Wamukota Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Up to now I've used Gambas as programming language for developing my apps under Linux. That is mainly because I came from a Visual Studio Dot Net enviroment on my work. I would like to expand my programming knowledge and switch to another programming language because my ultimate goal is to develop some Android Apps in the future. But I must learn the new Java language of course because AFAIK Java is used for Android programming I have some questions: I hear quite a lot of security issues from the Java front. What is the impact of those 'holes' Why would I use Java instead of Python? Can I roll-out Java apps as a deb-file? TIA guys, A.J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 (edited) I hear quite a lot of security issues from the Java front. What is the impact of those 'holes' I don't use Java at all on any of my systems anymore, Alain. It has become too much of a security issue. The constant patches and security updates became very annoying; felt like I was running MS Win XP again. Why would I use Java instead of Python? I don't know. Why would you? From what I understand, Python is a much easier and more flexible programming language. However, this is just what I've heard. I am not a programmer, so not really qualified to answer this question. Some more reading: http://pythonconquer...ide-comparison/ http://www.programcr...ore-productive/ Can I roll-out Java apps as a deb-file? Yes, evidently. http://blog.pryds.eu...and-debian.html Edited September 2, 2014 by V.T. Eric Layton 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 I think its javascript your thinking of, not java. They are completely different: http://www.htmlgoodies.com/beyond/javascript/article.php/3470971/Java-vs-Javascript.htm As far as java versus python, python is a lot easier to learn than Java, is much more flexible and can be used for various projects. I would suggest that you learn python or perl, c++ and then on to java. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Who me? No. I know the difference between Javascript and Java. The only thing they have in common is four letters in their name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Who me? No. I know the difference between Javascript and Java. The only thing they have in common is four letters in their name. I know you knew the difference but javascript is the one that has all the security issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 I know you knew the difference but javascript is the one that has all the security issues. Are you kidding, man? Java is a veritable swiss frickin' cheese of security holes. Oracle's been sticking their finger in the dike to hold back the flood for years now. Ever other day there were massive patches being issued. That's why I removed it from all my systems. Corrine even has a dedicated Java Patch Announcement thread around here somewhere... Ah! Here it is --> http://forums.scotsnewsletter.com/index.php?showtopic=62165 Also, read here --> http://www.zdnet.com/oracle-issues-critical-patch-update-104-security-fixes-7000028496/ So, no Java for me. Too bad. It was a decent program in the early years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 I dunno as I only use java for virtualbox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wamukota Posted September 3, 2014 Author Share Posted September 3, 2014 The whole issue about Java security made me think twice, but after looking around, I found this as a reply on the following topic What Is Java, Is It Insecure, and Should I Use It? and it gives a clear answer for me, so here it is. Java is a development language. It is used to create the software that you use on your day-to-day basis. You know those nice little apps you're using on your iDevices? They use Objective-C as a development language, for example. There are many development languages out there including Javascript (yes, completely different than Java), C, C++, Ruby, PHP, Scala, Python and the list just goes on and on and on. Is Java less secure than the other development languages? The answer is a clear-cut 'NO!'. If the answer would have been yes, you'd probably want to throw away your DVD and Blueray players, your refrigerators, phones, cars and many other devices that run Java. That's right. So where is the problem? Java has two ways of running applications. Directly on your computer or via the web browser. The problem is within the web browser plug-in. When Java just started, quite a few years ago, its developers thought it would be nice to be able to run Java applications directly from within the browser. However, they did a poor job in building a proper plugin. The plugin has many vulnerabilities which haven't been fixed in the years to come. Not by its original developer Sun, and not by the guys who took over - Oracle. The plug-in is rotten from the inside, and seems like a lost cause in attempts to fix it. Does this mean that Java applications are not secure? Absolutely not. It means that the plugin that's running in your browser is insecure, and it itself poses a security risk. By all means, you should go ahead and disable the Java plugin from your browser, whichever your favorite browser is. Today, there's an alternative way to run Java applications from the browser. They won't open within the browser page itself, but rather require you to click on a button and then the application will be installed on your computer and ran in its own window as its own applications. These applications are also completely safe to use (as any other desktop application you may have installed). Does this mean you should completely uninstall Java from your computer? Absolutely not. There's nothing wrong with Java as a language, and in fact, it is much more secure than some of the development languages that were previously mentioned. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Good points, but since I have no need for Java, I don't need it on my system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 Many do need Java (for android development, corporate programs, VirtualBox, and some browser apps for military, medical) though and if they had not realized it was the browsers' plugins they would think they have no control if they had to use Java. Yes, disabling browser plugins for Java takes care of the problem, mostly. And you could still use it by enabling it when/if needed via browser. It's not so easy to do in Internet Explorer like it is with Firefox and Google Chrome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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