I did everything i supposed to from http://java.com/en/download/help/5000010500.xml#rpm even rebooted.
no luck. it just doesn't work. nothing happens, like there was never been any installation when i tried to view java game in mozilla. just says 'missing plugin'.
I did that symbolic link, it's an icon with little lock on it.
What could be wrong? i use mandrake, somewhere on the site they talk only about suse and red hat. i don't think is that. maybe something with permissions? i don't know.
it's damn frustrating when everything went right and then..boom

Perhaps it's a permissions issue try

chown root:users /usr/lib/mozilla-1.4/plugins/libjavaplugin_oji.so
chmod ug+wrx /usr/lib/mozilla-1.4/plugins/libjavaplugin_oji.so

No..nothing happens. i thing that something missing since they talk about red hat and suse and i use mandrake

If you have downloaded something that was built for RedHat or Suse, then it is unlikely to work with Mandrake. Try going here:

http://java.com/en/download/manual.jsp

And choose the "Linux (self-extracting file)", and follow the instructions.

I'm having a similar problem, so I figured I'd come to this thread rather than starting a new one. I have the JDK installed from the Fedora 4 install, and used the yum update command to bring it up to date (1.5). That being said, I can compile and run java files, I just can't view applets in my firefox browser? Is there something that needs to be done to the browser to recognize that you have the JRE installed (when I ls *ja my user/lib/ directory it shows that in my jvm directory I have the JRE.

Thanks for your help.

Look here for cofiguration instructions: http://java.com/en/download/help/5000010500.xml#14
You have to link the plugin ibjavaplugin_oji.so from your JRE folder to mozilla/plugins folder..
Is called symbolic link.

Jesus, it works! Thanks tredegar, i appreciate it!
Here is the whole story:
I downloaded Linux RPM (self-extracting file) to my home directory to instal JRE to view games (java applets) in Mandrake 10.1 Official. I installed it, configurated it and made symbolic link. No answer in browser.
I could see that icon of the symbolic link had a little lock on it. That was the first shread of doubt. I couldn't see java installation in my home directory but in my /usr directory and that's were i made symbolic link from.
Then i took advice to try Linux (self-extracting file) (note it's without RPM).
I dowloaded it and istalled it..and woops..there is a directory jre1.5.0_06 in my home directory. (note that the download file needs modifications, in stead of jre1.5.0 it should be jre1.5.0_06 ). It was somehow the first shread of hope when i saw that jre directory in my home directory. Then i find the javaplugin in that folder and made symbolic link to .mozilla/plugins folder (which is also in my home folder). I went into .mozilla/plugins folder and there was symbolic link but this time WITHOUT little lock on it. I restarted the browser (firefox), went to a site to test it,and in no time java applet come up and ran. This was a thrilled experience as in past nothing ever worked for me in terms of installations..
I don't know what went wrong with RPM self-extraction file..something with permissions..It must be i don't understand the core of how linux works.