Hi Isabella, I wonder why that site is referring to a command line tool? What kind of link are you clicking or what kind of file are you downloading?

As you probably know, versions of Firefox after the Extended Support Release of Firefox 52 no longer run the Java plugin ("Java Runtime Engine" or JRE) in the browser, so Java applets cannot be embedded in a page in Firefox. However, sites can send a "Java Web Start" file (.jnlp file) to trigger your system to open a Java application outside the browser.

Oracle has a demo link here: https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/deployment/webstart/running.html#web

If you click the link next to "Try it now:", Firefox should ask you to confirm downloading the .jnlp file. Then when you launch the file from the Downloads list, your system may already associate it with Java, or you might need to inform the system that it should use Java for this kind of file.

Is that what happens in Safari, or what happens in Safari now?

P.S. The new spam moderation filter will delay the appearance of any reply containing a link, so if you submit a post and don't see it for several minutes, that could be the explanation.

Thank you, Jscher! The pop up windows are popping up in mail, too. I'm going to try what you said and come back to tell you what happened. I installed Java. I didn't see "try it now". I used the Java cache viewer. I'll hope that this might help. I'm sorry not to be more literate. Nothing like this happens in Safari. I'm totally confused. Best, Isabella

The pop ups keep happening. They just appear, in mail, Firefox and yes, Safari. (I had said it didn't happen in Safari before) It's an irritation I still don't know how to fix. If I delete all things to do with Java, will I need it later?

Thanks for you help.

Isabella

Hi Isabella, when you refer to mail, do you mean the standard Mail app on MacOS, outside of any browser? That suggests it is something running in the background, since there's really no reason for Mail, Safari and Firefox to be generating this prompt when you are just viewing content.

What did you try to install so far? These point to a page on Oracle's site for the latest version:

• https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250960754
• https://oneminutemacman.com/how-to-make-the-annoying-to-use-the-java-command-line-tool-you-need-to-install-a-jdk-pop-up-go-away-forever/

Regularly updated apps like Firefox and the apps that come with Catalina should not require older versions of Java. Some older apps may require an older version of Java, which is considered insecure, so Apple and Oracle stopped distributing it years ago. Apple still has a download page for it, but it would be safer to remove the obsolete app that requires insecure components.

Can you think of any older apps running on your system at the time the prompt comes up? In the following thread, if you scroll down and click Read All Replies, there is mention of Facebook videochat as one program that causes this message:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8623834

If you don't have (or can't remove) Facebook videochat, you may want to try Apple's forums or another Mac forum on how to scan your system for what is causing this.