Bug#1061060: javaws fails to run Supermicro (Aten) iKVM remote consoles

[Christian Schwamborn]

Package: icedtea-netx
Version: 1.8.8-2

In some more recent update of icedtea-netx, I can't determine which
exactly, the pack200 libs must have been removed from javaws.jar
Keeping older java versions around to access such devices can't help if
javaws is unable to fetch the jar files from those as they might be
compressed.

Even recent system boards from Supermicro ship their jar libs as
*.jar.pack.gz files. I know, it's deprecated for ages, but tell it to
them. Even if they change it now, they won't update older firmwares and
there are plenty around. Not only on server boards but all kind of
enterprise equipment still running somewhere.

Let me ask a question: Who uses javaws nowadays?
My wild guess: Mostly people having to access hardware equipment, where
'the industry' even today implements their user interface with java
beside the fact that java is one of the worst ideas someone came up with.
Sure, the more recent versions of Supermicro boards (Fujitsu as well)
also provide a html5 implementations, but sadly they are in some areas
not as 'finished' as they should be, so I still have to rely on their
java counterparts.
I don't want to create a debate about security. Everyone running that
sort of stuff should know not to expose those interfaces anywhere and
has to hack half his java security settings anyway.