If you install the latest Java update, released yesterday, on OS X Lion or OS X Mountain Lion, it will not only delete the Java web-plugin, but it will delete something you didn’t expect… Java Preferences.app.
Apple did make note of this, in the security descriptor notes for the update, but nowhere in the notes that an ordinary user would read. Java Preferences.app is the tool that enables you to select which JDK you are using to run apps on the desktop. Apple claims the app is “no longer needed” (their words). I disagree.
Obviously, if you need to toggle between Java 6 and Java 7 for testing apps, this tool might be of some use to you. In Apple’s defense, you can still do this from the Terminal, but it takes a lot longer and is just a very un-Apple experience.
Of course, Apple doesn’t want much to do with Java anymore, so making the experience un-Apple is all part of the plan.
Anyways, to preserve Java Preferences.app, go into /Applications/Utilities and copy the Java Preferences.app file somewhere else, even just /Applications. Then run the latest Java update. Finally, go to Java.com and grab the latest JRE (which remember, on Mac is just a web browser plugin) and JDK (which remember, is needed to run desktop apps on Mac).
Java on Mac users, while you can.
So what if you’ve already updated and lost the preferences app? How do you get it back?
Also, Oracle doesn’t have a Java 6, and the Java 7 they have is only the 64-bit version (I need Java 6 32-bit). So if I follow your link to java.com, they just say I have to use Java 7 (which, by the way, won’t work with Chrome because it’s only 64-bit). Any ideas, or am I permanently screwed?
Jim, unfortunately your easiest fix (for restoring Java Preferences.app) is to pull it from another Mac that hasn’t gotten the update. You might be able to pull the app from an older Java update bundle.
Apple has posted a guide, after reciving criticism like mine, to restore Java 6 as a browser-plugin:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5559
It’s worth noting that Apple’s Java 6 SE on Mac is still security-supported. For now.
I think Apple’s intentions here were not evil, but Apple wanted to wash its hands of Java clearly… and “pushing” people to Oracle is a good way to do that. I think this was just too heavy-handed of a push for a security update.
Security updates should not modify the user experience. That’s what OS X upgrades are for.
All I needed was Web Start to work again. Thanks for the pointer – it works great!