Maybe the packages could also provide /usr/bin/java{,c}{5,6} symlinks, a bit like python2.
]]>I looked at jre6 (orphaned now) and jre5 packages in AUR and noticed some things - first of all jre6 cannot be installed along the now current jre 7 because of file conflicts. The jre5 is put into /opt/java5/jre but adds itself into path (wrong path by the way) without modifying the file names, so if one have both jre and jre5, they have two "java" in same path (or would if the profile jre5 wouldn't point to jre 7, which can be missing in the first place). I think the situation needs a little cleanup.
How about making jre{5,6} install into /opt/java/jre{5,6} and not adding them to path (or without installing web browser plugins or stuff, just the content of /opt/java + license)? If some application needs to use jre 5 or 6, maintainer can use the full path to java or adjust the path for just the time of running the application. It would also simplify the jre packages themselves, and will make it possible to run older software one cannot update. Same could go for jdk, but I doubt that old jdk coexisting with new jdk is needed that badly as jre.
Because Java is used by a lot of people, I did not want to make this decision alone by adopting jre6 and rewriting this package to do what I described above, I decided it will be better to see if someone has anything against this or maybe even better idea how to deal with current java ...+5+6+7+... situation.
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