Java Runtime Environment plugin for Firefox

[Alex Lancaster]

>>>>> "JR" == Jon Roland  writes:

JR> Jason Hecker wrote:
>> Build your own RPMs using the www.jpackage.org spec files and
>> downloading the JSE from Sun.  It's a bit of a PItA (and an
>> impediment to a fluid Linux experience) but it works well and the
>> Mozilla/Firefox plugin Java runs without a hassle (though it's
>> hidden deep in a convoluted directory tree).

JR> Thanks, but I don't know how to build an rpm from a spec file yet,
JR> and I'd rather not have to learn how right now. Surely someone has
JR> done this and made an easy solution available for those of us who
JR> just want things to work.

The instructions on http://www.jpackage.org/rebuilding.php are
step-by-step, and don't require you to know much about spec files,
just how to run a few commands from the command line.  It looks a bit
scary, but really it's actually very simple and the instructions don't
require you to learn about the ins-and-out of RPM packaging.

Until Sun provide either less brain-dead generic and/or
Fedora-specific RPMS, unfortunately this *is* the easiest (legal) way
to install Java in a nice Fedora-compliant way.   

Third-party packagers which want to be 100% above board (including
jpackage, freshrpms etc.) can't legally redistribute the RPM and
include the Sun binaries in their packages because the user needs to
download the binaries and agree to the EULA etc.  

AFAIK jpackage *would* provide straight binary RPMS this way, because
it would "just work" if they could be sure it was 100% legit, it's not
that they prefer it this way.  So in answer to your question, somebody
has "done this", but they can't legally redistribute those packaged
RPMs.

Having said that, it might be useful if jpackage could supply a script
that did the heavy lifting, and leaving just the download itself to
the user, but that should be brought up with the jpackage people.

Cheers,
Alex