The supplementary software only requires installation – it will then be made available to your frequently used programs, as and when necessary. The purpose of this supplementary software, such as the Java Runtime Environment, is to make more functionality available to your programs, for example, Java applets within your browser.

Some programs described in this guide actually require that supplementary software be present to be able to work – a Java based program, such as FreeMind, is an example that must have the Java Runtime Environment installed. But don't worry, the guide will always let you know when supplementary software is required.

The guide does its best to keep the amount of software on your computer to a pragmatic minimum, so it doesn't have a huge list of utilities:

Supplementary software works more like an extension to your operating system. It usually consists of a runtime environment for a programming language that is not necessarily already installed on your computer. The runtime environment allows a program to communicate with a specific operating system, so it acts a little like cement that keeps bricks together. The result is that programmers can write programs without having to have detailed knowledge of many different operating systems, but it does mean that you have to be careful to use the runtime environment specific to your operating system.

Again, the guide tries to be as frugal as possible, so the list is short: