# Installing Java

PCGen 5.7.x and higher requires Java version 1.4.x. Previous versions (5.6.1 and below) will run under Java 1.3.x.

## On Windows Operating Systems

1. Open Start Menu
2. Open Programs
3. select MS-DOS Prompt (Alternately, you can click Start, then Run, and type 'command' in the window and hit ok)
4. type "java -version" (without the quotes)

You need to see the following or something similar:

`java version "1.4.2_03"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.4.2_03-117.1)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.4.2-34, mixed mode)`

*Note - Support for Java 1.3.x in PCGen was discontinued in version 5.6.1. Future versions of PCGen (5.7.x and beyond) require Java 1.4.x

If you see a correct version of java, close the MS-DOS window and you should be able to run PCGen.

If you do not see the correct version, close the MS-Dos window and go to http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4/download.html and download the latest non-beta version (currently 1.4.2_04 as of August 2004)

1. Find "US English version:" and hit continue
2. Read and scroll to bottom of page and hit ACCEPT
3. Find "FTP download from java.sun.com:" and hit "FTP download"
4. select what directory to download it to. (Remember where you download it to.)
(it is over a 5 Meg file, 5,447,968 bytes, so it might take a while.)
5. Open Windows explorer and go to where you downloaded j2re-1_4_x-windows-i586.exe.
6. double click on the j2re-1_4_x-windows-i586.exe
7. Install Java 2 runtime
8. Read and hit yes
9. select directory and hit next
10. select what internet browser you use and hit next
11. (files will load now)
12. When finished loading close windows explorer
13. Reboot your computer

## On Macintosh/Apple Operating Systems

The Java Runtime Environment is only available on Mac OS X. Mac 8 & 9 users will have to use Virtual PC and install Java for Windows by follwing the Windows steps in the section above. Mac OS X 10.2.8 runs Java version 1.4.1. Mac OS X 10.3.3 runs Java version 1.4.2.

Mac OS X users should be able to open a command line and type "java -version" (without the quotes). If you see java version 1.4 of some variety then you are good to go, though there have been some issues exporting to PDF under java 1.4.1 on Mac OS 10.2.

If you don't have the right version, then visit http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/java131.html and download java, which should be around 20MB, and install it. Then you should be ready to launch PCGen.

## On *Nix Variety Operating Systems

1. Open a command prompt
2. type "java -version" (without the quotes)

You need to see the following or something similar:

`java version "1.4.0_01"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.4.0_01-b03)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.4.0_01-b03, mixed mode)`

*Note - PCGen will run under Java 1.3.x or 1.4.x. 1.4.x is strongly recommended due to the speed improvement and mouse wheel support.

If you see the correct version of java, close the command prompt window and you should be able to run PCGen.

If you do not see the correct version, close the MS-Dos window and go to http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4/download.html and download the latest non-beta version (currently 1.4.1_02)

1. Find the version which matches your OS click on the "download" link in the JRE column (JRE is for users, SDK is for developers)
2. Read and scroll to bottom of page and hit ACCEPT
3. Find "FTP download from java.sun.com:" and hit "FTP download"
4. Select what directory to download it to. (Remember where you download it to.)
5. Find the file that you just downloaded.
6. Double click on it
7. Follow the instructions to install the Java 2 runtime.
8. Reboot your computer

Now you should be ready to launch PCGen.