Java normally installs into /opt and if you wish to choose an
alternative root path then it will install into new_path/opt

However I have been asked to install Java 1.4 into a box without
any reference to opt at all ie into a completeley different hierarchy.

In one of the HP documents about installing Java it says that the
following method can be used:

use swinstall to install the software into a temporary area and the mv the
whole lot to its final destination.

I am very unhappy about this since it removes the link between
the installed software and the SD. Am I right in thinking that this is
not a good idea ? I suspect that we are asking for trouble here in future
patching and dependency checking?

The people who have asked mne to do this are not HP ....

:P