JDK 1.4.0 Java-Plug-in instability

[Rick Lutowski <rick@jreality.com>]

An FYI for debian users of JDK 1.4.0 and
the blackdown 1.4.0 porting team:

Recently installed Sun JDK 1.4.0-b92 on debian 2.2r2 and r3
systems along with blackdown java3d 1.2.1, then installed
the 1.4.0 Java Plug-in into Netscape 4.77.  (BTW, the 1.4.0
Plug-in installations have changed from 1.3.1, is much easier, 
and now actually works!:-)  

Tried running a java3d applet using the 1.4.0 plug-in using
the following process:

1. Display a web page containing the java3d applet.
   Applet displays ok.
2. Press Netscape Back button to leave the page.
3. Display another web page containing the java3d applet.

Java plug-in crashes with an error message reporting
a segfault in a native library.  The following is from
the bug report submitted to Sun:

   "Which native lib is uncertain as the various
   error messages vary.

   Example 1: fails in jre/lib/i386/client/libjvm.so
              destroy_global__10JNIHandlesP8_jobjecti+0x34
   Example 2: fails in /lib/libc.so.6 (malloc)
   Example 3: fails in jre/lib/i386/libawt.so (_XmCreateRendition)
   Example 4: fails in [Unknown.]

   The common attribute is that it is always in a memory management
   function, and it always occurs when the java3d applet is recreated
   after having been previously created and destroyed at least once.

   Problem does not occur when JDK 1.3.1 from blackdown is
   used instead of Sun JDK 1.4.0 for Linux, with all other
   software (java3d, mesa, Netscape 4.77, all OS libs, and
   of course the hardware system). staying the same.  The
   triggering event is installation of
 
   Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build
   1.4.0-b92)
   Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.4.0-b92, mixed mode)

   in place of JDK 1.3.1 (blackdown variant).

This problem was noted on two different systems: the first being
a web server running 2.2r3 and apache/tomcat 3.2.3, and the second
a development system running 2.2r2 with tomcat 3.2.3 only.  The
applet works fine on both of these systems with blackdown 1.3.1,
with all other things exactly equal.

Has anyone else tried an applet with 1.4.0 Java Plug-in (with 
or without java3d) in Netscape on debian?

Rick
-- 
                  Rick
                  Lutowski
|________rick@jreality.com__ 
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