ndt-users list created

[Richard Carlson <>]

Hi Peter;

In-line;

At 04:40 PM 8/24/2006, Peter Van Epp wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 24, 2006 at 10:38:12AM -0400, Richard Carlson wrote:
> > All;
> >
> > By now you have all seen the email exchange between Peter Van Epp and
> > me.  I would like some feedback from this user community before 
> deciding on
> > a final solution to the bug Peter reported.
> >
> > Internet2 is now supplying an Knoppix based Live-CD with a pre-installed
> > NDT server.  I built this server using the Java 1.4.2 SDK.  As Peter
> > reported the jut released NDT-3.3.12 distribution fails on some Mac
> > browsers with a run-time exception.  Peter's team reported the problem and
> > also supplied me with a patch (thanks Lixin).
> >
> > I applied this patch to my test system, generated a 3.3.13 distribution,
> > and set this up on my test system (web100.internet2.edu) again using the
> > 1.4.2 SDK.
> >
> > Peter now reports that the Safari browser on his Mac still fails, but
> > firefox and opera work on the patched system.
>
>         Being finally out of
> meetings-the-practical-alternative-to-anything-usefull :-)
>
>         This one turned out to be operator error, I had at some point 
> disabled
> Java in Safari. When I enabled it all three browsers work the same.

Great.  So Java 1.4 is a winner!  I'm going to change the distribution so 
it uses the "-source 1.4" option and that's how I'll build the ISO 
distribution.  This should keep the IPv6 code operational and keep the 
1.4.2 JRE clients running too.

> >
> > One possible solution to the Safari problem is to switch to the Java 1.5.0
> > SDK development package.  Unfortunately, this is not a simple switch.  I
> > have found that an Applet built with the 1.5.0 SDK will not run if the
> > browser is using the 1.4.2 JRE.  All the user gets is a small red X in the
> > applet window.
> >
>
>         Yes, thats what started us down this path :-). Lixin had the 1.5 SDK
> on our server and we got that exact thing on my machine. I'm still running 
> Mac
> 10.3 (while waiting for a new G5 to appear to install 10.4 on) so SDK 
> 1.4.2 is
> the last one available for 10.3 (and things like Win98 both of which are
> admittadly old). SDK 1.5 is only available on Mac OS 10.4 according to our
> Mac support folks.
>
> > There are 2 issues that I how need to address.  (1) what SDK version 
> should
> > I use to build the Knoppix ISO?  Since this is burned onto the disk it
> > needs to work for the majority of cases.  (2) should I recommend a SDK
> > version for administrators who download and install the NDT tar file.
> >
> > Our options are:
> >
> > 1) do nothing and ignore those pesky Mac users .-) [not a real option]
> > 2) apply the patches Lixin supplied and continue to use the 1.4.2
> > SDK.  [This may mean that Mac Safari users will be unable to run tests.]
> > 3) apply the patches and upgrade to the 1.5.0 SDK.  [This will force user
> > to upgrade the JRE plug-in and there needs to be a note on the NDT web 
> page
> > telling users to do that.]
> > 4) find out what new patches are needed to make the Safari browser run 
> with
> > a 1.4.2 Applet.
> >
>
>         Sounds like the oldest version that will support IP V6 would be a 
> good
> option, 1.4.2 if 1.3 doesn't. It seems that later versions on the client side
> are backward compatable to 1.4.2 (at least) and that would give the widest
> range of possible clients out there who can connect.
>         I'd think a note pointing out that an older SDK will be the most
> compatible with old client OSs for the self compiling folks would also be a
> good bet, so the builder can decide if they have all new machines or 
> not  :-).
>
> Peter Van Epp / Operations and Technical Support
> Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C. Canada

------------------------------------



Richard A. Carlson                              e-mail: 

Network Engineer                                phone:  (734) 352-7043
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