So I'm using ubuntu 8.04, and when I first started using it java loaded applets, but with some problems, so I updated it with both the terminal and synaptic package manager and have tried every possible thing I can think of(and have searched far and wide for answers on google)...the plugin will simply not show up in firefox anymore. When I try installing icedtea/openjdk it says I have broken packages, but in synaptic they are not installed and it says there are no broken packages...anyone know what I should do?

Ubuntu 8.04 reached end of life a while ago and is no longer supported: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases
Your options are:
1. Do an upgrade to 10.04 LTS. See this: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Lu...%2010.04%20LTS
You can do an upgrade directly from one LTS version to the next.

2. Or do what I prefer. Do a clean install of either 10.04 LTS or the newest version 11.04.
Ubuntu 11.04 will have the newest stuff. Ubuntu 10.04 LTS will be supported until April 2013 for the desktop version. Ubuntu 11.04, like all non-LTS versions of Ubuntu, are supported for 18 months.
Write back if you need more help.

And welcome to the LQ fourms!