Bug#896929: librxtx-java: java.lang.NullPointerException thrown while loading gnu.io.RXTXCommDriver

[Lars Kruse]

Package: librxtx-java
Version: 2.2pre2+dfsg1-1
Severity: important
Control: affects -1 arduino

Dear Maintainer,

a NullPointerException is thrown with openjdk-9-jre and openjdk-10-jre, while openjdk-8-jre works.

See https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=894770#35 for the
initial report and the source of the test code below.


Small testing code ("Test1.java"):

  import java.util.*;
  import gnu.io.*;

  public class Test1 {
      public Test1() {
          Enumeration ports = CommPortIdentifier.getPortIdentifiers();
      }
      public static void main (String args[]) {
          Test1 myTest1 = new Test1();
      }
  }


Compile and run it:

  $ CLASSPATH=/usr/share/java/RXTXcomm.jar javac Test1.java
  $ CLASSPATH=/usr/share/java/RXTXcomm.jar:. java Test1


I switched between the different JRE versions via:

  $ update-alternatives --config java
  Selection    Path                                   Priority   Status
  ------------------------------------------------------------
    0   /usr/lib/jvm/java-10-openjdk-i386/bin/java    1101  auto mode
    1   /usr/lib/jvm/java-10-openjdk-i386/bin/java    1101  manual mode
    2   /usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-i386/jre/bin/java 1069  manual mode
    3   /usr/lib/jvm/java-9-openjdk-i386/bin/java     1091  manual mode


In case of an error (with jre-9 and jre-10), the following expections
are thrown:

  java.lang.NullPointerException thrown while loading gnu.io.RXTXCommDriver
  java.lang.NullPointerException thrown while loading gnu.io.RXTXCommDriver


No exception occours when using jre-8.

The user is part of the "dialout" group (i.e. there is no permission
cheers).

Thank you for your time!

Cheers,
Lars