[CentOS] Confused about Java browser plugin for Firefox

> Any advice on how to go about that without jumping through burning loops? A
> pointer to some concise documentation or, even better, a short and working
> step-by-step HOWTO?

The problem may be that in Firefox 3.6.6 (or some time close to that) the 
name of the Java plugin changed.  It is no longer libjavaplugin_oji.so, 
rather it is now libnpjp2.so.  It also changed locations within the 
installed JRE as well.  If you have the current JRE installed, you should 
be able to get it working with the following command run as root:

ln -s /usr/java/latest/lib/i386/libnpjp2.so /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/

HTH,
Barry