I can't run Java on Firefox 2.0
 

Here's what I've been trying to do.
1. Go to NIST.GOV to figure out what time it is (using Firefox 2.0). This requires Java if you want to see the pretty pictures.
2. I clicked on "Install missing plugin" which took me, sooner or later, to the Java website. I downloaded the most recent version for Linux, choosing the RPM thing over the self extracting thing.
3. I followed the bouncing ball in the Java instructions. Everything seemed OK as I installed the RPM successfully.
4. The last step is where you link some file in firefox/plugins to the one in java/plugin. This is where things get totally hosed. Either it says the file I'm trying to link to does not exist, or the link file is already there. However, when I look for the file I'm trying to link to in file browser, it's there, and when I look at the already there link file, the link is always broken.
5. Pound my head against the wall until I don't care about firefox or plugins....

I've tried to do this every way I can think of, including removing the RPM and reinstalling, removing the link file and starting over, trying to link to the file in ns610 instead of ns7. It does not matter if I su or log in as root. Every time I restart Firefox, I still get "click here to install missing plugin". <THUNK!> (Head hits the wall again.)

I also searched LQ for "firefox java" but didn't see any thread titles on the first page or so of results that seemed to cover this topic.

The instructions on the Java website are a little out of date. The enable Java button is now under Edit->Preferences->Content instead of Edit->Preferences->Advanced.

When I file search for "libjavaplugin", starting at / and following links, here's what I get.
file:///usr/lib/jre/plugin/i386/ns4/libjavaplugin.so
file:///usr/lib/jre/plugin/i386/ns610/libjavaplugin_oji.so
file:///usr/lib/jre/plugin/i386/ns610-gcc32/libjavaplugin_oji.so
file:///usr/lib/jre/lib/i386/libjavaplugin_jni.so
file:///usr/lib/netscape/plugins/libjavaplugin.so

However, when I look at /usr/java/jre1.5.0_05/plugin/i386/ns7 using the file browser, the only file listed is:
file:///usr/java/jre1.5.0_05/plugin/i386/ns7/libjavaplugin_oji.so
It says it is 131 KB and the type is shared library. So how come this doesn't get listed with the other libjavaplugin files when I file search?

Further, when I find the linked file in /usr/lib/firefox/plugins and the link is broken, if I click on it, the file disappears from the list, although ls shows it still there. <THUNK!>

Here's the link command I'm trying to use:
ln -s /usr/java/jrel.5.0_05/plugin/i386/ns7/libjavaplugin_oji.so /usr/lib/firefox/plugins/libjavaplugin_oji.so

Can anyone please suggest something before my head or the wall breaks? Thanks in advance!

check and see if there is a hidden mozilla folder in your home directory. if so link the java plugin to the .mozilla/plugins/ folder.

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried it. Still "Click here to download plugin."
<THUNK!>

Java is still broken
 

I appreciate any and all assistance!

In general, you just download the Java JRE or JDK from the java webpage:
http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp

and install it. Download - save somewhere - chmod u+x filename - ./filename (for the self extracting bin), or rpm -Uvh filename.rpm (for the rpm download).

Then, figure out where it installed (if you have to cd / ; find | grep java or whatever). That should contain the java, javaws, and all that other stuff. The plugin'll be in
[install location]/jdk/jre/plugin/i386/ns7/

Find out where your browser is (/usr/lib/firefox-2.0/ ??) and go in there, then into the plugins directory.
Remember, the simplest way to do a symlink and not screw it up is to always BE IN THE DIRECTORY WHERE YOU ARE CREATING THE SYMLINK, and to use this syntax:

Which will create the symlink in the current directory (this is why the java install instructions always say "DON'T FORGET THE LAST PERIOD"... it means "here, in this directory". It's not needed. Promise.

So, then:

The Unofficial Fedora FAQ
http://www.fedorafaq.org/#java

Detailed directions ^^^^^^^^