JRE 1.3.0 for Linux Installation Notes

Installation Notes
Java 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition
Version 1.3.0_02
for Linux

The Java 2 Runtime Environment (J2RE), Standard Edition, v1.3.0_02 comes is available in two installation formats.

  • A self-extracting binary file, j2re-1_3_0_02-linux.bin which can be used to install the Java 2 Runtime Environment in a location chosen by the user. If you are using this file, see Self-Extracting Binary below.
  • The file j2re-1_3_0_02-linux-rpm.bin that contains RPM packages comprising the Java 2 Runtime Environment. If you are using this bundle, see Installation of RPM File below.

.bin be able to install the Java Plug-in also. Java Plug-in installation instructions are included below.

Installation of Self-Extracting Binary

Use these instructions if you want to use the self-extracting binary file to install the Java 2 Runtime Environment. If you want to install RPM packages, use Installation of RPM File below.

1. Check the download file size

Check the large file that you downloaded to ensure that it is the correct size:

j2re-1_3_0_02-linux.bin 14,358,152 bytes

If the file size doesn't match, it probably means the file was corrupted during download. In that case, try downloading again.

2. Change to the directory you want to install into.

For example, if you want to install the software in the /usr/java/ directory, then execute: cd /usr/java

3. Run j2re-1_3_0_02-linux-rpm.bin and agree to the license it displays.

Launch the executable file you downloaded, j2re-1_3_0_02-linux.bin, by using the following command from the directory in which it is located:

./j2re-1_3_0_02-linux.bin

The script will display a binary license agreement, which you will be asked to agree to before installation can proceed. Once you have agreed to the license, the install script will install the J2RE in a directory called jre1.3.0_02 in the current directory.

Note about root access - If you choose to install the Java 2 Runtime Environment into system-wide location such as /usr/local, you must first become root to gain the necessary permissions. If you do not have root access, simply install the Java 2 Runtime Environment into your home directory, or a subdirectory that you have permission to write to.

Installation of RPM File

Use these instructions if you want to install Java 2 Runtime Environement in the form of RPM packages. If you want to use the self-extracting binary file instead, see Self-Extracting Binary above.

1. Check the download file size.

Check the large file that you downloaded to ensure that it is the correct size:

j2re-1_3_0_02-linux-rpm.bin 13,999,559 bytes

If the file size doesn't match, it probably means the file was corrupted during download. In that case, try downloading again.

2. Run j2re-1_3_0_02-linux-rpm.bin and agree to the license it displays.

Launch the executable file you downloaded, j2re-1_3_0_02-linux-rpm.bin, by using the following command from the directory in which it is located:

./j2re-1_3_0_02-linux-rpm.bin

The script will display a binary license agreement, which you will be asked to agree to before installation can proceed. Once you have agreed to the license, the install script will create the file j2re-1_3_0_02-linux.rpm in the current directory.

3. Become root:

su

4. Run the rpm command to install the packages:

rpm -iv j2re-1_3_0_02-linux.rpm

This will install the packages comprising the Java 2 Runtime Environment.

Note: It can happen that your installation may fail with a message such as "glibc >= 2.1.2-11 is needed by jre-1.3" even though glibc 2.1.2 (or greater) is on your system. This can happen when your glibc was not installed as part of an rpm package and is therefore not on the rpm file list. In that case, this J2RE rpm installation package won't recognize that glibc is installed. To force the J2RE installation to proceed, use the --force option:

rpm -iv --force j2re-1_3_0_02-linux.rpm

5. Exit the root shell.

Java Plug-in Installation Instructions

To install the Java Plug-in follow these steps.

1. Uninstall previous installation of the Java Plug-in, if applicable. 

rm -fr $HOME/.netscape/java

rm $HOME/.netscape/plugins/javaplugin.so

2. Set the NPX_PLUGIN_PATH environment variable: 

for Netscape 4 browser:

export NPX_PLUGIN_PATH=<jre>/plugin/i386/ns4

for netscape 6 browser: 
Make soft link from  <netscape>/plugins to 
<jre>/plugin/i386/ns600/libjavaplugin_oji.so 

example: ln -s <jre>/plugin/i386/ns600/libjavaplugin_oji.so <netscape>/plugins/.
Here, <jre> is the path to the jre1.3 directory of your Java 2 Runtime Environment installation.

3. Start (or restart) your Netscape browser.

Start your Netscape browser. If your browser is already running, close it and restart it.

4. Close and restart your Netscape browser again.

Restarting the browser a second time is necessary because of bug 4358142.