FC4 and JAVA

if050204 · 06-17-2005, 05:11 PM

Hi
I just download FC4 (my first Linux distro) and I want to know how to make JAVA work with Firefox 1.0.4. I saw the the recommendation about the RPM on the Fedora Release Note. So, please, can someone tell me the step by step procedure to first, get the good version of Java and second, how do I install it and make it work for Firefox.

Thanks

Boby · 06-17-2005, 05:46 PM

Hello and welcome to LinuxQuestions!

Download this version of JRE.
Because many had problems with the rpm file, take the jre-1_5_0_03-linux-i586.bin.
Become root: su
Copy file to /usr/local/Java: cp jre-1_5_0_03-linux-i586.bin /usr/local/Java
Go there: cd /usr/local/Java.
Give execution rights with: chmod +x jre-1_5_0_03-linux-i586.bin
Start installation with: ./jre-1_5_0_03-linux-i586.bin
Now make a symbolic link of the plugin file to Firefox's plugins.
For this example we assume your Firefox install dir is /usr/lib/firefox-1.0.4/ and JRE is installed in /usr/local/Java/jre1.5.0_03/:

Code:

ln -s /usr/local/Java/jre1.5.0_03/plugin/i386/ns7/libjavaplugin_oji.so /usr/lib/firefox-1.0.4/plugins/libjavaplugin_oji.so

If you have other folders just change them.

Good luck!

Boby

if050204 · 06-17-2005, 06:23 PM

Thanks for your fast respond.

I still have a problem. When I go to a site the requires JAVA, I don't get the bar saying that I do not have the plugin(We are going in the right direction) but I can't see the Java animation.

Boby · 06-17-2005, 07:31 PM

Quote:

I do not have the plugin(We are going in the right direction) but I can't see the Java animation.

Are you sure that requires Java-VM? Maybe you have to wait longer for the animation to load.
Try these Java test pages:
http://javatester.org/version.html
http://www.michaelhorowitz.com/javatester.results.html

Boby

if050204 · 06-17-2005, 07:46 PM

5 minutes later I still don't see anything. It doesn't tell me that I do not have the plugin.

Is there another good web browser that I could use if Firefox doesn't work.

Boby · 06-17-2005, 08:04 PM

Please type in Firefox about:plugins so you'll know if the Java VM plugin is installed correctly.

Can you provide the "ln -s ..." command you used?
Maybe you can try ln -sf /usr/local/Java/jre1.5.0_03/plugin/i386/ns7-gcc29/libjavaplugin_oji.so /usr/lib/firefox-1.0.4/plugins/libjavaplugin_oji.so

Quote:

Is there another good web browser that I could use if Firefox doesn't work.

Yes, Mozilla, Opera and Konqueror. But it should run with Firefox just fine.

Boby

if050204 · 06-17-2005, 08:46 PM

I used the ln -s that is on the second post. I simply copy/paste.

What do you mean by "Please type in Firefox about

lugins"

Boby · 06-18-2005, 06:10 AM

Quote:

I used the ln -s that is on the second post. I simply copy/paste.

Are your folders just the same like the ones of my example? If not, change the command. So please check that.

Quote:

What do you mean by "Please type in Firefox about:plugins"

Open Firefox, instead of an URL type:
about : plugins (but whitout the spaces between "about" and ":" and between ":" and "plugins". I wrote that so because : p.. creates a smylie)

Boby

Pudge · 06-18-2005, 10:40 PM

@Boby
In the Fedora Core 4 release notes, they recommend that you now install Java in the /opt directory instead of the /usr directory. Here is a quote from the release notes:

Quote:

6.1.8. Java Package Recommendations

Fedora Core 4 users are advised not to use the Java RPM provided by Sun. It contains Provides that conflict with names used in packages provided as part of Fedora Core 4. Because of this, Sun Java might disappear from an installed system during package upgrade operations.

Fedora Core 4 users should use either the RPM from jpackage.org or manually install the Sun Java tarball into /opt. Sun Java 1.5+ is recommended for stability purposes.

@if050204
It's been my experience that there seems to be a problem between Java and SELinux in Fedora Core 4. If you installed Core 4 with SELinux enabled, Java doesn't work. So, as root ( and you have to use su - not just su) enter the following command:
setenforce 0
this temporarily (until next reboot) disables SELinux. In my experience this will make Java work. Issue the following command:
setenforce 1
enables SELinux, and now Java will not work. Hence my suspicion of a Java / SELinux problem

Hope this helps.

Pudge

reddazz · 06-19-2005, 03:13 AM

Selinux seems to be interfering with a lot of stuff in FC4. I don't really need it, so I have disabled it for now whilst I try and find out more about how it works.

aspirant_nono · 06-19-2005, 03:58 AM

Maybe this sounds weird, but for some sites requiring java, you might also need the flash player plugin installed. For my banking online, even though I installed Java, it wouldn't work. I installed the flash player plugin for some other reason and when I went back to online banking, java worked.
What a world we live in.....

Buffbannana049 · 06-19-2005, 04:33 PM

I'm also a bit (ok REALLY) new at this... I have tried to get Java running all weekend, I have tried to with Selinux on, off, it's been in local and opt, and they all seem to install ok, but when I add the link the the plugin folder in firefox it won't start (firefox). Then emptying the plugin folder corrects it, however I still don't have java...

Is there something I'm missing?

mrcheeks · 06-19-2005, 05:40 PM

There is nothing wrong with using rpm or the bin file when installing java. The rpm might be easier for rpm distributions users.

* X is started from the command line
---------------------------------------------
if you are starting X from the command line, install the rpm from http://java.sun.com and add java to your path(/home/username/.bash_profile).

* You are using a login manager like kdm or gdm
---------------------------------------------------------------
1)Install the rpm from http://java.sun.com/

2)Create a file named java.sh and put those lines

Code:

JAVA_HOME=/usr/java/jdk1.5.0_03
export JAVA_HOME

PATH=$PATH:$JAVA_HOME
export PATH

3) Move the file java.sh in /etc/profile.d and make it executable

Code:

chmod +x java.sh && mv java.sh /etc/profile.d/

4) Create a soft link to mozilla folder

Code:

ln -sf /usr/java/jdk1.5_03/jre/plugin/i386/ns7/libjavaplugin_oji.so /usr/lib/mozillaDirectoryName/plugins/

reddazz · 06-20-2005, 03:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mrcheeks
There is nothing wrong with using rpm or the bin file when installing java. The rpm might be easier for rpm distributions users.

The sun java rpm is not recommended on FC4 because it overwrites files provided by Fedoras free version of java. The same applies if you have the sun java rpm installed, the Fedora version of java will overwrite certain files if you install it (which you have to if you install OpenOffice) or upgrade it.