Java Web Start

[Christopher Cobb <ccobb@cseg.com>]

I don't suppose Debian would go as far as to implement a Java Web Start
repository.  

http://java.sun.com/products/javawebstart/demos.html  

It has some similarities to the Debian packaging system.  In many ways
its more primitive, but it also does some clever things like piecemeal
upgrading of an application that has been updated -- that is, it only
refreshes the particular class files that have changed.

Java Web Start applications can be executed locally ("from the Desktop")
or from a web page.  It does a version check at launch time.  You can
also pre-loading vs lazy loading of classes.  That is, you can preload
all of the classes that are needed by the initial gui, then load as
needed any additional classes.

Java Web Start applications are distributed as jar files and if signed
(with a recognized X509 certificate) behave as normal applications.

Of course there are licensing issues.   Perhaps we can implement a free
version.

cc