Java Webstart with Eclipse Rich Client Platform and Linux

With Linux

I run Fedora Core 3. Something in Fedora Core 3 broke the Java Webstart which ships with JDK1.4.2 and JDK1.5.0. It is not fixed in JDK1.5.0 update 1, but is scheduled to be fixed in update 2.

javaws uses all available cpu and does not exit.

Workaround

A Sun engineer has kindly provided a special release which works. It is attached to the Sun bug. See http://bugs.sun.com/bugdatabase/view_bug.do;:WuuT?bug_id=6195591. I reproduce the excerpt for convenience below.
Get this version of javaws http://www.jbg.f2s.com/javaws-1_2_0_06-linux-i586-i.zip

  1. unzip in a suitable location (not the current java directory)
  2. execute install.sh to install this version of javaws.
  3. Now open a web start link (eg one from here http://java.sun.com/products/javawebstart/demos.html but specify the newly installed javaws as the program to execute rather than the old (not working one) Note, if you have already set the default web start app in FireFox then just go to Edit->Preferences->Downloads and edit the entry for JNLP file types.

With Eclipse Rich Client Platform (RCP)

We, after many days of effort could not get RCP and JNLP to work. There is a open source project out there called webrcp which seeks to get the two working. See http://webrcp.sf.net. It worked perfectly on Linux. It turned out to have a showstopper bug which stopped it working on Linux. We have submitted a bug and patch to the project for those that come after us. With the patch installed, it worked.

Published
Categorized as Java

By Greg Luck

As Terracotta’s CTO, Greg (@gregrluck) is entrusted with understanding market and technology forces and the business drivers that impact Terracotta’s product innovation and customer success. He helps shape company and technology strategy and designs many of the features in Terracotta’s products. Greg came to Terracotta on the acquisition of the popular caching project Ehcache which he founded in 2003. Prior to joining Terracotta, Greg served as Chief Architect at Australian online travel giant Wotif.com. He also served as a lead consultant for ThoughtWorks on accounts in the United States and Australia, was CIO at Virgin Blue, Tempo Services, Stamford Hotels and Resorts and Australian Resorts and spent seven years as a Chartered Accountant in KPMG’s small business and insolvency divisions. He is a regular speaker at conferences and contributor of articles to the technical press.