Re: javaplugin and mozilla

[Jack Howarth <howarth@bromo.msbb.uc.edu>]

  The situation with java and sid is rather muddled at the
moment. There are several issues at play here...

1) since sid is now built against gcc-3.2, the jdk needs to be
built with the gcc-3.2 compiler. The j2se-1.3.1 debian packages
currently are not. These -02b based ones can NOT be used with
sid.
2) While -02c jdk stand-alone binary installers exist on blackdown
and these are built with gcc-3.2, they are flawed and will only
work on G4s. Kevin Hendricks accidentally left a libgcc1 on his
box which was optimized with altivec code. This code is in
the -02c jdk build making it usable only on G4s.
   A new -02d build of jdk 1.3.1 built with gcc-3.2 and a   
stock libgcc1 without altivec code exists and I am waiting
for the blackdown maintainers to place it on their ftp servers.
3) This is the worse part at the moment. It appears that
the recent debian glibc 2.3.1 packages in sid have major problems
with threads (impacting the javaplugin and openoffice 1.1beta).
If you try to load a web page with java in mozilla under stock
sid, you will get a failed page loading followed by a crash of
mozilla when you try to go to another web page.
   I have found that glibc 2.3.2 (which contains major fixes
to threads on ppc) has no problems and is very stable with
java and openoffice. Unfortunately, it may be awhile before
glibc 2.3.2-1 enters sid. In the meanwhile you can use the
debian glibc cvs to build the pre-release glibc 2.3.2-1
packages locally and they work fine.

So the situation is....
A) if you have a G4, install the -02c jdk-1.3.1 from blackdown
or if you have a G3 complain to blackdown that they need to
post the -02d build for you.
B) checkout the debian glibc cvs and build their 2.3.2-1 
glibc package.
                          Jack