WebStart Install Fail

[John Smith]

I don't think this particular issue had anything to do with the browser being used or a browser plugin.
The jfxtras deployment is just an html link to a jnlp file (no use of the deployment toolkit javascript or embedded in the html page which could cause a native browser plugin to be used).
Due to windows file associations set from a previous jre install, when the link is clicked, it will run the web start launcher, from thereon it goes awry in Scott's environment.
Clicking on the same link works fine for me (Win7+jre7u9) and I can use the excellent jfxtras demo app, but that's not surprising as I have the 32 bit jre installed already.

-----Original Message-----
From: openjfx-dev-bounces at openjdk.java.net [mailto:openjfx-dev-bounces at openjdk.java.net] On Behalf Of Daniel Zwolenski
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 12:40 PM
To: Richard Bair
Cc: openjfx-dev at openjdk.java.net
Subject: Re: WebStart Install Fail

Definitely this is a JFX issue and I don't believe there is anything Xtras could do even if they wanted (apart from write their own webstart browser plugin).

I have seen this many times. It is one of 3 reasons why I keep saying jnlp doesn't work (the other being the user-off-putting steps of installing Java even when it works; and the forced jre auto-updating that can break your app at any time after release without the developer changing a thing). 

Igor was aware of this problem (and I think there should be a jira in there somewhere) but since he's gone the rough gist of what he said was happening is that many browsers are still 32bit even if you are running on a 64bit OS. You end up with the browser somehow getting a mix of 64bit and 32bit JREs installed/JFX's installed. Hence the error (eg running 64bit jfx on a 32bit jre or the inverse). The "fix" generally was "once browsers all go to 64bit it won't be a problem" - I'd be inclined to allow the "pathetic" adjective at this point. 

As an aside, I did notice recently when hacking at the installer package code that regardless of what OS you are on the jnlp gets a 32bit win fallback URL for jfx. In theory if it finds the jre but not jfx then it is suppose to use this URL. This may or may not be related - I only see the packager code that generates the jnlp not the actual plugin code that acts on it. 

Have I ever mentioned that deployment in jfx sucks ;)