Unable to install icedtea plugin on Utopic Unicorn 14.10

Question

Trying to install icedtea-7-plugin on 14.10 x64 gives an error.

apt-get install icedtea-7-plugin
. . .
Selecting previously unselected package icedtea-netx:amd64.
. . .
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.0.2-2) ...
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

It seems there is a problem with a dependency, icedtea-netx. So I tried to install icedtea-netx just by itself, and the error is shown below.

It seemed to be looking for java-8-openjdk-amd64. I had installed openjdk-7-jre from the repositories, so I uninstalled that and installed both openjdk-8-jre and openjdk-8-jdk. However, this did not correct the issue with icedtea-netx.

(I want to use icedtea and open JDK, not the proprietary Java from Oracle).

Has anyone experienced this, and is there a resolution to the problem?

Here is the output of apt-get install icedtea-netx...

apt-get install icedtea-netx
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  icedtea-netx-common
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  icedtea-netx icedtea-netx-common
0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Inst icedtea-netx-common (1.5.1-1ubuntu1 Ubuntu:14.10/utopic [all])
Inst icedtea-netx (1.5.1-1ubuntu1 Ubuntu:14.10/utopic [amd64])
Conf icedtea-netx-common (1.5.1-1ubuntu1 Ubuntu:14.10/utopic [all])
Conf icedtea-netx (1.5.1-1ubuntu1 Ubuntu:14.10/utopic [amd64])
root@PS001:/etc/apt/sources.list.d# apt-get install icedtea-netx
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  icedtea-netx-common
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  icedtea-netx icedtea-netx-common
0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/1138 kB of archives.
After this operation, 1505 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y
Selecting previously unselected package icedtea-netx-common.
(Reading database ... 314900 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../icedtea-netx-common_1.5.1-1ubuntu1_all.deb ...
Unpacking icedtea-netx-common (1.5.1-1ubuntu1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package icedtea-netx:amd64.
Preparing to unpack .../icedtea-netx_1.5.1-1ubuntu1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking icedtea-netx:amd64 (1.5.1-1ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.10.1-0ubuntu2) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.22-1ubuntu2) ...
Processing triggers for bamfdaemon (0.5.1+14.10.20140925-0ubuntu1) ...
Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/bamf-2.index...
Processing triggers for mime-support (3.55ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.13-1) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.0.2-2) ...
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
root@PS001:/etc/apt/sources.list.d# apt-get -f install             
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up icedtea-netx:amd64 (1.5.1-1ubuntu1) ...
update-alternatives: warning: forcing reinstallation of alternative /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-openjdk-amd64/jre/bin/itweb-settings because link group itweb-settings is broken
update-alternatives: warning: not replacing /usr/share/man/man1/itweb-settings.1.gz with a link
update-alternatives: warning: forcing reinstallation of alternative /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-openjdk-amd64/jre/bin/itweb-settings because link group itweb-settings is broken
update-alternatives: warning: not replacing /usr/share/man/man1/itweb-settings.1.gz with a link
update-alternatives: error: alternative path /usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-amd64/jre/bin/javaws doesn't exist
dpkg: error processing package icedtea-netx:amd64 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Errors were encountered while processing:
 icedtea-netx:amd64
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

Solution 1

I have successfully tried another temporary workaround.

The error message says: "update-alternatives: error: alternative path /usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-amd64/jre/bin/javaws doesn't exist". So, I have created a symbolic link then deinstall one by one the packages (icedtea-plugin, then icedtea-7-plugin, then icedtea-netx (it's not necessary for icedtea-netx-common)), then reinstall icedtea-plugin.

cd /usr/lib/jvm
ln -s java-1.7.0-openjdk-amd64 java-8-openjdk-amd64
apt-get purge icedtea-plugin
apt-get purge icedtea-7-plugin
apt-get purge icedtea-netx
apt-get install icedtea-plugin

Giles

Solution 2

Just follow the provided workarround in of the bug in https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/icedtea-web/+bug/1385478 .

Seems to work pretty well.

"WORKAROUND : download and install manually version 1.5 (in order) :

32bits

http://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu/pool/main/i/icedtea-web/icedtea-netx-common_1.5-1ubuntu1_all.deb

http://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu/pool/main/i/icedtea-web/icedtea-netx_1.5-1ubuntu1_i386.deb

http://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu/pool/main/i/icedtea-web/icedtea-7-plugin_1.5-1ubuntu1_i386.deb

64bits

http://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu/pool/main/i/icedtea-web/icedtea-netx-common_1.5-1ubuntu1_all.deb

http://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu/pool/main/i/icedtea-web/icedtea-netx_1.5-1ubuntu1_amd64.deb

http://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu/pool/main/i/icedtea-web/icedtea-7-plugin_1.5-1ubuntu1_amd64.deb"

"

Solution 3

I have the same problem, and I assumed this is a bug in the package. I have reported it. As a workaround I have followed the instructions on installing the Oracle Java.

Comments

[Enterprise]

Thanks. I wasn't sure this was a bug, or something wrong I had done. I have indicated that I am impacted by the bug you opened. (We might have to close this question, if this is a verified bug).

[Gladen]

Thanks. This seemed to work for me. I don't really like to mess to much with these kind of dirty fixes, but it'll do until Canonical fixes the issue. :)