On 03/08/2013 02:38 PM, Konstantin Olchanski wrote:
> 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.
>
I can't speak to any specific problems, but I've had no issues with 100%
openjdk from the Scientific Linux repos.
I freely admit that I know little to nothing about Java, but here is what has
been working fine on my system.
$ rpm -qa |grep icedtea ; rpm -qa |grep openjdk
icedtea-web-javadoc-1.2.2-3.el6.x86_64
icedtea-web-1.2.2-3.el6.x86_64
java-1.7.0-openjdk-1.7.0.9-2.3.8.0.el6_4.x86_64
java-1.6.0-openjdk-devel-1.6.0.0-1.57.1.11.9.el6_4.x86_64
java-1.6.0-openjdk-1.6.0.0-1.57.1.11.9.el6_4.x86_64
Pat
>
>> 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
--
Pat Riehecky
Scientific Linux developer
http://www.scientificlinux.org/
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