Description of problem: After installing java-1.6.0-sun-plugin-1.6.0.45-1jpp.1.el5_9.i586.rpm and java-1.6.0-sun-plugin-1.6.0.45-1jpp.1.el5_9.x86_64.rpm the following are missing from /etc/alternatives - controlpanel - javaws - javaws.1.gz - libjavaplugin.so - libjavaplugin.so.x86_64 Browsing to websites using Firefox that require the Java plug-in or Java Web Start will result in an error. Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): java-1.6.0-sun-plugin-1.6.0.45 How reproducible: Update java-1.6.0-sun from update 43 to update 45 Steps to Reproduce: 1. rpm -Uvh java-1.6.0-sun-1.6.0.45-1jpp.1.el5_9.i586.rpm java-1.6.0-sun-1.6.0.45-1jpp.1.el5_9.x86_64.rpm java-1.6.0-sun-plugin-1.6.0.45-1jpp.1.el5_9.i586.rpm java-1.6.0-sun-plugin-1.6.0.45-1jpp.1.el5_9.x86_64.rpm 2. 3. Actual results: /etc/alternatives is not updated. Browsing to websites using Firefox that require the Java plug-in or Java Web Start will result in an error. Expected results: /etc/alternatives is updated. Browsing to websites using Firefox that require the Java plug-in or Java Web Start will will work. Additional info:
I'm afraid this is intentional - see https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=913659 (and same for rhel 5) As you may not be able to view this bug little summary: Oracle jdk6 have "EOLed" (ended support) since February 2013. Although we are keeping it as alive as possible, the plugin, when proper fixing from upstream is stopped, is open security hole into your system. So the links were forcibly removed during installation. However the plugin is still physically available, so if you feel strong enough you can add the link on your own risk. Correct approach would be to use java-1.7.0-openjdk + icedtea-web (opensource replacement for plugin/javaws) If you need some help with icedtea-web, or insists on enabling proprietary jdk6's plugin, feel free to ask in this bug.
Just adding few references: This change happened in http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-0666.html advisory. Suggested alternatives are covered in https://access.redhat.com/site/solutions/314713
Thank you for the information.