How to Get Java Plugin to Work on Flock Web Browser



Something that comes up sometimes after a fresh installation of a distro is the issue of Java. We use it to do things interactively in some websites.  One example is the photo uploader of many websites, such as Photobucket, facebook or MySpace.  Why Java plugin is not automatically linked between Flock and Firefox is a mystery, considering one is a "derivative" of the other, just like with the Flashplayer issue. At any rate, if you can't use elements that require the Java plugin (there will be a popup message that says something to the effect of "missing plugin, click here to download")  Well, I have never gotten that to work on Flock so here is what you do.
First, check to see if your java plugin is working in Flock.  A good way to do that is to try to use the photo uploader on facebook, MySpace or Photobucket.  If you get the orange-ish toolbar at the top of the screen underneath your other toolbars that says you need to click here to download plugin, then Java plugin is not working.

If Java Plugin is not working:
  1. Open your file manager (Nautilus, Thunar etc.)
  2. Navigate to /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins
  3. Copy this file: libjavaplugin.so
  4. Navigate to /usr/share/flock
  5. There is a folder in there called plugins.  Right click on it and in the context menu, there should be an option to "open as root" (or administrator.)  Select this option and wait for a new file browser to come up.  (In Linux Mint, it's helpfully a red background so you don't confuse it with the regular file browser.
  6. There should already be a file called: libnullplugin.so and the libflashplayer.so file (from the previous tutorial on how to get your Flash player working in Flock.)
  7. Paste the file: libjavaplugin.so right next to the file: libnullplugin.so (Paste into the new file browser that you opened as root, admin)
  8. Done!

There are of course, times when you follow the directions but things still don't work (grrr, right?). If this should happen to you with the above example, try again with the following variations:
  1. You may have to open a super-user/admin terminal in order to be able to paste the file into the plugins folder.  Open your file manager from the terminal as the administrator (super-user).
    2. Here's an example for Mandriva:
    [pariah@HappyFunMachine ~]$ su -c "nautilus" -
    Password: xxxxxx
    [root@HappyFunMachine pariah ~]#

    Here's an example for Linux Mint:
    [pariah@HappyFunMachine ~]$ sudo nautilus
    Password: xxxxxx
    [pariah@HappyFunMachine ~]#

  2. Other examples of root user commands are gksu and sksudo. Now that you are the root or superuser, repeat the steps from above
  3. Another issue is that you may have downloaded Flock somewhere else than I did. Generally, downloading a tar.gz package will place it in your home folder but you will have to look to see where you (or your installer) put it. This may require that you do a search in your file manager. Remember the exact name of the file is libflashplayer.so and search the computer or file system.
UPDATE:  As of Ubuntu 10.04 and Linux Mint 9, Flock is available in the repositories, so you shouldn't have to download the tar.gz package unless you do NOT use a Debian based distro.