vansmith
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There are a variety of threads that have cropped up lately expressing frustration and concern over the workings of Java. I hope that, in what follows, I can clear up a few things.
First, Java is not "broken." Contrary to popular reaction and perhaps gut instinct, Java hasn't spontaneously ceased to work. However, it is flawed from a security standpoint. This is why Java has ceased to work on your machine(s). In short, Apple has made use of what they call "XProtect" which is the built-in malware protection system for OS X. Essentially, the system tracks what can and can not be run on your system. With regards to Java, Apple has simply set XProtect such that Java will run only if it meets a certain requirement. In this case, it's a version number. Now, you might be asking yourself "but I've updated Java, why isn't it working?" The answer to that is quite simple - Apple has set the minimum version required higher than the most current version available. As of right now, Apple only allows Java to be loaded in Safari if it is at least version 1.7.11.22 which precludes all version from running since 1.7.11.21 is the most current version. This is why Safari continues to alert you, complaining of an out of date plugin.
Second, the cessation of operation is limited only to Safari. In other words, Java will continue to work as you'd expect outside of Safari including in all the other supported browsers. The XProtect method outlined above only affects Safari and this will continue to be the case for the foreseeable future. If you need an immediate work around, use another browser.
Third, despite being a nuisance, this is for your own good. I am generally the last person who likes being told what to do on my machine so when I say that it's best to take Apple's advice on it, you may want to consider. In other words, if you can do something online that doesn't involve Java, go with that.
Fourth, it is very possible that this will be temporary. Assuming Oracle is able to patch Java to fix a few recent and quite nasty security holes, Apple may very well issue an update to the XProtect plist file that removes the Java plugin restriction.
First, Java is not "broken." Contrary to popular reaction and perhaps gut instinct, Java hasn't spontaneously ceased to work. However, it is flawed from a security standpoint. This is why Java has ceased to work on your machine(s). In short, Apple has made use of what they call "XProtect" which is the built-in malware protection system for OS X. Essentially, the system tracks what can and can not be run on your system. With regards to Java, Apple has simply set XProtect such that Java will run only if it meets a certain requirement. In this case, it's a version number. Now, you might be asking yourself "but I've updated Java, why isn't it working?" The answer to that is quite simple - Apple has set the minimum version required higher than the most current version available. As of right now, Apple only allows Java to be loaded in Safari if it is at least version 1.7.11.22 which precludes all version from running since 1.7.11.21 is the most current version. This is why Safari continues to alert you, complaining of an out of date plugin.
Second, the cessation of operation is limited only to Safari. In other words, Java will continue to work as you'd expect outside of Safari including in all the other supported browsers. The XProtect method outlined above only affects Safari and this will continue to be the case for the foreseeable future. If you need an immediate work around, use another browser.
Third, despite being a nuisance, this is for your own good. I am generally the last person who likes being told what to do on my machine so when I say that it's best to take Apple's advice on it, you may want to consider. In other words, if you can do something online that doesn't involve Java, go with that.
Fourth, it is very possible that this will be temporary. Assuming Oracle is able to patch Java to fix a few recent and quite nasty security holes, Apple may very well issue an update to the XProtect plist file that removes the Java plugin restriction.
