[Opera-linux] opera java with debian

[Eirik Byrkjeflot Anonsen]

p@dirac.org (Peter Jay Salzman) writes:

> i'm tired of not having java.
>
> i see the instructions at:
>
>    http://www.opera.com/linux/docs/plugins/install/#java
>

This is obsolete, and in the process of being replaced (or so I
believe...)

Instructions for making java work:

1. Install java.  (e.g. by downloading the jre from sun)
2. Start opera
3. prefs->multimedia, fill in the path to the jre in the
   field "Java path"
4. Click "Validate Java path"
5. Accept the suggested path.
6. Restart opera (quit and start again)
7. tools->advanced->java console

If the java console shows up, java is working.

Complication for number 3: If you install the jdk instead
of the jre, you need to use the path to the "jre" subdirectory
inside the jdk directory.

Actually, the "correct" path is the one that contains libawt.so
and libjava.so.


> but i was wondering if there's a native debian package i can install
> instead?  doing a dpkg -l, there's a tremendous number of "java"
> packages, but since i don't really know much about java, i really don't
> know which package i would need (or even if ANY of them are what i need)
> to have java with opera.
>
> any debian users here who know?
>
> thanks!
> pete
>

Opera needs a java version 1.2 or later, to have proper support for
JNI.  There may be other requirements (whatever classes are used by
opera (or specific applets) need to be present.  E.g. the Applet
class, and maybe the sun.awt.EmbeddedFrame class, if I can ever get it
to work...)  I'm currently working with sun's version 1.4.2.  And I've
previously tested with IBM's version and the blackdown version.

I usually grab the "self-extracting binary" version of sun's jdk.
It's been quite well-behaved in that it just unpacks itself into the
current directory and doesn't try to mess with the system.


eirik