Java5 on Snow Leopard

Question

I need Java5 (not 6), but Snow Leopard comes with only Java6. There is /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.5, but that just points to 1.6.0:

 $ ls -la /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/
 lrwxr-xr-x   1 root  wheel    5 Sep 24 20:12 1.3 -> 1.3.1
 drwxr-xr-x   3 root  wheel  102 Jul 21 07:35 1.3.1
 lrwxr-xr-x   1 root  wheel   10 Sep 24 20:12 1.5 -> CurrentJDK
 lrwxr-xr-x   1 root  wheel   10 Sep 24 20:12 1.5.0 -> CurrentJDK
 lrwxr-xr-x   1 root  wheel    5 Sep 24 20:12 1.6 -> 1.6.0
 drwxr-xr-x   7 root  wheel  238 Sep 24 20:12 1.6.0
 drwxr-xr-x   8 root  wheel  272 Sep 24 20:12 A
 lrwxr-xr-x   1 root  wheel    1 Sep 24 20:12 Current -> A
 lrwxr-xr-x   1 root  wheel    3 Sep 24 20:12 CurrentJDK -> 1.6

Can I install the real 1.5 from somewhere?

Answer 1

Here is a link to downgrading Snow Leopard to Java 1.5

Answer 2

Hmm, i do not have installed 10.6 yet (it is on the way), but the versions directory looks strange. Where is 1.4? And no version should point to CurrentJDK! My 10.5 installation is the following:

r2d2:~ arne$ ls -l /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions 
total 56
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel    5 16 Sep 19:14 1.3 -> 1.3.1
drwxr-xr-x  3 root  wheel  102 14 Jan  2008 1.3.1
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel    5 16 Sep 19:14 1.4 -> 1.4.2
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel    3 21 Feb  2008 1.4.1 -> 1.4
drwxr-xr-x  8 root  wheel  272 21 Feb  2008 1.4.2
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel    5 16 Sep 19:14 1.5 -> 1.5.0
drwxr-xr-x  8 root  wheel  272 21 Feb  2008 1.5.0
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel    5 16 Sep 19:14 1.6 -> 1.6.0
drwxr-xr-x  8 root  wheel  272 26 Sep  2008 1.6.0
drwxr-xr-x  8 root  wheel  272 16 Sep 19:14 A
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel    1 16 Sep 19:14 Current -> A
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel    3 16 Sep 19:14 CurrentJDK -> 1.5
r2d2:~ arne$ 

Do other 10.6 users have the same problem? I am not shure about installing the Java 5 package for 10.5 will work on 10.6. Someone have experience?

Answer 3

Run java5 on Snow Leopard

Get the java 5 that was included in 10.5 "leopard" and unpack

cd /tmp/ curl -o java.1.5.0-leopard.tar.gz http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/isdal/snow_leopard_workaround/java.1.5.0-leopard.tar.gz

tar -xvzf java.1.5.0-leopard.tar.gz

Move it to your System java folder (password needed)

sudo mv 1.5.0 /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.5.0-leopard

Tell OS X that java 5 actually is java 5

cd /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/

sudo rm 1.5.0

sudo ln -s 1.5.0-leopard 1.5.0

sudo rm 1.5

sudo ln -s 1.5.0 1.5

Answer 4

I've put together a small how-to here.

Answer 5

I was receiving a 'Bus Error' when trying to use the steps at http://wiki.oneswarm.org/index.php/OS_X_10.6_Snow_Leopard on 10.6.6. However when I tried Sagacity's steps above. I was able to get 1.5 to run.