320248 - Starting Java plugin renders Firefox virtually unresponsive to keyboard

Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 313807

(Core Graveyard :: Plug-ins, defect)

Description

[Mike Shaver (:shaver -- probably not reading bugmail closely)]

After I visit the page in the URL field above, Firefox will not accept most keyboard input.  Typing in the location bar does nothing (though enter still works), and other form fields in gmail or bugzilla can't be typed in either.  PgUp and PgDn work to scroll, arrow keys do not.  Cmd-W will not close a tab, but Cmd-Q will quit.

Extremely, extremely annoying, and basically a dataloss case for any other tab that's open.

Comment 1

[Mike Shaver (:shaver -- probably not reading bugmail closely)]

Arrow keys do work, sorry.  As does the delete key.

It turns out that just opening about:plugins causes this to happen, and it's not necessary to even view a page with an applet.

OJI Plugin for Mac OS X, v1.0
application/x-java-applet;version=1.5

Java Plug-in (CFM)
Java 1.3.1 Plug-in (CFM)

Comment 2

[Mike Shaver (:shaver -- probably not reading bugmail closely)]

cc:ing Pink, who has recently been in the Mac/Java trenches.

Pink: anything I can do to get more info for you?

Comment 3

[Mike Shaver (:shaver -- probably not reading bugmail closely)]

Javier knows Macs and Java!

I'm dying here, and trying to figure out how to effectively disable Java, now that I know it to be the proximate cause for daily-or-so browser freakouts.

(Updating summary to reflect that you don't actually need a page!)

Comment 4

[jhp (no longer active)]

I saw something like this recently.  Turned out to be related to odd interplay between Java 1.4.2 and Java 1.5.0.  Open /Applications/Utilities/Java/J2SE 5.0/Java Preferences, and make sure that you've set "J2SE 1.4.2" for Java Applet Runtime (since, as you mentioned on IRC, you have 1.4.2 set as your default JVM).

Conversely, if you have Java 1.5.0 set as your default JVM, you need to set "J2SE 5.0" as the Applet Runtime.

Comment 5

[jhp (no longer active)]

If you want to just disable Java, you can do so from Preferences:Content.  Or you could remove (move?) the two Java plugins in Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/plugins; this will make applets use Java 1.3.x instead of Java 1.4.x or 1.5.

Comment 6

[jhp (no longer active)]

Steven, have you seen any problems like this with the Java plugin?  As mentioned in comment #4, I saw something similar when using Java 1.5 as my default JVM, but hadn't set the applet runtime to 1.5.  However, this doesn't seem to be the case for Mike, as he has both set to Java 1.4.2.

Comment 7

[Steven Michaud [:smichaud] (Retired)]

> OJI Plugin for Mac OS X, v1.0
> application/x-java-applet;version=1.5

The reporter is using an old version of the Java Embedding Plugin -- possibly
not the one that was bundled with his "1.8 branch" copy of ... one of
Mozilla.org's browsers.

So the reporter needs to let us know exactly which browser he's using.

And for good measure he should follow the instructions at the following URL to
install the lastest JEP (version 0.9.5+b) to his /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/
directory:

http://javaplugin.sourceforge.net/

Then (depending on which browser's he's using, and what he's done with it), he
_may_ also need to delete MRJPlugin.plugin and JavaEmbeddingPlugin.bundle from
his browser's Contents/MacOS/plugins/ directory.

Comment 8

[Steven Michaud [:smichaud] (Retired)]

This may be bug 313807.

Reporter, are you using a Unicode keyboard?  You can tell by opening the
International preferences panel, choosing Input Menu, and seeing what "Script"
is used by your current "Keyboard layout".

The "US Extended" keyboard is a Unicode keyboard.

Comment 9

[Mike Shaver (:shaver -- probably not reading bugmail closely)]

I'm using Firefox (as per comment #0) version 1.5, en-US.  I have the US extended keyboard selected, though I don't need to visit a page with an <applet> as suggested by the summary in of 313807.

Changing to US (non-Extended) does, however, resolve the problem so I'll dup against 313807, and hope that fix makes it into 1.5.0.1.  Thanks!

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 313807 ***