This JRE workaround was I did to make SPSS 17 runs well on Snow Leopard, in order to make things clearer, I divide those 2 things and put each of them on separate blog post. So let's get started! :)


Just follow this simple steps, and in the end you'll get JRE1.5 installed. Please keep in mind that this steps will not remove JRE1.6, but add the option to choose with JRE you'd like to use. First you can go to Finder -> Utilities -> Java Preferences, and check to make sure you only have Java SE 6 there (32-bit and 64-bit version). If you already have J2SE 5.0 (32-bit and 64-bit), just move 32-bit version to top of the list and you're done. No need to follow these steps below :D


1. Check your current version of JRE installed:

# java -version

2. change directory to home directory

# cd ~/

3. retrieve JRE version for Leopard (OS X 10.5.x)

# curl -o java.1.5.0-leopard.tar.gz http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/isdal/snow_leopard_workaround/java.1.5.0-leopard.tar.gz

4. extract the file you just downloaded

# tar -xvzf java.1.5.0-leopard.tar.gz

5. remove existing 1.5 version file on Snow Leopard

# sudo rm /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.5

6. remove existing 1.5.0 version file on Snow Leopard

# sudo rm /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.5.0

7. move current extracted JRE1.5 for Leopard to existing System directory

# sudo mv 1.5.0 /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.5.0-leopard

8. make link from currently moved folder to previously removed file

# sudo ln -s /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.5.0-leopard /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.5

9. same usage as no. 8

# sudo ln -s /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.5.0-leopard /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.5.0

And after you done with all 9 steps above, just go to Finder -> Utilities -> Java Preferences.


There you'll see additional J2SE 5.0 (32-bit and 64-bit), move J2SE 5.0 32-bit version to top of the list, close the preferences, then go back to Terminal apps to execute this command:

# java -version

Notice the differences? You'll now get the "java version 1.5.0_19" (in my MacBook Pro). And you're done :)