On Thu, Mar 07, 2013 at 05:38:13PM -0800, Yasha Karant wrote:
>
> We have bioinformatics visualization applications that require a
> java plugin enabled web browser.
>
I confirm that the Java situation in SL6 is 100% SNAFU.
Few weeks ago, it took me a full day to get the java plugin to work at all,
for a trivial application (java-based viewer for an TCP/IP connected KVM switch).
Among problems:
1) firefox does not show the java plugin at all, but then goes to some plugin
update site that says "java plugin is disabled for your own safety" (never
mind that I am on a semi-isolated private network and I want to use one specific
known-to-be-safe application and anyway, this is my computer and what business
do firefox people have in telling me that I cannot run java anymore.
Where is my "enable java now!" button?!?).
2) then I am pointed to the "latest java from Oracle" download site (which is a mess
of it's own). This site tells me to use 32-bit JRE if I want the java plugin,
never mind that it will not work with my 64-bit firefox. (And where am I supposed
to get a 32-bit firefox? At least they do not insist that I get the i8080 CP/M firefox).
3) downloading and installing the Oracle 64-bit JRE (and JDK, if you can find it),
did not install the plugin shared library into the correct place. In fact
the "alternatives" crap looked completely messed up. To add to the fun,
"rpm --install" spewed errors about missing files and unable to unpack this and that.
Clearly faulty packaging from Oracle. Do not know if that is what messed up
the alternatives.
4) the "alternatives" junk insisted in using OpenJDK instead of Oracle JDK. No
documentation anywhere on how to defeat this.
5) manually ("find / -name "oracle jdk shared library firefox plugin" -print \;")
link the plugin into the right place, now it works.
And then some people wonder "why nobody uses java?"
K.O.
>
> 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
--
Konstantin Olchanski
Data Acquisition Systems: The Bytes Must Flow!
Email: olchansk-at-triumf-dot-ca
Snail mail: 4004 Wesbrook Mall, TRIUMF, Vancouver, B.C., V6T 2A3, Canada
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