Between Adobe Flash and Sun Java, you’ve probably identified the two most prevalent browser plugins on every computer out there. Java has probably fallen out of favor of most developers, but in the early days of web programing Java applets were found everywhere. Generally, the experience for the end-user was clunky and unresponsive but it was the best available at the time – providing functionality not possible with a native browser.
As as standalone programming language, Sun purported the idea of cross-platform compatibility. Right for Java and any platform that had a Java Runtime or JRE could execute it with minimal effort from the developer. Sounds great now, just like it did then. The reality, most standalone Java applications are bundled with a specific version of the JRE to further ensure full compatibility. This is a rather cautious approach to software developing but it quickly lead to multiply installed versions of the JRE. With each install taking many megabytes of space, and fundamentally against keeping a sleek and clean system, it’s clear it’s an annoying problem.
JavaRa is a freely available tiny utility that accepts one mission – hunt out all the extraneous installs of the Java Runtime Environment, or JREs. Once located, JavaRa can automatically remove their traces from the system, leaving just the most recent install left. Alternatively, JavaRa can also update to the latest available JRE from Sun with a few clicks. Further cleansing is available by removing Sun’s Java Download Manager or other start-up related entries from the system.
