766681 - Java 2 Runtime Environment 1.6.0_33 (Apple, Inc.) not recognized

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Core Graveyard :: Plug-ins, defect)

Description

[Kevin L. Wells]

Attachment: Text of above plus ApplicationBasics.docx

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10.6; rv:13.0) Gecko/20120615 Firefox/13.0.1 SeaMonkey/2.10.1
Build ID: 20120615053134

Steps to reproduce:

Installed latest Apple system software update (10.6.8) and attempted to use SeaMonkey as usual on a Blackboard site.  I have used SeaMonkey versions for Blackboard at Limestone College ever since Netscape Communicator died all those years ago.


Actual results:

At Browser Check (which runs every time at Blackboard logon) SeaMonkey is listed as unsupported (SeaMonkey was never "supported" but has worked fine since Netscape Communicator became obsolete) but Java is listed as absent.  (Almost every function in Blackboard sites requires a current copy of Java.

I listed component as "General" because diagnosis is past my knowledge and ability to diagnose the problem.


Expected results:

I might believe that if it were not for the fact that trying the same Blackboard site with FireFox, generates the same browser check popup which lists Java 2 Runtime Environment  1.6.0_33 (Apple, Inc.).

Blackboard runs just fine with Firefox 13.0.1

I did disk diagnostics, fixed permissions, and neither of those (repeated several time) had any effect on the problem.

The first failure was the inability to upload, to the Blackboard site, a file on my machine.  

I therefore think that this may touch on a security issue addressed in Apple's last software update.

Here is your cure and why it should work:

Go here to see the Apple's rundown on the current system software

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1550

Note that apple modified their version of Java!

Find out why Firefox 13.0.1 is unaffected and SeaMonkey 2.10.1 succumbs to this problem and you are almost home free.

Comment 1

[Kevin L. Wells]

As of 6/20, one of the possible help topics offered was "failure to install Java" (or words to that effect)  which may be a collateral issue.

Cheers-Kevin

Comment 2

[therube]

"Browser Check" can be found here:
> https://bb.limestone.edu/webct/logonDisplay.dowebct

Other then "non-validated or unsupported" browser, everything else checks out OK, in Windows XP, with Java 1.6.0_33.

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:15.0) Gecko/20120620 Firefox/15.0a2 SeaMonkey/2.12a2

Comment 3

[Matthias Versen [:Matti]]

Do you see the java plugin in the Seamonkey addon Manager under plugins ?

Comment 4

[Kevin L. Wells]

Matti,

If you are addressing the original user:

With Browser active, in Tools, I Select Add-ons Manager, then Plugins and do NOT see the Java plugin.

If you would like a list of those installed, just post a request, I will be online for another hour or so.

Cheers-Kevin

Comment 5

[Matthias Versen [:Matti]]

I can't explain why Firefox detects the Plugin but Seamonkey not.

Steven: Do you have an idea why this doesn't work ?

Comment 6

[Kevin L. Wells]

Gentlemen,

Sorry, I should have thought about this before but....

In SeaMonkey Preferences/Advanced/Scripts & Plugins

Enable JavaScript for Browser IS checked.

Thanks-Kevin

Comment 7

[Steven Michaud [:smichaud] (Retired)]

> Steven: Do you have an idea why this doesn't work ?

No idea.

Reporter, what happens when you visit http://java.sun.com/applets/jdk/1.4/demo/applets/Clock/example1.html?

Comment 8

[Kevin L. Wells]

Mr. Michaud,

The link displays the clock in Firefox, but when I click on the link using SeaMonkey, I am offered the "Install Plugin" icon and when I accept the offer to install it, "No suitable Plugins were Found" is the result

Thanks-Kevin

Comment 9

[Steven Michaud [:smichaud] (Retired)]

Makes no sense to me.  But then again I haven't used Seamonkey for ages.

What version of Seamonkey are you using?

Comment 10

[Kevin L. Wells]

Mr. Michaud,

I use 2.10.1

That is the last version offered.

KLW

Comment 11

[Steven Michaud [:smichaud] (Retired)]

I just tried Seamonkey 2.10.1 on OS X 10.6.8 with the Clock applet I gave you a link to in comment #7.

I had no problems (I saw the clock).

Maybe it's a problem with your Seamonkey settings.  Try running with a fresh profile (and no, I don't know how to get a fresh profile in Seamonkey).

Comment 12

[Kevin L. Wells]

Gentlemen,

I am convinced that this is something new from Apple. Go here

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1550

Note that Apple now configures browsers no NOT automatically Java applets and claims that they can be re-activated by clicking a region (whatever the hell a region is) labeled "Inactive Plugin" on a Web page.

Fine, I have never seen a region labeled "In-active plug-in"

I just tried again and I find no such "region".

I will start busting chops at Apple about "region" and try to get them to explain what a "region" is.

Cheers-Kevin

Comment 13

[Matthias Versen [:Matti]]

Kevin: 
Please try a new profile. tools -> switch profile lets you create a new profile for testing.

Steven: Thanks for your help !

Comment 14

[Kevin L. Wells]

Mr. Versen,

Bingo!

With a new profile, SeaMonkey recognizes Java 2 Runtime Environment  1.6.0_33 (Apple Computer)

Now if I can just figure out some way to move everything to the other profile.....

This is progress, but of course I don't have to figure out why!

You may want to consider that I migrated from Netscape Communicator continuously since before Y2K.    Could there be a vestige of the old Netscape Communicator preferences hanging around somewhere?

Just sayin'!

Thanks-Kevin

Comment 15

[Matthias Versen [:Matti]]

You can do some manual work to narrow it down.
Make a backup of your profile that isn't working, close Seamonkey and rename pluginreg,dat  and restart SM. If that doesn't help do the same with the file prefs.js (that file contains all changed preferences).

Both files will be recreated by SM. You can delete the new files and rename the original files back to the original name while SM isn't running to get the profile in his old state.

Comment 16

[Kevin L. Wells]

Gentlemen,

Thank you for your help.  Switching pluginreg.dat and/or prefs.js will have to wait until the summer break when a disaster will have some recovery time.

Cheers-Kevin

Comment 17

[Matthias Versen [:Matti]]

marking wfm