Scrivener

Java Usage on Mac OS X

Java has recently been ill favoured, after the news of several exploits were made public. This has caused a number of technical publications to post blanket advisories, suggesting that one should uninstall Java completely, or never install it in the first place if possible.

It should be emphasised that this recommendation is slightly misleading, and probably made in order to make the issue simple and easy to follow, since in most cases home computer usage does not require Java. The reality of the situation is that there are two primary components of Java at work here, and only one of them exposes your computer to risks. The Java system itself is what allows software written for Java to run on your computer. This includes software such as Freemind, which is written completely in Java, as well as software like Scrivener and LibreOffice which have components that optionally use Java. By and large, these usages are as safe to use as any other piece of software you download and run on your computer.

The other component is the "online" aspect of Java, and that is a plug-in that sits in your web browser, and allows websites to execute Java code when you visit the website. This is designed to be safe, naturally, but the emergence of multiple exploits has rendered this aspect of usage risky.

Fortunately it is easy to disable the plug-in component in your browser. You should consult your browser documentation for instructions on how to do so. Once this has been done, you are effectively safe from all of the bad things you've perhaps heard in the news. In this way you can protect your computer from hacks, without having to compromise your usage of Java software entirely.

Scrivener optionally uses Java for improved conversion from RTF to Microsoft's DOC and DOCX formats, as well as the Open Document Format (ODT). If you must produce documents to these formats, it is highly recommended you install Java and use the improved converters. It is important to note, however, that in most cases the need for these formats are scarce. Word, OpenOffice.org, and most other word processors open RTF files just as well as, or even better than, .doc/x and .odt files. Java is not required to produce an RTF document. So if you are concerned about security but still need a genuine .doc/x or .odt file, you will need to compile to RTF and then use another program to do the final conversion, for the best results.

Scrivener "Phones Home", Why?

If you have set Scrivener to check for updates in the General preference pane, then when it is scheduled to do so, it will contact www.literatureandlatte.com on port 80, to retrieve a file which contains information on the latest version of Scrivener. This is what provides you with the notification of an update, and its release notes. No information is sent to our web server during this process.

For the direct-sale version of our software, an initial activation request will be made over the Internet and is necessary (though it can be bypassed by using another computer or device to make the connection) to unlock the software. Additionally, a periodic activation check will be performed, and sent to the eSellerate servers. This operation sends only your serial number, no personal data will be sent to the server.

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When you purchase software directly from us, your order information will be processed by our third-party vendor, eSellerate (which is in turn owned by DigitalRiver). We do not store any of your purchasing information on our web server, and eSellerate does not store your payment details once the transaction has completed. They are in full compliance with privacy laws in the U.S. in that regard. What will be stored is your billing address, e-mail and the user name that you selected when filling out the purchase form. This is used for verification purposes. Should you lose your key in the future, we will verify this information with you to ensure you are the rightful owner.