We have bioinformatics visualization applications that require a java 
plugin enabled web browser.   The only plugin from Oracle/Sun Java that 
works is:

URL:  http://java.com/en/download/linux_manual.jsp
Java Downloads for Linux
Recommended Version 7 Update 17

  	Linux RPM filesize: 54.7 MB 	Instructions 	After installing Java, you 
will need to enable Java in your browser.
	Linux filesize: 45.9 MB 	Instructions
	Linux x64 * filesize: 44.6 MB 	Instructions
	Linux x64 RPM * filesize: 52.8 MB 	Instructions32-bit version for Java 
applet and Java Web Start suppor
* Please use the 32-bit version for Java applet and Java Web Start support.

End quote from java.com

Note the USA Dept of Homeland Security has issues with earlier versions 
of Java (and perhaps with the above).  However, the default Java loaded 
by SL6x for a x86-64 is:

[ykarant@ahprc3 ~]$ java -version
java version "1.6.0_24"
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (IcedTea6 1.11.3) 
(rhel-1.48.1.11.3.el6_2-x86_64)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 20.0-b12, mixed mode)

and although firefox reports that the jre plugin is enabled
(that is /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins has libnpjp2.so as a soft link to the 
correct file from the above URL source ( 
/usr/java/default/lib/i386/libnpjp2.so )
[again -- 32-bit version for Java applet and Java Web Start support we 
need] and is reported by firefox as enabled)

the java in fact does not run.  This is not a firefox issue nor a java 
issue per se, as the visualization application does work on other 
distros (I have seen it, as well as MS Win 7, because the bioinformatics 
applications using java were working), but so far not on SL6x x86-64.

Has anyone else encountered this problem and does anyone have a work-around?

Thanks for any information.

Yasha Karant