What's the difference between the -client and -server systems?
These two systems are different binaries. They are essentially two different compilers (JITs)interfacing to the same runtime system. The client system is optimal for applications which need fast startup times or small footprints, the server system is optimal for applications where the overall performance is most important. In general the client system is better suited for interactive applications such as GUIs. Some of the other differences include the compilation policy,heap defaults, and inlining policy.
Where do I get the server and client systems?
Client and server systems are both downloaded with the 32-bit Solaris and Linux downloads. For 32-bit Windows, if you download the JRE, you get only the client, you'll need to download the SDK to get both systems.
For 64-bit, only the server system is included. On Solaris, the 64-bit JRE is an overlay on top of the 32-bit distribution. However, on Linux and Windows, it's a completely separate distribution.
I would like java to default to -server. I have a lot of scripts which I cannot change (or do not want to change). Is there any way to do this?
Since Java SE 5.0, with the exception of 32-bit Windows, the server VM will automatically be selected on server-class machines. The definition of a server-class machine may change from release to release, so please check the appropriate ergonomics document for the definition for your release. For 5.0, it's Ergonomics in the 5.0 Java[tm] Virtual Machine.