[Techtalk] Getting Java running properly on Slackware 10

[turtle]

I'm an extreme n00b to linux so this question may not even make sense as I'm
not clear on what I'm asking.

I've got Slackware 10 on my laptop.  When it was installed, I deliberately
chose not to use a dual boot with Windows because I did not want to always
go running back to what I know when I run into difficulties.  I've never
used linux before so I'm learning trial by fire how to make stuff work.
This means that not everything on my laptop functions, but I'm learning at a
fairly fast pace so it's working well for me.  Unfortunately, I've run into
an issue where I need to have something working properly for time-sensitive
school assignments, and I haven't been able to get it working on my own.
All the research I've done into this has lead me to believe that either I
have an interesting problem, or I just haven't been searching properly for
my answer because I'm forming my question wrong.

I'm taking a course in Java.  My friend set me up with an ssh id to get into
his server where he installed Java properly and I can try to run command
line programs.  Unfortunately, my course is using JOptionPane exclusively
for inputing data, so while I can write up my programs in vim and use javac
to see if they compile, I have not been able to actually test if the
programs run properly.

I've tried installing Java on my machine but have been unsuccessful.  I
asked a friend for help and he tried to install it on my laptop.
Unfortunately, although he believes it is successfully installed, I'm not
able to use it.  When I create a .java file, save it to my desktop, and try
to compile it, the response I get is "javac: command not found"  When I
asked the friend who said he installed it why it was doing this, he said:
"It would "automaticly" set it up if i had added java to your command path,
which, if you remeber, I was perlexed about because your distro did not
include certain bash files in your home directory that would allow me to set

the path."

Has anyone ever experienced this difficulty in Slackware?  Does anyone know
where I might find a step by step walkthrough on how to properly set the
path/associate the files so that I can get Java working on my Slackware 10
machine?

I realize I may be asking my question wrong.  If so, please let me know how
I can provide more accurate questions to get what I need.  Realistically, I
need to "make it go" and understanding why it's doing what it is doing is
not as important as fixing it in a timely fashion.  It's driving me nuts
that I can test for compilation but am unable to see if the programs I'm
writing will run until I email them to myself and then drive across the city
to the Unviersity to test them in the labs there.

Any help you can send my way would be most appreciated.

~Daria