The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) provides the libraries, the Java Virtual Machine, and other components to run applets and applications written in the Java programming language. In addition, two key deployment technologies are part of the JRE: Java Plug-in, which enables applets to run in popular browsers; and Java Web Start, which deploys standalone applications over a network.
If you are running the latest version of Ubuntu 12.04 LTS:
sudo apt-get purge openjdk-7-jre icedtea-7-plugin sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/java sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install oracle-jdk7-installer