[ubuntu-us-mi] Using javaws to launch a remote viewer on Ubuntu 10.04

[Robert Citek]

Greetings all,

I use my netbook running Ubuntu 10.04 to connect to the iDRACs on
several remote Dell servers. This gives me remote power control and
remote console access (and a host of other goodies) in the event
something goes wrong on the servers.

After a recent update to my Ubuntu packages, I was no longer able to
start a remote console. A window would pop up displaying an error,
part of which read:

Fatal: Application Error: Cannot grant permissions to unsigned jars

It turned out that the systems was configured (or reconfigured) to use
the javaws from the icedtea-netx package, which does not work.
Unfortunately, I was unable to find a solution for this error staying
with the icedtea-netx package. Instead, the solution was to use
javaws from the sun-java6-bin package, and adjust the alternatives
setting using this:

$ sudo update-alternatives --config javaws

selecting the sun version. Now I can start up remote console sessions again.

I suspect that rerunning that last command may be necessary after
every update to the icedtead-netx package, but we shall see.

If anyone knows of an alternative solutions, I'd be very interested.

Regards,
- Robert

[Jeff Hanson]

Post by Robert Citek
After a recent update to my Ubuntu packages, I was no longer able to
start a remote console. A window would pop up displaying an error,
Fatal: Application Error: Cannot grant permissions to unsigned jars
It turned out that the systems was configured (or reconfigured) to use
the javaws from the icedtea-netx package, which does not work.
Unfortunately, I was unable to find a solution for this error staying
with the icedtea-netx package. Instead, the solution was to use
javaws from the sun-java6-bin package, and adjust the alternatives

You apparently don't update often as that change occurred several
months ago. Oracle was prohibiting redistribution so OpenJDK had to
be used when security problems in Sun Java required an update. This
update also caused problems for my clients due to OpenJDK
incompatibilities and broken proxy support. I had to manually install
the updated Sun Java.

[Robert Citek]

Post by Jeff Hanson
You apparently don't update often as that change occurred several
months ago. Oracle was prohibiting redistribution so OpenJDK had to
be used when security problems in Sun Java required an update. This
update also caused problems for my clients due to OpenJDK
incompatibilities and broken proxy support. I had to manually install
the updated Sun Java.

More accurately, I was aware of the issue from another laptop that I
had upgraded and, not having the time to figure out a solution at that
time, put all java packages on hold on my netbook. It wasn't a great
solution, but worked. The alternative was to not have remote console
access to production servers, and that was unacceptable.

Post by Jeff Hanson
From what I gather, the issue in this case is that the JNLP file is

not "signed". Since I'd prefer to use OpenJDK than Sun's Java, if
possible, does anyone know of a way to tell OpenJDK that it's ok to
accept an unsigned jar file? I have been Googling but nothing yet
pops up.

Regards,
- Robert

[Jeff Hanson]

Post by Jeff Hanson
From what I gather, the issue in this case is that the JNLP file is
not "signed". Since I'd prefer to use OpenJDK than Sun's Java, if
possible, does anyone know of a way to tell OpenJDK that it's ok to
accept an unsigned jar file? I have been Googling but nothing yet
pops up.

Could you just create your own signature since it's not signed?
http://planet.frugalware.org/index.php?post_id=5

[Robert Citek]

Post by Jeff Hanson

Post by Jeff Hanson
From what I gather, the issue in this case is that the JNLP file is
not "signed". Since I'd prefer to use OpenJDK than Sun's Java, if
possible, does anyone know of a way to tell OpenJDK that it's ok to
accept an unsigned jar file? I have been Googling but nothing yet
pops up.

Could you just create your own signature since it's not signed?
http://planet.frugalware.org/index.php?post_id=5

Not sure. Will try that and report back.

Although, even if it does work, that's a bit cumbersome: download
JNLP, open a shell, sign it, run it. The current process is just
click "Launch" in the browser and it runs.

Regards,
- Robert