you would/one could, etc… identify which/what Java version you have/would be included.

When I tested/tried to extract Java information from my copy of Mac OS 9, it did NOT have/include a Terminal, so I couldn’t do the usual:

java -version

I was wondering if anyone knows if there’s a way to identify which/what Java version you would have/be included for these older operating systems.

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Easiest way is probably to locate your Mac OS Runtime for Java (MRJ) folder as Apple developed their own tools for Java support back then. Once the MRJ folder is open, Open the Apple Applet Runner folder, select the Apple Applet Runner program icon, open the File menu, and open Get Information.

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That should show you what version of MRJ you have installed. From there you can look up what version of Java that version of MRJ supported.

As far as I’m aware, based on Wikipedia and Apple’s release notes

MRJ 1.5.x is Java 1.0.2
MRJ 2.2.x is Java 1.1.8

Mac OS 9 and earlier did not have support for Java 1.2 (J2SE) or later.

https://web.archive.org/web/20090408064838/http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120209

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