[Arvin Juan]

I am using Mandriva 2007.1 Spring with pre-installed Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.3. Unfortunately, firefox doesn't have the java plugin (or any other plugins) pre-installed. So here's how to do it:
1) Download the Java Installer from the sun website and copy it to /usr/java (You might need to create the directory if it is missing).
2) Perform the following

# chmod a+x jre-6u1-linux-i586-rpm.bin

3) Next

# ./jre-6u1-linux-i586-rpm.bin

4) Next go to the mozilla plugin directory

# cd /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/

5) Run the following

# ln -s /usr/java/jre1.6.0_01/plugin/i386/ns7/libjavaplugin_oji.so

6) Now go to the firefox plugin directory

# cd /usr/lib/firefox-2.0.0.3/plugins/

6) Run the same command as in step 5

# ln -s /usr/java/jre1.6.0_01/plugin/i386/ns7/libjavaplugin_oji.so

7) Open your firefox browser, or restart the browser if it is already opened.
8) Then go to Edit > Preferences. Under Content category > Select Enable Java.
9) To make sure that the plugin is installed, type about:plugins in your browser and press Enter. You should see something like below:
application/x-java-vm Java Yes
application/x-java-applet Java Yes
application/x-java-applet;version=1.1 Java Yes
application/x-java-applet;version=1.1.1 Java Yes
application/x-java-applet;version=1.1.2 Java Yes
application/x-java-applet;version=1.1.3 Java Yes
application/x-java-applet;version=1.2 Java Yes
application/x-java-applet;version=1.2.1 Java Yes
application/x-java-applet;version=1.2.2 Java Yes
application/x-java-applet;version=1.3 Java Yes
application/x-java-applet;version=1.3.1 Java Yes
application/x-java-applet;version=1.4 Java Yes
application/x-java-applet;version=1.4.1 Java Yes
application/x-java-applet;version=1.4.2 Java Yes
application/x-java-applet;version=1.5 Java Yes
application/x-java-applet;version=1.6 Java Yes
application/x-java-applet;jpi-version=1.6.0_01 Java Yes

10) You can also go to Verify Java Installation in the sun website to check if the plugin is already installed.

This post has been edited by Arvin Juan: 26 May 2007 - 03:21 PM

[ilia_kr]

Cool, thanks :thumbs:

[scarecrow]

This is missing something- namely the java executables cannot be accessed by most applications... the only thing working like that is the browser plugin.

Just open a console from your home directory and try a

java -version

Chances are that a loud "java: command not found" with greet you.

To have your java working properly, you have to put the java /bin directory at your system's PATH - you just have to pick which startup script you will use for that.

This post has been edited by scarecrow: 26 May 2007 - 05:53 PM

[ilia_kr]

[ilia@mdk ~]$ java -version
java version "1.6.0_01"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_01-b06)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.6.0_01-b06, mixed mode, sharing)
[ilia@mdk ~]$

:huh:

[ramfree17]

aside from my personal preference to put the java installation in /opt, which in my machine is in a separate partition so i can share it among multiple distros (or skip partitioning it when i do a reinstall) then this thread should be in the tips and tricks/faq forum. i put most of my "unzip and use" applications in /opt to save installation time. :)

any mods care to move it (or suggest other improvements)?

ciao!

[ianw1974]

Gonna move this to tips and tricks.

[ffi]

But why go to all this trouble when java-1.6.0-sun and java-1.5.0-sun are in the repositories?

urpmi java-1.6.0 should be enough....

[Arvin Juan]

How come I can't find any package when I try to execute the following:

urpmi java-1.6.0

I also tried urpmi java-sun but to no avail.

[ffi]

Maybe you didn't set up your repositories correctly? It's there:

ftp://distrib-coffee...2007.1.i586.rpm

[ramfree17]

ffi, on May 28 2007, 10:35 AM, said:

But why go to all this trouble when java-1.6.0-sun and java-1.5.0-sun are in the repositories?

urpmi java-1.6.0 should be enough....

yes, for the first time. but my needs are special since i want to have access to java in both distro that i am using, or i dont want to reinstall it everytime i update my distro. since it falls cleanly in the "unzip, include in path, and use" category then it only makes sense for me to put it in a separate partition that dont get formatted everytime i reinstall. i can place it on my /home partition but i dont share that between distros. eclipse is another example of what lives in my /opt partition. :0

Arvin, invoking

urpmi java

should list all possible package options in your configured repositories. i haven't tried using urpmi to install java though for the reasons mentioned above.

ciao!

[viking777]

I would like to update this tip for users of Cooker. I have just installed this plugin on Cooker and although the principle is the same some of the file paths are different.

The first thing I would say is don't bother with 'Iced Tea Java' since it doesn't seem to contain the plugin you need, so stick with Java 1.6, then in order to link to the plugin I needed the following command:

ln -s /usr/lib/java-1.6.0-sun-1.6.0.04/jre/plugin/i386/ns7/libjavaplugin_oji.so

and that link was placed in

/usr/lib/firefox-2.0.0.12/plugins

Obviously the numbers after the words 'java' and 'firefox' will vary according to whichever versions of those two programs you are using.

This worked for me, but if any mods with a deeper knowledge than mine feel that it is not appropriate to the community as a whole, feel free to modify/delete it - I won't be offended.

[scarecrow]

One should also mention that ATM there is no java browser plugin for 64-bit Linuxes... let's hope Sun will issue one sometime.

[Steve Scrimpshire]

I seriously doubt there is any hurry to develop a 64-bit java plugin. I've heard varying reports on this.

Quote

...put the java installation in /opt, which in my machine is in a separate partition so i can share it among multiple distros (or skip partitioning it when i do a reinstall)...i put most of my "unzip and use" applications in /opt to save installation time.

Man, in all my years of Linux and the way I like to experiment with different distros and installing/reinstalling constantly, I cannot believe I never thought of doing this. ramfree, why did you never release this golden nugget of knowledge to the community before? Man, I could put java there, firefox2 from mozilla.org, and many more...