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You will find in here an overview of the features covered by Java SE 6 Update N, links to provide feedback and report issues, as well as testing instructions to help you evaluate the new features.

Overview

Download

Testing Guidelines

Feedback

FAQ

Overview

Java SE 6 Update N (formerly know as the "Consumer JRE" project) is an update release that introduces new features and enhancements aimed at providing an optimized consumer end user experience. Java SE 6 Update N focuses on the following areas:

• Enhanced JRE installation experience
  • The Deployment Toolkit takes the guess work out of determining what versions of the JRE end users have installed on their PC. It supplies Java based web applet/application deployers with a simple interface to accomplish Java detection and installation.
  • The Kernel installation mode (not available yet in this build) lets first time Java users run applets and Web Start applications without waiting for the whole JRE download. While the default Kernel installation will work with existing Java applets, application developers have the ability to select libraries that should be installed with the kernel, before the rest of the JRE is installed on the end user's system.
  • For current users of Java SE, the JRE update mechanism has also been improved, using a patch-in-place mechanism that translates in a faster and more reliable update process (the patch in place mechanism will take effect for end users who upgrade from this update release or later to a new update release). As an added benefit, follow-on update releases will no longer be listed as separate items in the Windows "Add or Remove Programs" dialog.
  
  
• Improved performance and look & feel
  • The Quick Starter feature will prefetch portions of the JRE into memory, substantially decreasing the average JRE cold start-up time (the time that it takes to launch a Java application for the first time after a fresh reboot of a PC).
  • Hardware acceleration support: Java SE 6 Update N introduces a fully hardware accelerated graphics pipeline based on the Microsoft Direct3D 9 API, translating into improved rendering of Swing applications which rely on translucency, gradients, arbitrary transformations, and other more advanced 2D operations.
  • A new cross-platform Swing look & feel, code name Nimbus, provides a nice update over 'Metal' and 'Ocean'.
  
  
• Kernel installation mode
  The Kernel installation mode will be available at a later date. Stay tuned or subscribe our live link feed for lastest news & information: Java SE 6 Update N Early Access

We are excited to introduce these long needed changes to the JRE, and hope that you will be able to evaluate Java SE 6 Update N and provide feedback to us.

Note The following articles and presentations provide additional details about the Java SE 6 Update N features:

• Desktop Java Technology Today: JavaOne technical session - May 2007
• Easy Deployment Is Finally Here: JavaOne technical session - May 2007
• Announcing the Consumer JRE (again!): Ethan Nicholas's blog - 5/17/07
• Consumer JRE, Leaner, Meaner Java: Chet Haase's blog - 5/18/07
• Java Kernel Unmasked: Ethan Nicholas's blog - 5/24/07

Download

Note: Please remove any previous installs of 6uN before installing different builds.

Java SE 6 Runtime (JRE) Update N build 07 Windows Online Installer

Java SE 6 Runtime (JRE) Update N build 07 Windows Offline Installer

For other platforms, please see Download Page

See also: Installation FAQ

Testing Guidelines

We recommend you follow the testing instructions and guidelines in this section if you are not familiar with any of the new features in Java SE 6 Update N.

Feedback

You can ask questions and provide us feedbacks on Java.net forums.

• For Deployment Toolkit, Java Kernel, and Java Update (patch-in-place): JRE Installer & Auto Update Forum
• For Java QuickStarter: Java Quick Starter Forum
• For Nimbus: Swing & AWT Forum
• For Direct3D: Java2D Forum
• For general issues: 6uN Early Access

FAQ

Visit our FAQ sections for more information. More FAQ will be added as the EA program goes on.