Installing the Java Plug-in

Installing the Java Plug-in

The Laj and Maj applets are written using Java 1.2, and theoretically any web browser that fully supports this should work. However in practice, browsers’ built-in Java support tends to be outdated, inconsistent, and buggy, so for best compatibility we recommend that you download and install Sun’s free Java Plug-in software in your browser. The main page for this product ishttp://java.sun.com/products/plugin/, but platform-specific links are given below.
Each download should come with installation instructions (read them!), but here are some additional platform-specific tips.

Windows

The plug-in for Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT 4.0 is bundled with the Java 2 Runtime Environment Version 1.2.2 which is available at http://java.sun.com/products/jdk/1.2/jre/download-windows.html. This works with both Netscape and Internet Explorer, and thankfully is much easier to install than the Solaris version — just run the downloaded file. However, it is very important to delete any previous versions of the plug-in and/or JRE before you install the new one, to avoid getting them mixed. For example, in Windows 98 you can do this by opening the Start menu and choosing Settings – Control Panel – Add/Remove Programs, then selecting from the list the items you want to uninstall. After the installation is complete, you may need to close and restart your browser to make it recognize the new plug-in, or even reboot your computer.

Macintosh

Download the JRE here and follow the installation instructions/prompts.

Linux

Sun is working on a Java plug-in for Linux (see http://java.sun.com/products/plugin/1.2/linux.html), but in the meantime there is one available from the Blackdown project at http://www.blackdown.org/java-linux/jdk1.2-status/plugin-status.html (be sure to get version 1.2.2 or higher).

Solaris

Download the Java Plug-in 1.2 for Solaris from Sun, at http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/netscape/jpis/. Unlike earlier versions for Solaris, this product belongs in the central directory where Netscape is located, rather than each user’s home directory, so the installation should be performed by your system administrator.
There are two different install types available, “pkgadd” and “webstart”. The pkgadd version is much smaller to download, but unfortunately did not appear to be packaged properly when we tried it. The instructions for the webstart version talk about needing a CD, but you can ignore that; after unpacking the .tar.Z download, just run the file called “installer”.
Don’t forget to check your system to make sure you have the required Solaris patches before installing the plug-in, and it is also a good idea to delete any previous versions of the plug-in (even the ones in your home directory) to avoid getting them mixed. Also, you may need to close and restart your browser to make it recognize the new plug-in. One last bit of advice: at some point during the installation, we were instructed to enter the command “xhost +”, but this is a bad idea because it seriously compromises your system security. If this message appears, we recommend using proper security protocols instead.
Our experience: once we managed to get this product installed and configured properly, it has been working smoothly and reliably.

Other Platforms

For availability of the Java Plug-in on other computers, see http://java.sun.com/products/plugin/1.2/download/all.html.