I just executed this command: sudo apt-get install openjdk-6-jdk=6b09-0ubuntu2 \ openjdk-6-jre=6b09-0ubuntu2 openjdk-6-jre-headless=6b09-0ubuntu2 \ openjdk-6-jre-lib=6b09-0ubuntu2 and then to put these packages on hold: sudo echo "openjdk-6-jdk hold" | dpkg --set-selections sudo echo "openjdk-6-jre hold" | dpkg --set-selections sudo echo "openjdk-6-jre-lib hold" | dpkg --set-selections sudo echo "openjdk-6-jre-headless hold" | dpkg --set-selections But I also have sun-java6 installed because of the font package... it might make some difference, don't know. The main problem seems to be with font rendering. Here is the output of: dpkg -l|grep font ii console-setup 1.21ubuntu8 Set up the font and the keyboard on the cons ii console-terminus 4.20-6 Fixed-width fonts for fast reading on the Li ii console-tools 1:0.2.3dbs-65ubuntu7 Linux console and font utilities ii defoma 0.11.10-0.2 Debian Font Manager -- automatic font config ii fontconfig 2.5.0-2ubuntu3 generic font configuration library - support ii fontconfig-config 2.5.0-2ubuntu3 generic font configuration library - configu ii fontforge 0.0.20071110-1build2 Font editor for PS, TrueType and OpenType fo ii gsfonts 1:8.11+urwcyr1.0.7~pre43-1 Fonts for the Ghostscript interpreter(s) ii gsfonts-x11 0.20ubuntu1 Make Ghostscript fonts available to X11 ii gucharmap 1:2.22.1-0ubuntu2 Unicode character picker and font browser ii libconsole 1:0.2.3dbs-65ubuntu7 Shared libraries for Linux console and font ii libfontconfig1 2.5.0-2ubuntu3 generic font configuration library - runtime ii libfontenc1 1:1.0.4-2 X11 font encoding library ii libfonts-java 0.3.3-2 Java fonts layouting library ii libfreetype6 2.3.5-1ubuntu4.8.04.1 FreeType 2 font engine, shared library files ii libxfont1 1:1.3.1-2 X11 font rasterisation library ii libxft2 2.1.12-2ubuntu5 FreeType-based font drawing library for X ii mplayer-fonts 3.5-2 Fonts for mplayer ii msttcorefonts 2.4 Installer for Microsoft TrueType core fonts ii sun-java6-fonts 6-06-0ubuntu1 Lucida TrueType fonts (from the Sun JRE) ii ttf-arabeyes 2.0-1ubuntu1 Arabeyes GPL TrueType Arabic fonts ii ttf-arphic-ukai 0.2.20080216.1-0ubuntu1 "AR PL UKai" Chinese Unicode TrueType font c ii ttf-arphic-uming 0.2.20080216.1-0ubuntu1 "AR PL UMing" Chinese Unicode TrueType font ii ttf-atarismall 2.1-2 Very small 4 x 8 font ii ttf-beteckna 0.2-2 TrueType font called Beteckna ii ttf-breip 1.0-3 Handwriting font ii ttf-dejavu-core 2.23-1 Vera font family derivate with additional ch ii ttf-dejavu-extra 2.23-1 Vera font family derivate with additional ch ii ttf-freefont 20060501cvs-12 Freefont Serif, Sans and Mono Truetype fonts ii ttf-inconsolata 001.009-1 monospace font for pretty code listings and ii ttf-indic-fonts-core 1:0.5.0-0ubuntu1 Core collection of free Indian language font ii ttf-kochi-gothic 1.0.20030809-4ubuntu2 Kochi Subst Gothic Japanese TrueType font wi ii ttf-kochi-mincho 1.0.20030809-4ubuntu2 Kochi Subst Mincho Japanese TrueType font wi ii ttf-lao 0.0.20060226-2 TrueType font for Lao language ii ttf-malayalam-fonts 1:0.5.0-0ubuntu1 Free TrueType fonts for the Malayalam langua ii ttf-opensymbol 1:2.4.1-1ubuntu2 The OpenSymbol TrueType font ii ttf-thai-tlwg 1:0.4.8-1 Thai fonts in TrueType format ii ttf-unfonts-core 1.0.1-6ubuntu1 Un series Korean TrueType fonts ii x-ttcidfont-conf 27 TrueType and CID fonts configuration for X ii x11-xfs-utils 7.3+1 X font server utilities ii xfonts-100dpi 1:1.0.0-4 100 dpi fonts for X ii xfonts-75dpi 1:1.0.0-4 75 dpi fonts for X ii xfonts-base 1:1.0.0-5 standard fonts for X ii xfonts-encodings 1:1.0.2-3 Encodings for X.Org fonts ii xfonts-scalable 1:1.0.0-6 scalable fonts for X ii xfonts-utils 1:1.0.1-2ubuntu1 X Window System font utility programs My guess is one of theese fonts makes the difference: ii gsfonts 1:8.11+urwcyr1.0.7~pre43-1 Fonts for the Ghostscript interpreter(s) ii gsfonts-x11 0.20ubuntu1 Make Ghostscript fonts available to X11 ii sun-java6-fonts 6-06-0ubuntu1 Lucida TrueType fonts (from the Sun JRE) Regards, Carlos