Java gets going with version 8
After two and a half years of work, long-serving Java development chief Mark Reinhold released version 8 of Java in March. Not only does it contain minor enhancements to the runtime library, it sees functional elements enter the Java universe in the form of lambdas.
Postponed
Development of the new version was fraught with the same kind of issues as were experienced in the previous release: In August 2010, Reinhold pulled the ripcord and reduced the planned Java 7 feature scope so it could be completed in July 2011. The postponed features were due in version 8 at the end of 2012, which eventually became the beginning of 2014 – again with a reduced feature set.
The reason for the delay was mainly the much needed improvement of the security deficiencies in applets and Java Web Start [1]. The language and Java Runtime Environment (JRE) were actually planned from the beginning to prevent malicious code from breaking out of the designated sandbox, but the implementation of the concepts had significant weaknesses, so many Windows users made the unwelcome acquaintance of the BKA ransomware installed by a Java applet [2].
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
CachyOS Now Lets Users Choose Their Shell
Imagine getting the opportunity to select which shell you want during the installation of your favorite Linux distribution. That's now a thing.
-
Wayland 1.24 Released with Fixes and New Features
Wayland continues to move forward, while X11 slowly vanishes into the shadows, and the latest release includes plenty of improvements.
-
Bugs Found in sudo
Two critical flaws allow users to gain access to root privileges.
-
Fedora Continues 32-Bit Support
In a move that should come as a relief to some portions of the Linux community, Fedora will continue supporting 32-bit architecture.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 Drops bcachefs
After a clash over some late fixes and disagreements between bcachefs's lead developer and Linus Torvalds, bachefs is out.
-
ONLYOFFICE v9 Embraces AI
Like nearly all office suites on the market (except LibreOffice), ONLYOFFICE has decided to go the AI route.
-
Two Local Privilege Escalation Flaws Discovered in Linux
Qualys researchers have discovered two local privilege escalation vulnerabilities that allow hackers to gain root privileges on major Linux distributions.
-
New TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro Powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300
The TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen10 offers serious power that is ready for your business, development, or entertainment needs.
-
LibreOffice Tested as Possible Office 365 Alternative
Another major organization has decided to test the possibility of migrating from Microsoft's Office 365 to LibreOffice.
-
Linux Mint 20 Reaches EOL
With Linux Mint 20 at its end of life, the time has arrived to upgrade to Linux Mint 22.