Question

I’m looking for the JDK source code for Java 1.5 update 18 (on win XP). I don’t want to install a JDK, I don’t want the source code for the entire VM, just the source for the JDK libs, so that when I navigate to a Java class in Eclipse, it opens up the source code.

Is it possible to download just src.zip (or a zip that contains src.zip)? I don’t want to install a new JDK/JRE just to get access to src.zip as I’m concerned that this will have undesirable side-effects such as modifying JAVA_HOME.

Thanks,
Don

Answer 1

The best place to go to get old versions of Java stuff is the Archive page. JDK 1.5.0_18 is there.

However, I don’t think it is possible to download just the source code ZIP file. But hey, you could always get a friend to download the relevant JDK and copy it onto a CD/DVD for you.

EDIT re your concern about environment variables being changed.

Installing a JDK does not modify the JAVA_HOME environment variable or any other environment variable. Indeed, the JDK / JRE installation instructions explain that you need to update JAVA_HOME and PATH manually.

Sun have always been careful to allow you to install multiple JDK/JREs side-by-side. The only thing of that nature that gets changed by the installer is the version of Java used by your browser’s Java plugin. And that only changes if you give the installer permission to change it!!