Robocode/System Requirements
Page describing the system requirement for installing and running the Robocode game.
Robocode requires Java
In order to install and run Robocode JavaTM must be pre-installed on your system. The current versions of Robocode requires at least Java 5 (aka Java 1.5.0) or preferable a newer version. Please notice, that Java can be downloaded for free, and will run on most operative systems. Also notice, that it is the Java SE (Standard Edition) we mean when talking about Java in this context.
Do I have Java already?
Before downloading and installing Java, you should first check if you already have Java installed, and also if you have the required version of Java for installing and running Robocode.
You can check this from this page: http://www.java.com/en/download/installed.jsp
JRE or JDK?
You can choose between installing:
- The JRE (Java Runtime Environment), which consists of the Java Virtual Machine used for executing Java programs.
- The JDK (Java Development Kit), which contains a bundle of software for developing Java programs, and which also includes the JRE.
The JRE is the core part of Java, and typically takes up less space on your system, and is faster to download. So if you are new to Java, and just want to have a quick look at Robocode, I recommend that you download the JRE. If you are already used to program in Java, you might prefer the JDK. Notice, that you can always install the JRE first, and then the JDK later on, if you want to.
If you should use JRE or JDK is up to you. Robocode only requires a JRE, as it includes the Jikes compiler that can be used for compiling robots, if no other compiler is available.
