@chris-hatton Don't know if you saw the recent WebEX hack, but i think a lot of vendors have to pack their own runtimes into the browser. So, instead of the Big 3 hacks (Flash, Sliverlight, Java), everyone brings in their own runtime under-the-radar to get RIA effects.

@mikehearn @chris-hatton One nice thing about JNLP on Linux is a zero-install capability. Just make an alias to a command like this javaws https://www.bekwam.net/sortme/sortme.jnlp And you'll get a sandboxed, signed JavaFX app

So, you don't really need an installer, but rather a script that adds itself to a Windows path or a Linux .bashrc

yeah, jnlp is pretty nice

it's underused

and apps download/start so fast

unfortunately it's just totally broken if trying to use from the browser

firstly you get the standard "this may harm your computer" then, then GateKeeper gets in the way and prevents you from opening the file too

you really need a URL handler

oh, huh: https://bugs.openjdk.java.net/browse/JDK-8139389

java 9 fixes it!

actually there's one in 8u72 too?

it works!

you know .... maybe JNLP is not a dead end after all.

of course you have to ask the user to install the JRE and that, i think still, comes with shitty adware on Windows

so it's not a perfect solution

alternatively, a nicely packaged (rebranded?) OpenJDK for Windows build could also solve that

i'm not sure OpenJDK comes with the javaws launcher though

it might help with licensing too. say an organization has a license with Oracle to use advanced JVM features, the ISV doesn't have to worry about shipping something that doesn't scale

<= JNLP

indeed

if an org has the JRE installed on their desktops already and it's sufficiently up to date, JNLP is ideal.

these days, i don't recommend holding back the updates with my clients. at one point, you could lock onto a JRE, but with security, stuff just moves too fast

i've experienced a little with sandboxing too. the link i sent earlier works great. the customer won't get any warnings about java taking over their machine. however, i found that sandboxing doesn't work in some plain, non-IO or non-net applications like if you try to get a JVM property without all-permission sets

In the case i'm describing, it was a third-party commons library that was configured (optionally) with a command line property

Jetbrains Toolbox is an interesting take on this problem. https://www.jetbrains.com/toolbox/app

Their apps all bundle a JRE...

yeah but it's proprietary iirc

otherwise - nice way to do it

Back from Oslo 🙂 Nice discussion about WebStart/FXLauncher/Java deployment. I too feel that webstart could have been the solution, if they could just have fixed the install and update process 10 years ago. I think people just hate Java now because they were forced to (and bothered with) updating it all the time. So sad, since it really was working well.