Installing One or More Programs, and at Least a Portion of Their Environment

Abstract

A system and method installs a computer program, as well as the environment in which the computer program operates, if such environment is not already installed. The program as well as its environment are obtained via one or more servers and a computer network.

1 .- 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A method implemented by one or more computers comprising:
 responsive to an indication that code of a first type is to be run on a computer, automatically checking that code of a second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type is installed on the computer;   responsive to the code of the second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type not being installed, obtaining the code of the second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type; and   running the code of the first type using the code of the second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the checking is performed by code of the second type already installed on the computer that is not compatible to run the code of the first type. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the obtaining comprises installing the code of the second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type on the computer to update the code of the second type that is not compatible run the code of the first type. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the code of the second type already installed on the computer includes a location of a server system for obtaining the code of the second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type; and   wherein the obtaining comprises obtaining the code of the second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type from the server system.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising obtaining the code of the first type from at least one server system responsive to the indication that the code of the first type is to be run. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the obtaining further comprises obtaining the code of the second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type from at least one first server system; and   further comprising, responsive to the indication, obtaining the code of the first type from at least one second server system.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 obtaining a list of programs compatible to run using the code of the second type obtained from the at least one first server system;   obtaining a program from the list of programs; and   running the program from the list of programs using the code of the second type obtained from the at least one first server system.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 ,
 further comprising receiving the indication from at least one first server system, wherein the indication specifies a version of the code of the second type compatible to run the code of the first type;   wherein the checking comprises checking whether the specified version of the code of the second type is installed on the computer; and   wherein the obtaining comprises obtaining the code of the second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type from at least one second server system.   
     
     
         22 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoding a computer program product operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
 responsive to an indication that code of a first type is to be run on a computer, automatically checking that code of a second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type is installed on the computer;   responsive to the code of the second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type not being installed, obtaining the code of the second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type; and   initiating running the code of the first type using the code of the second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type.   
     
     
         23 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 22 , wherein
 the computer program product comprises code of the second type that is not compatible to run the code of the first type; and   the checking is performed by the code of the second type that is not compatible to run the code of the first type.   
     
     
         24 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the obtaining comprises installing the code of the second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type on the computer to update the code of the second type that is not compatible run the code of the first type. 
     
     
         25 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein
 the code of the second type that is not compatible to run the code of the first type includes a location of at least one server system for obtaining the code of the second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type; and   the obtaining comprises obtaining the code of the second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type from the at least one server system.   
     
     
         26 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein
 the obtaining comprises obtaining the code of the second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type from at least one first server system; and   the operations further comprise, responsive to the indication, obtaining the code of the first type from at least one second server system.   
     
     
         27 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , the operations further comprising:
 obtaining a list of programs compatible to run using the code of the second type obtained from the at least one first server system; and   obtaining a program from the list of programs; and   running the program from the list of programs using the code of the second type obtained from the at least one first server system.   
     
     
         28 . A system comprising:
 a first server system for providing code of a first type;   a second server system for providing code of a second type; and   a computer operable to communicate with the first server system and the second server system over a network, wherein the computer comprises:
 a processor, and 
 a storage device comprising instructions to cause the processor to:
 receive an indication from the first server system that code of the first type is to be run using the processor, 
 check, responsive to receiving the indication, whether code of the second type is stored on the data storage device that is compatible to run the code of the first type; 
 obtain the code of the second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type from the second server system, responsive to the code of the second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type not being stored on the data storage device; and 
 run the code of the first type using the code of the second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type. 
 
   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the instructions further comprise code of the second type that is not compatible to run the code of the first type and that when run by the processor cause the processor to perform the check. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the instructions to obtain further comprise instructions to install on the computer the code of the second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type to update the code of the second type that is not compatible run the code of the first type. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the code of the second type that is not compatible to run the code of the first type includes a location of the second server system for obtaining code of the second type that is compatible to run the code of the first type. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the storage device comprises further instructions to cause the processor to:
 obtain the code of the first type from the first server system responsive to the indication that the code of the first type is to be run.   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the storage device comprises further instructions to cause the processor to:
 obtain a list of programs compatible to run using the code of the second type obtained from the at least one first server system;   obtain a program from the list of programs; and   run the program from the list of programs using the code of the second type obtained from the at least one first server system.