How to install Sun Java 1.5/1.6 on Ubuntu 10.04

Ubuntu (10.04) only supports Java 1.6 (and prefers OpenJDK too). Here's how to get Sun Java 1.5 installed on Ubuntu 10.04:



Add the following to /etc/apt/sources.list:

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty multiverse

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates multiverse



Update the package list:

sudo apt-get update



Install Sun Java 1.5/1.6:

sudo apt-get install sun-java5-jdk
sudo apt-get install sun-java6-jdk


Depending on your setup you might need to set this as the default. Check what version is default:

java -version


And list all Java versions installed:
sudo update-java-alternatives -l

Then if necessary:
sudo update-java-alternatives -s java-1.5.0-sun
or
sudo update-java-alternatives -s java-1.6.0-sun