On 03/07/2013 08:38 PM, Yasha Karant wrote:
> 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
> ...
> Has anyone else encountered this problem and does anyone have a 
> work-around?
Since Scientific Linux 6 and CentOS 6 are so similar, the CentOS wiki 
content is applicable:
http://wiki.centos.org/TipsAndTricks/PluginsFor64BitFirefox

I am personally running 64-bit Firefox and the Sun/Oracle Java 17 
(CentOS 6.4 x86_64, fully updated this morning):

[lowen@dhcp-pool146 ~]$ java -version
java version "1.7.0_17"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_17-b02)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 23.7-b01, mixed mode)
[lowen@dhcp-pool146 ~]$ rpm -qa|grep firefox
firefox-17.0.3-1.el6.centos.x86_64
[lowen@dhcp-pool146 ~]$ rpm -qa|grep jre
jre-1.7.0_17-fcs.x86_64
[lowen@dhcp-pool146 ~]$

 From about:plugins in Firefox:
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Enabled plugins
Find more information about browser plugins at mozilla.org.
Find updates for installed plugins at mozilla.com/plugincheck.
Help for installing plugins is available from plugindoc.mozdev.org.
Java(TM) Plug-in 1.7.0_17

     File: libnpjp2.so
     Version:
     Java plug-in for NPAPI-based browsers.
...
+++++++++++++++++++++++

I've attached a jpg of the run on the Oracle java testing page...... 
(might not make it to the list, so copying directly to Yasha).

The instructions pointed to by the CentOS wiki page at 
http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/JavaRuntimeEnvironment worked here, as far 
as I remember, since it has been a few months since I initially got it 
working.

Oracle's docs are wrong about 64 bit Firefox and the 64-bit plugin for 
applets.  I haven't tried Webstart, so don't know if that works or not.  
I seem to remember some things being a pain to find (the Java console, 
perhaps, to be able to clear the java cache?), but it works for the 
applets I need.

I don't know why the Oracle docs still say that the 32-bit plugin and 
browser is required; I haven't experienced any issues with the applets 
that I have run.  And mixing in the 32-bit stuff really complicates things.