What is the difference between openjdk-7-jre-headless VS openjdk-7-jre?

Question

What is the difference between openjdk-7-jre-headless and openjdk-7-jre.

When I type java in the terminal in Ubuntu it suggest openjdk-7-jre-headless not openjdk-7-jre

Answer 1

The difference between the two can quickly be summed up as the following

• The openjdk-7-jre-headless package is used when you don't need to draw anything in the graphical user interface. For example a background service or a terminal application. It's commonly used on servers.
• The openjdk-7-jre package includes the openjdk-7-jre-headless package since it contains most of the Java features. It is commonly found on on desktops.
• The openjdk-7-jre package isn't recommended to install on a server since it installs extra software that is not commonly used on a server.