Java

[Robert Myers]

David,

> Just been browsing the Java pages on the wiki and confirming to myself the
> Sun Java version installs but the plugin does not load. A pity, as I have
> installed on a school server an excellent UNESCO CD of educational materials
> "Strengthening ICTs in Schools and Schoolnet Project in the ASEAN Setting"
> which has hundreds of nice educational applets. Seems the last recorded
> activity on getting Java to work was about 5 months ago... or can anyone
> update me?

You have it right. The Java plugin does not work in the current Browse 
activity. This is apparently a case of compilation mismatches, and my 
understanding is that it won't go away until Browse is recompiled with a 
different library base. This bug still exists with Joyride and the 
latest Browse build.

However, Java applications do run under Sugar if you install Java. The 
plugin does run with a separately installed browser.

There is a lot of educational content available on the Internet that 
depends on the plugin. I realize that Java doesn't meet OLPC's 
definition of 'free', but it should be supported.

An interesting sidenote in Joyride -- it used to be that Firefox was 
excluded in the OLPC yum repository. It no longer is, and 'yum install 
firefox' now gets you Firefox 3. I wonder when the Browse activity will 
  be built on this core.

I feel your pain,

Bob