Yes, you need the JDK to install the Inline::Java because it needs some Java classes compiled to create the JVM Server that actually runs the java code on behalf of your Perl program. However if you were somehow able to overcome the install problem (i.e. don't build the JNI component and copy the compiled InlineJavaServer.jar and InlineJavaUser.jar files to the client machine with all the attendant problems,) you can cause Inline::Java to use precompiled classes rather than compiling your code on the fly - see the section entitled STUDYING in the Inline::Java manpage.
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