Ubuntu has made it extremely easy to install the Sun Java Development Environment. This is good, because the default java-gcj is very slow.

First install the package with: sudo apt-get install sun-java6-jdk

That may take a while since the package is 125MB. Once it is installed, you still need to make it the default:

sudo update-java-alternatives -s java-6-sun

Prototype has gotten a new home in the Pragmatic Bookshelf. This book has a wealth of information about both Prototype and script.aculo.us. It comes complete with many code examples. Though it is still in it’s early stages, I expect it be to a high quality read just like the other Pragmatic Books.