Introduction
In this tutorial I will cover the very basics of getting started with Java programming using the Linux operating system. Java is a very popular programming language that is used to develop software for everything form cell phones and cable TV boxes to huge enterprise information systems. While most of the steps are aimed at users of the Linux operating system, I will also make some notes for users of Windows and MacOSX. The overall concepts of writing Java “source code”, compiling that code and then running the resulting Java program are common across all operating systems.
This tutorial begins with a brief overview of what it means to “program in Java”. I then cover the steps required to download and install the Java Development Kit – the software required to compile and run Java programs. Finally I will cover steps to writing your first Java program.
If you are a completely new programmer, you may want to read (before or in parallel) some of my introductory notes on Programming Concepts tutorial.
In the next page I will give some basic introduction to the Java software development process.