IBM Developer Kit for Linux provides the Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) and the Java Communications application programming interface (API) in separate packages.

JAAS enhances the existing security capability of Java 2 by providing a means for you to enforce access controls based on where code came from and who signed it. Because a user can download a remote applet over a public network and then run it locally, you might need these access controls.

For IBM-specific information about JAAS, please refer to our security documentation section. For more general information about JAAS, see the Sun Web site.

Java Communications API gives Java applications a platform-independent way of performing serial and parallel port communications for technologies such as voice mail, fax, and smartcards. You can use Java Communications API to write Java programs that access serial or parallel ports. Java Communications API supports Electronic Industries Association EIA-232 (RS232) serial ports and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1284 parallel ports.

Note: Java Communications API is not available with zSeries Linux.