JIV compatibility information

JIV is quite memory-hungry: every loaded 3D data volume requires 8-9Mb of memory. For faster interactive response, try to use a Java implementation that has a "just-in-time" (JIT) compiler.

Generally speaking (i.e. regardless of your particular operating system / platform), the following should provide full Java 1.1 applet support. An (incomplete) platform-specific list follows.

• Netscape Navigator/Communicator version 4.06 or above (except on MacOS):

  available from Netscape ( www.netscape.com/browsers/ ) for a variety of platforms (operating systems); a JIT compiler is not used on all platforms (e.g. all the Unix versions distributed by Netscape don't have it), however some OS vendors may distribute customized versions which do include a JIT compiler.

• Java 1.1.x (or later) plugins for older, non-compliant or slow browsers:

  java.sun.com/products/plugin/ has links to 1.1.x (and later) plugins for several platforms; even if your browser is Java 1.1 compliant, a plugin may provide a more performant Java environment (e.g. by including a JIT compiler).
  Note: plugins require custom, non-portable, HTML pages to launch the applet, so use them only as a last resort.

• "appletviewer" from Sun's Java Development Kit ("JDK") 1.1.x (or later), or from its various ports:

  see java.sun.com/jdk/ for pointers to versions for various platforms (versions which are not provided by Sun are listed in the "ports" section); also, see below for more links to JDK ports.

• Sun's HotJava web browser:

  available from java.sun.com/products/hotjava/ , for a handful of platforms; this browser is written completely in Java, so even if you don't find a version of it for your platform you should be able to use it as long as you have a working "Java Virtual Machine" (JVM), or "Java Runtime Environment" (JRE), implementation.

The following Java environments were tested and appear to work for JIV:
(please contribute corrections and additions)

Linux (i386)

• IBM JDK for Linux, version 1.1.8 (a port of Sun's JDK)

  Available at no-cost from www.ibm.com/java/jdk/118/linux/. It uses a good JIT compiler, and is the recommended platform for Linux.
  You can also get the JRE version from here.

• Netscape Navigator/Communicator 4.6-4.7

• Sun JDK for Linux, version 1.2.2 ("Java2 SDK, standard edition")

SGI IRIX

• SGI Java Development Environment 3.2 (a port of Sun's JDK 1.1.8)

  Available at no-cost from www.sgi.com/products/evaluation/6.x_jdk_3.2/. It has a JIT compiler, and is the recommended platform for IRIX 6.x. (SGI Java 3.1.1 also works, but it may be a bit slower)

• Netscape Navigator/Communicator 4.08 and later

• SGI Java2 Software Development Kit v1.2.1 (a port of Sun's JDK 1.2.1)

  It has a JIT compiler.

Windows 95/98/NT/2000

• Netscape Navigator/Communicator 4.6-4.7

  This uses a fast JIT compiler by Symantec.

• IBM JDK for Windows, version 1.1.8 (a port of Sun's JDK)

  Available at no-cost from www.ibm.com/java/jdk/118/.

• Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4 and above, with Microsoft Java VM version 5.0 build 3167 (or later)

  (older Microsoft Java VM versions, which were shipped with IE4 and with some early IE5 versions, will not do!)

MacOS (PowerPC)

• Apple MRJ (Mac OS Runtime for Java) version 2.2

  Available at no-cost from www.apple.com/java/. It provides a JVM compatible with Sun's JDK 1.1.8, and can be used in two ways:

  • by using the "Applet Runner" bundled with it.
  • by configuring a web browser to use it (MRJ) as its Java engine. Cooperating browsers include: Sun's HotJava, iCab (available from www.icab.de), and Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4 or later.

• Netscape Navigator/Communicator will not do.

  (since it doesn't fully support Java AWT 1.1)