Java update

[anotheoldgit]

I keep getting a pop-up telling me that a Java update is available. Is it safe to download this, and what exactly is Java? Can anyone enlighten me please.

[rojash]

Java is used by many web sites to automate certain things in your browser. It's also possible that you have some other applications on your computer that also use Java.

There are two major versions for Windows computers; from Sun Microsystems, who invented it, and from Microsoft. If the pop-up is from one of these companies, then it should be perfectly safe to download it.

[bankythehat]

Java is a programming language used by many websites and is perfectly safe to download and use. If you don't have it installed then some websites that require it won't run properly.

Java used to come bundled with Internet Explorer, but Sun Microsystems (who developed java) had a falling out with Microsoft and dropped it's inclusion meaning you now have to download it separately

[anotheoldgit]

Thank you both for your answers, sorry for the delay.