Oracle Database furnishes all core Java class libraries on the server, including those associated with presentation of the user interfaces. However, it is inappropriate for code running on the server to attempt to materialize or display a user interface on the server. Users running applications in Oracle JVM environment should not be expected nor allowed to interact with or depend on the display and input hardware of the server where Oracle Database is running.

To address compatibility issues on platforms that do not support display, keyboard, or mouse, Java 1.4 outlines Headless Abstract Window Toolkit (AWT) support. The Headless AWT API introduces a new public run-time exception class, java.awt.HeadlessException. The constructors of the Applet class, all heavy-weight components, and many of the methods in the Toolkit and GraphicsEnvironment classes, which rely on the native display devices, are changed to throw HeadlessException if the platform does not support a display. In Oracle Database, user interfaces are supported only on client applications. Accordingly, Oracle JVM is a Headless Platform and throws HeadlessException if these methods are called.

Most AWT computation that does not involve accessing the underlying native display or input devices is allowed in Headless AWT. In fact, Headless AWT is quite powerful as it provides programmers access to fonts, imaging, printing, and color and ICC manipulation. For example, applications running in Oracle JVM can parse, manipulate, and write out images as long as they do not try to physically display it on the server. The standard JVM implementation can be started in the Headless mode, by supplying the -Djava.awt.headless=true property, and run with the same Headless AWT restrictions as Oracle JVM does. Oracle JVM fully complies with the Java Compatibility Kit (JCK) with respect to Headless AWT.

Oracle JVM takes a similar approach for sound support. Applications in Oracle JVM are not allowed to access the underlying sound system for purposes of sound playback or recording. Instead, the system sound resources appear to be unavailable in a manner consistent with the sound API specification of the methods that are trying to access the resources. For example, methods in javax.sound.midi.MidiSystem that attempt to access the underlying system sound resources throw the MidiUnavailableException checked exception to signal that the system is unavailable. However, similar to the Headless AWT support, Oracle Database supports the APIs that allow sound file manipulation, free of the native sound devices. Oracle JVM also fully complies with the JCK, when it implements the sound API.