Java-related Ubuntu/Debian packages (eclipse, openjdk, maven, ant, etc.) have always been notoriously bad and slow to update. Installing sun-java6-jdk sure made things easier but I guess I'll have to learn how to do it by hand now, just like I do with all the other Java-related software I use on Ubuntu every day.
I think Eclipse is still on 3.3 or something in the main repo! The whole java thing's a bit of a mess from a 'casual user' perspective. Some packages won't work without the sun-java6 ones. Some appear to be optimised for it. There's at least one that I know of (but can't remember the name of at the mo - it's an IDE though) that refuses to install without them!
My naïve self would have thought to try and reduce the reliance on java, but of course the cost (of any type) would outweigh any potential benefit.
http://packages.debian.org/search?searchon=names&keyword... shows Debian stable is on 3.5. That was still one version behind at the release of Squeeze, but saying 3.3 (two more years behind) is unfair. Experimental has 3.7 packages, so the situation seems to be improving.
