About the JRE

JRE stands for "Java Runtime Environment". The JRE is a piece of software developed by SUN which OmegaT requires to run. 

Users are frequently confused about whether they have a suitable version of the JRE already installed on their computers, and if not, what version of the JRE to install, where to obtain it, and how to install it. In order for users to avoid these problems, the OmegaT project now supplies versions of OmegaT with a suitable version of the JRE included. The JRE supplied with OmegaT is installed locally on the user's computer and does not conflict with any other JRE or Java installation which may already be installed. It can therefore be installed safely.

Users who are confident that they already have a suitable version of the JRE installed can opt for the OmegaT version without JRE. The advantage here is a much smaller download, and less space taken up by the installation on the user's hard drive.