[CentOS] nspluginwrapper rpms on x86_64? (was: firefox. java. 64 bit. bleah!)

[lhecking at users.sourceforge.net]

Mike Fedyk writes:
> On Sat, Nov 20, 2010 at 3:25 PM, Lars Hecking
> <lhecking at users.sourceforge.net> wrote:
> > ??Possibly. Or possibly not. On a closely related topic, can you comment on
> > ??whether or not it's a good idea to install the nspluginwrapper rpms on x86_64?
> > ??They seem to be fundamentally broken.
> >
> 
> I don't think you need it anymore with FF 3.6.

 It's broken regardless. Try this: install Oracle's java and link the plugin
 into /usr/lib64/mozilla/plugins. Run firefox and go to about:plugins. No
 java in sight. Then close firefox and, as root, link the java plugin into
 /usr/lib64/mozilla/plugins-wrapped. Run firefox again and go to about:plugins.
 No java. Close firefox and look at /usr/lib64/mozilla/plugins-wrapped; the
 java plugin link is now gone.

 There are several unexpected features here. First, the firefox wrapper uses
 .../plugins-wrapped instead of .../plugins if mozilla-plugin-config is
 found, i.e. nspluginwrapper is installed. So no matter what you think you're
 installing into .../plugins has no effect whatsoever. Secondly,
 mozilla-plugin-config removes the java plugin from plugins-wrapped and it is
 unclear why - in typical Linux fashion, there is no documentation on what
 exactly it does, how it does it, and there seems no way to configure it.
 Third, why is mozilla-plugin-config messing around in system dirs in the
 first place when a user runs firefox? Here's the answer:

$ ll /usr/lib64/nspluginwrapper/plugin-config 
-rwsr-xr-x 1 root root 60432 Jul 17  2008 /usr/lib64/nspluginwrapper/plugin-config
$ 

 SUID? WTF? This is on CentOS 5.4 btw, but the firefox wrapper hasn't changed
 in 5.5.

 Essentially, this behaviour renders all the well-meaning firefox+java setup
 guides useless. And unless I'm mistaken, nspluginwrapper is needed for 32-bit
 binary blobs like flash and adobe.

 Next, I haven't yet successfully managed to get java to work on x86_64 with
 the 32-bit browser. Installing the 32-bit plugin from the corresponding jre
 doesn't seem to be enough.



---------------------------------------------------------------
This message and any attachments may contain Cypress (or its
subsidiaries) confidential information. If it has been received
in error, please advise the sender and immediately delete this
message.
---------------------------------------------------------------