Same old problem - Java is not working...

richardstevenhack · April 24, 2011, 11:35pm

<sigh> Every time I update openSUSE, it’s the same old issue - how to get Java working.

I am running openSUSE 11.4 64-bit, with Firefox 3.6.16 (I’m waiting a bit before installing Firefox 4.0).

Yes, I’ve uninstalled the openjdk version of Java before anyone asks - although it seems every time I run an update it wants to reinstall it for some reason despite Sun Java being on the system.

Here is what Firefox shows in about:plugins:

Installed plugins
Find more information about browser plugins at mozilla.org.
Help for installing plugins is available from plugindoc.mozdev.org.
Shockwave Flash

File: libflashplayer.so
Version: 
Shockwave Flash 10.1 r53

MIME Type Description Suffixes Enabled
application/x-shockwave-flash Shockwave Flash swf Yes
application/futuresplash FutureSplash Player spl Yes
Default Plugin

File: libnullplugin.so
Version: 1.0.0.15
The default plugin handles plugin data for mimetypes and extensions that are not specified and facilitates downloading of new plugins.

MIME Type Description Suffixes Enabled

All types .* No
Picasa

File: npPicasa3.so
Version:
Picasa plugin

MIME Type Description Suffixes Enabled
application/x-picasa-detect 3.0 pinstall Yes

i.e., nothing.

Here is what “java -version” shows:

rhack@spectrum2:~> java -version
java version “1.6.0_24”
Java™ SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_24-b07)
Java HotSpot™ 64-Bit Server VM (build 19.1-b02, mixed mode)

Here is what the rpm query shows:

rhack@spectrum2:~> rpm --query --all --queryformat '%{NAME}-%{VERSION}-%{RELEASE}-%{ARCH} → %{VENDOR}
’ ‘java-’
java-1_6_0-sun-1.6.0.u24-1.2.1-x86_64 → openSUSE
java-ca-certificates-1-9.1-noarch → openSUSE
java-1_6_0-sun-alsa-1.6.0.u24-1.2.1-x86_64 → openSUSE
java-1_6_0-sun-plugin-1.6.0.u24-1.2.1-x86_64 → openSUSE

Here is what the mmcheck same query shows:

Command: rpm --query --all --queryformat '%{NAME}-%{VERSION}-%{RELEASE}-%{ARCH} → %{VENDOR}
’ ‘java-’

java-1_6_0-sun-1.6.0.u24-1.2.1-x86_64 -> openSUSE
java-ca-certificates-1-9.1-noarch -> openSUSE
java-1_6_0-sun-alsa-1.6.0.u24-1.2.1-x86_64 -> openSUSE
java-1_6_0-sun-plugin-1.6.0.u24-1.2.1-x86_64 -> openSUSE

You should expect to have only Sun Java Packages installed. If your files
include the name → openjdk <–, it is suggested that they be uninstalled.

Here is what update-alternatives shows:

spectrum2:/home/rhack/bin # update-alternatives --config javaplugin

There is only 1 program which provides javaplugin
(/usr/lib64/jvm/java-1.6.0-sun-1.6.0/jre/lib/amd64/libnpjp2.so). Nothing to configure.

spectrum2:/home/rhack/bin # update-alternatives --all

There is only 1 program which provides javaplugin
(/usr/lib64/jvm/java-1.6.0-sun-1.6.0/jre/lib/amd64/libnpjp2.so). Nothing to configure.

There is only 1 program which provides java
(/usr/lib64/jvm/jre-1.6.0-sun/bin/java). Nothing to configure.

Here is what a list of /usr/lib/browser-plugins shows:

spectrum2:/home/rhack # cd /usr/lib/browser-plugins
spectrum2:/usr/lib/browser-plugins # ll
total 11860
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 12127284 Mar 28 12:21 libflashplayer.so
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 44 Apr 5 12:01 nppdf.so → …/Adobe/Reader9/Browser/intellinux/nppdf.so
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 39 Jan 13 12:11 npPicasa3.so → /opt/google/picasa/3.0/lib/npPicasa3.so

Here is what /usr/lib64/browser-plugins shows:

spectrum2:/usr/lib64/browser-plugins # ll
total 12756
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 28 Apr 24 13:47 javaplugin.so → /etc/alternatives/javaplugin
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 10606256 Apr 5 16:18 libflashplayer.so
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 34 Apr 5 11:42 libvlcplugin.so → …/mozilla/plugins/libvlcplugin.so
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 296016 Mar 25 07:53 mplayerplug-in-dvx.so
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1067 Mar 25 07:53 mplayerplug-in-dvx.xpt
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 296016 Mar 25 07:53 mplayerplug-in-gmp.so
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1067 Mar 25 07:53 mplayerplug-in-gmp.xpt
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 296016 Mar 25 07:53 mplayerplug-in-qt.so
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1067 Mar 25 07:53 mplayerplug-in-qt.xpt
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 296016 Mar 25 07:53 mplayerplug-in-rm.so
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1067 Mar 25 07:53 mplayerplug-in-rm.xpt
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 296008 Mar 25 07:53 mplayerplug-in.so
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 296016 Mar 25 07:53 mplayerplug-in-wmp.so
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1067 Mar 25 07:53 mplayerplug-in-wmp.xpt
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1067 Mar 25 07:53 mplayerplug-in.xpt
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 41 Jan 13 12:11 npPicasa3.so → /opt/google/picasa/3.0/lib64/npPicasa3.so
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 134648 Apr 19 16:44 npwrapper.libflashplayer.so
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 134648 Apr 19 16:44 npwrapper.nppdf.so
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 134648 Apr 19 16:44 npwrapper.npPicasa3.so
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 51 Apr 19 16:44 npwrapper.so → …/…/lib/nspluginwrapper/x86_64/linux/npwrapper.so
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 43936 Feb 19 03:43 nsdejavu.so
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 48464 Feb 27 05:56 packagekit-plugin.so
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 77016 Feb 21 19:22 skypebuttons.so

Here is what /etc/alternatives shows:

spectrum2:/usr/lib64/browser-plugins # ll /etc/alternatives
total 16
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 59 Apr 5 13:27 Adobe_AIR_Application_Installer -> /opt/Adobe AIR/Versions/1.0/Adobe AIR Application Installer
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 62 Apr 5 13:27 AdobeAIR.desktop -> /opt/Adobe AIR/Versions/1.0/Resources/support/AdobeAIR.desktop
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 53 Apr 5 13:27 airappinstaller -> /opt/Adobe AIR/Versions/1.0/Resources/airappinstaller
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Apr 5 10:52 awk -> /bin/gawk
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 29 Apr 5 10:52 awk.1.gz -> /usr/share/man/man1/gawk.1.gz
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 45 Apr 24 13:47 ControlPanel -> /usr/lib64/jvm/jre-1.6.0-sun/bin/ControlPanel
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 46 Apr 5 13:27 digest.s -> /opt/Adobe AIR/Versions/1.0/Resources/digest.s
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 13 Apr 5 10:50 ftp -> /usr/bin/pftp
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 29 Apr 5 10:50 ftp.1 -> /usr/share/man/man1/pftp.1.gz
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 29 Apr 5 11:17 gst-install-plugins-helper -> /usr/lib/pk-gstreamer-install
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 34 Apr 5 11:21 gtk-update-icon-cache -> /usr/bin/gtk-update-icon-cache-2.0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 50 Apr 5 11:21 gtk-update-icon-cache.1.gz -> /usr/share/man/man1/gtk-update-icon-cache-2.0.1.gz
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 37 Apr 24 13:47 java -> /usr/lib64/jvm/jre-1.6.0-sun/bin/java
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 44 Apr 24 13:47 java.1.gz -> /usr/share/man/man1/java-java-1_6_0-sun.1.gz
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 61 Apr 24 13:47 javaplugin -> /usr/lib64/jvm/java-1.6.0-sun-1.6.0/jre/lib/amd64/libnpjp2.so
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 39 Apr 24 13:47 javaws -> /usr/lib64/jvm/jre-1.6.0-sun/bin/javaws
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 46 Apr 24 13:47 javaws.1.gz -> /usr/share/man/man1/javaws-java-1_6_0-sun.1.gz
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 29 Apr 5 10:54 jaxp_parser_impl -> /usr/share/java/xerces-j2.jar
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 28 Apr 5 10:58 jaxp_transform_impl -> /usr/share/java/xalan-j2.jar
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 66 Apr 24 13:47 jce_1.6.0_sun_local_policy -> /usr/lib64/jvm-private/java-1_6_0-sun/jce/vanilla/local_policy.jar
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 70 Apr 24 13:47 jce_1.6.0_sun_us_export_policy -> /usr/lib64/jvm-private/java-1_6_0-sun/jce/vanilla/US_export_policy.jar
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 28 Apr 24 13:47 jre -> /usr/lib64/jvm/jre-1.6.0-sun
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 28 Apr 24 13:47 jre_1.6.0 -> /usr/lib64/jvm/jre-1.6.0-sun
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 36 Apr 24 13:47 jre_1.6.0_exports -> /usr/lib64/jvm-exports/jre-1.6.0-sun
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 36 Apr 24 13:47 jre_exports -> /usr/lib64/jvm-exports/jre-1.6.0-sun
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 28 Apr 24 13:47 jre_sun -> /usr/lib64/jvm/jre-1.6.0-sun
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 36 Apr 24 13:47 jre_sun_exports -> /usr/lib64/jvm-exports/jre-1.6.0-sun
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 40 Apr 24 13:47 keytool -> /usr/lib64/jvm/jre-1.6.0-sun/bin/keytool
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 47 Apr 24 13:47 keytool.1.gz -> /usr/share/man/man1/keytool-java-1_6_0-sun.1.gz
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 18 Apr 5 10:55 ksh -> /lib64/ast/bin/ksh
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 30 Apr 5 10:55 ksh.1.gz -> /usr/share/man/man1/ksh93.1.gz
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 19 Apr 5 10:54 mount.ntfs -> /sbin/mount.ntfs-3g
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 38 Apr 5 10:54 mount.ntfs.8.gz -> /usr/share/man/man8/mount.ntfs-3g.8.gz
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 49 Apr 5 10:54 openSUSE-default.xml -> /usr/share/wallpapers/openSUSE-default-static.xml
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 37 Apr 24 13:47 orbd -> /usr/lib64/jvm/jre-1.6.0-sun/bin/orbd
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 44 Apr 24 13:47 orbd.1.gz -> /usr/share/man/man1/orbd-java-1_6_0-sun.1.gz
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 44 Dec 16 04:23 pack200 -> /usr/lib64/jvm/jre-1.6.0-openjdk/bin/pack200
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 51 Dec 16 04:23 pack200.1.gz -> /usr/share/man/man1/pack200-java-1.6.0-openjdk.1.gz
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 43 Apr 24 13:47 policytool -> /usr/lib64/jvm/jre-1.6.0-sun/bin/policytool
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 50 Apr 24 13:47 policytool.1.gz -> /usr/share/man/man1/policytool-java-1_6_0-sun.1.gz
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 37 Apr 24 13:47 rmid -> /usr/lib64/jvm/jre-1.6.0-sun/bin/rmid
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 44 Apr 24 13:47 rmid.1.gz -> /usr/share/man/man1/rmid-java-1_6_0-sun.1.gz
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 44 Apr 24 13:47 rmiregistry -> /usr/lib64/jvm/jre-1.6.0-sun/bin/rmiregistry
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 51 Apr 24 13:47 rmiregistry.1.gz -> /usr/share/man/man1/rmiregistry-java-1_6_0-sun.1.gz
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 43 Apr 24 13:47 servertool -> /usr/lib64/jvm/jre-1.6.0-sun/bin/servertool
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 50 Apr 24 13:47 servertool.1.gz -> /usr/share/man/man1/servertool-java-1_6_0-sun.1.gz
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 42 Apr 24 13:47 tnameserv -> /usr/lib64/jvm/jre-1.6.0-sun/bin/tnameserv
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 49 Apr 24 13:47 tnameserv.1.gz -> /usr/share/man/man1/tnameserv-java-1_6_0-sun.1.gz
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 46 Dec 16 04:23 unpack200 -> /usr/lib64/jvm/jre-1.6.0-openjdk/bin/unpack200
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 53 Dec 16 04:23 unpack200.1.gz -> /usr/share/man/man1/unpack200-java-1.6.0-openjdk.1.gz
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Apr 5 10:52 usr-bin-awk -> /bin/gawk
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 18 Apr 5 10:55 usr-bin-ksh -> /lib64/ast/bin/ksh
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 15 Apr 5 10:54 vim -> /bin/vim-normal
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 38 Apr 5 10:53 xml-commons-apis -> /usr/share/java/xerces-j2-xml-apis.jar
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 34 Apr 5 13:27 xulrunner -> /usr/lib64/xulrunner-2.0/xulrunner

So why isn’t Firefox finding the Java plugin?

By the way, Firefox itself is NOT installed in the usual place - it’s installed in one of my data directories…specifically ‘/LinuxData1/LinuxPrograms2/Browsers/Firefox/firefox/firefox’ My taskbar launch icon goes there, the KDE menu goes “firefox %u”.

Do I have to link something somewhere so Firefox can find the plugin? That used to be the case.

jdmcdaniel3 · April 24, 2011, 11:41pm

You need to remove this file:

java-ca-certificates-1-9.1-noarch -> openSUSE

When you run the following terminal command, this is all you should get:

rpm --query --all --queryformat '%{NAME}-%{VERSION}-%{RELEASE}-%{ARCH} -> %{VENDOR}
' '*java-*'

java-1_6_0-sun-alsa-1.6.0.u24-1.2.1-x86_64 -> openSUSE
java-1_6_0-sun-plugin-1.6.0.u24-1.2.1-x86_64 -> openSUSE
java-1_6_0-sun-1.6.0.u24-1.2.1-x86_64 -> openSUSE

When I remove the openjdk and the ca-certificates and then load the above three files I seem to have no other issues with Java. Would you want to point me to a Web site where you are having Java problems? I am running Firefox 4.0 for openSUSE 11.4 at the moment.

Thank You,

richardstevenhack · April 25, 2011, 3:46am

Nope. That didn’t work, either.

So I fixed it by installing Firefox 4.0 from Yast which presumably looks in the right place rather than the generic Linux Firefox I had installed outside of my Home directory. It’s working correctly now according to the Java test page.

I just hope a point-0 version of Firefox is stable…

jdmcdaniel3 · April 25, 2011, 3:54am

Nope. That didn’t work, either.

So I fixed it by installing Firefox 4.0 from Yast which presumably looks in the right place rather than the generic Linux Firefox I had installed outside of my Home directory. It’s working correctly now according to the Java test page.

I just hope a point-0 version of Firefox is stable…
So if you uninstalled java-ca-certificates as I suggested, installed the same three java files as in my example and switched to the same version of Firefox 4.0 that I am using, then your setup should work properly, just as mine does.

Happy to hear you are working properly now.

Thank You,

ab · April 25, 2011, 5:06am

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

To answer your original question, yes I believe Firefox (as built for
SUSE) specifically links to the /usr/lib/browser-plugins directory, or
maybe /usr/lib64/browser-plugins in our cases, so if you extracted Firefox
elsewhere it may easily miss that. A symlink from the non-distro-specific
Firefox install to the /etc/alternatives/javaplugin “file” may resolve the
issue for your other install.

Good luck.

On 04/24/2011 08:06 PM, jdmcdaniel3 wrote:
>
>> Nope. That didn’t work, either.
>>
>> So I fixed it by installing Firefox 4.0 from Yast which presumably
>> looks in the right place rather than the generic Linux Firefox I had
>> installed outside of my Home directory. It’s working correctly now
>> according to the Java test page.
>>
>> I just hope a point-0 version of Firefox is stable… So if you uninstalled java-ca-certificates as I suggested, installed the
> same three java files as in my example and switched to the same version
> of Firefox 4.0 that I am using, then your setup should work properly,
> just as mine does.
>
> Happy to hear you are working properly now.
>
> Thank You,
>
>
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keyb_user1 · July 4, 2011, 12:10pm

Hi folks,

Ok, I had the same problem, and this is what happened to me.

I have OS 11.4 64bits.
With all the latest updates.
I installed Firefox 5 and I did not like one feature about the tab groups.
Actually when I started FF5 the last tabs where made app tabs in a group with no name … so … I had to go to the right upper corner arrow and drop down box in order to navigate the tabs … worst … there was no way to “ungroup” those tabs.
it may be a bug who knows.
The point is, I am not willing right now to waste time solving functionality issues.

I downgraded to firefox 4 latest, always on yast.

To my … not so much surprise but rather frustrated expectations … the java plugin was not working.

I noticed I had installed ( I really do not know how …) opendk and opendjdk development.

I have installed all java_sun stuff including ca-certidicates.

So I went like this:

Uninstalled FF5 with yast.

Installed FF4 with yast.
Java plugin was not working !

Uninstalled Opendjdk stuff.

Nothing! Java plugin was not working … I even re-installed the java-plugin from Sun and even made uninstalations of firefox4 and then the installation of the java plugin to no avail. Althought this was done in a way I can not really reproduce here … So the conclusion about the installed OpneJDK is not really granted.

So I decided to check about Firefox itself …meaning … going to the
About:config configuration page/app and checking the links about Java

Just write java on find search input and lots of options will show about java and javascript … but one option is interesting:

java.default_java_location_others; was set to /usr/java !

Obviously this path is incorrect, it does not exist in Opensuse!

So I changet it to /usr/share/java/
The java plugin parameter continues to be the same javaplugin_oji

output for :



rpm --query --all --queryformat '%{NAME}-%{VERSION}-%{RELEASE}-%{ARCH} -> %{VENDOR}
' '*java-*'


java-1_6_0-sun-jdbc-1.6.0.u26-0.2.1-x86_64 -> openSUSE
java-1_5_0-gcj-compat-devel-1.5.0.0-117.3-x86_64 -> openSUSE
java-1_6_0-sun-devel-1.6.0.u26-0.2.1-x86_64 -> openSUSE
java-1_6_0-sun-demo-1.6.0.u26-0.2.1-x86_64 -> openSUSE
java-1_6_0-sun-src-1.6.0.u26-0.2.1-x86_64 -> openSUSE
java-1_6_0-sun-alsa-1.6.0.u26-0.2.1-x86_64 -> openSUSE
java-1_6_0-sun-plugin-1.6.0.u26-0.2.1-x86_64 -> openSUSE
java-ca-certificates-1-9.1-noarch -> openSUSE
java-1_5_0-gcj-compat-1.5.0.0-117.3-x86_64 -> openSUSE
java-1_6_0-sun-1.6.0.u26-0.2.1-x86_64 -> openSUSE

After a reboot of FF4 … Voila!

The Java plugin works has it did first the time I installed this OpenSuSE 11.4 64bits pc.

Regards,
Pedro