Add Java plugin to Mozilla 1.2.1

How to install the Java PLugin in Mozilla 1.2.1 in Red Hat 9

First of all, be aware that the version of Mozilla Web Browser that ships with Red Hat 9 is 1.2.1 (does not have the Java Plugin included) and at the time of writing this, version 1.3 is already available. If you want to stay with the default and need to install Java then read below. If you want the latest version of Mozilla then don't bother with this and get over to Mozilla's website.

You may want to print this out for easy reference as you will be logging in and out. First of all, create a new (hidden) folder in your home directory by doing as follows while logged in as yourself and not su or root.

In an xterminal, type the following:

mkdir ~/.mozilla/plugins/

You are doing this because you will later create a link to this folder and it's not created automatically.

Once done, logout of X and login again as root. You must do the next bit logged in as root to get Java to install correctly.

Open the Mozilla 1.2.1 web browser and paste in this address, click yes to download and install it as root, once done, you can verify if it has installed the Java plugin by clicking on help/plugins in Mozilla.

http://cgi.netscape.com/cgi-bin/pi_moreinfo.cgi?PID=10048

Now that it's installed as root, logout of X and log back in again as your normal username. Open an xterminal and type the following (this is to update the location of files on your Red Hat installation, it takes a while so please be patient).

su - root

updatedb

Once it has finished type the following:

locate libjavaplugin_oji.so

One of the returned results will be the plugin itself. To find out which one it is type:

ls -l $(locate libjavaplugin_oji.so)

and look for the one that's owned by "root" and doesn't have a right pointing arrow -> pointing to another location. The file without the -> is the plugin path and is the one we will create a symbolic link to in our ~/.mozilla/plugins/ so that Java works as a normal user.

Once you now have the path to that file, copy it in xterminal by marking the text in full and issuing a copy command (ctrl+alt+c) so that you can paste it later (ctrl+alt+v).

Execute this final command:

ln -s /usr/lib/mozilla-1.2.1/plugins/java2/plugin/i386/ns600/libjavaplugin_oji.so ~/.mozilla/plugins

and that's it, all done, Java is now installed. Open Mozilla and click help/plugins to see it listed there :-).

When I did the above commands this is exactly what I saw in my xterminal in case you are interested:

[anyweb@localhost anyweb]$ mkdir .mozilla/plugins
[anyweb@localhost anyweb]$

[root@localhost root]# updatedb

[root@localhost root]# locate libjavaplugin_oji.so

/usr/lib/mozilla-1.2.1/plugins/java2/plugin/i386/ns600/libjavaplugin_oji.so /usr/lib/mozilla-1.2.1/plugins/libjavaplugin_oji.so

[root@localhost root]# ls -l $(locate libjavaplugin_oji.so)

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 269600 Mar 15 2002 /usr/lib/mozilla-1.2.1/plugins/java2/plugin/i386/ns600/libjavaplugin_oji.so lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root

75 Mar 29 13:12 /usr/lib/mozilla-1.2.1/plugins/libjavaplugin_oji.so -> /usr/lib/mozilla-1.2.1/plugins/java2/plugin/i386/ns600/libjavaplugin_oji.so
[root@localhost root]#

[anyweb@localhost anyweb]$ ln -s /usr/lib/mozilla-1.2.1/plugins/java2/plugin/i386/ns600/libjavaplugin_oji.so ~/.mozilla/plugins

[anyweb@localhost anyweb]$

Created by:
(c) Niall C. Brady on March 31st, 2003, and thanks to John for assistance with this.