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APPX Desktop Client

This document will explain how to start the APPX Desktop Client via Java Web Start Technology. When you publish the APPX Desktop Client using Java Web Start technology you ensure the most current version of the application will be deployed, as well as the correct version of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE). Since the APPX Desktop Client will only be configured on the web server, you will not need to install the client on each desktop in your enterprise, just have the user base run the application for a published URL. This document applies to APPX Desktop Client version 4.2.a and above. These instructions do not require any APPX server work. APPX server on any platform may be connected to via the client when launched with Java Web Start.

APPX Desktop Client

Required software components

APPX Desktop Client Java Web Start Bundle

You can get the APPX Desktop Client Java Web Start Bundle from here

APPX Server

You need a functioning APPX installation. Follow instructions in this document to install APPX on Windows if you don't already have APPX installed.

Web Server

You need a functioning web server. Apache and IIS are two common servers.

Quick steps

APPX Desktop Client Java Web Start Bundle

Unbundle the APPX Desktop Client Java Web Start Bundle files into a directory off of your web server's web root.
Configure the .html file to link to the .jnlp file.
Edit the .jnlp file and modify any href tags to fit your web server.

APPX Server

There isn't any special configuration in APPX Server, just make sure you have an APPX Client Manager listening and accepting logins.

Detailed steps

Here are the steps I used to load the APPX Desktop Client via Java Web Start. These instructions assume that you already have a working installation of APPX Server that is configured with a Client Manager and accepting logins. You must also have a web server installed and started.

Download and place the APPX Desktop Client Java Web Start Bundle.

I downloaded version 4.2.a from here. Place the bundle in a directory off of your web server's web root and follow the steps below to install and configure.

I am going to use the command line tool wget to fetch the file bundle:

[joe@webserver /]$ cd /var/www/html 
[joe@webserver /]$ sudo wget http://www.appx.com/ftp/appx/products/appx/client/4.2.a/java_web.tgz
[joe@webserver html]$

Now let's untar the files

[joe@webserver html]$ sudo tar xzvpf appx.tgz
appx/
appx/appx32.gif
appx/appx.html
appx/splash.gif
appx/appx-nativelib.jar
appx/appx.jar
appx/appx.jnlp
[joe@webserver html]$ ls -la
total 1216
drwxr-xr-x  3 root root    4096 Mar  4 14:27 .
drwxr-xr-x 10 root root    4096 Jun 26  2007 ..
drwxrwxrwx  2 root root    4096 Mar  3 14:40 appx
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 1212317 Mar  4 14:27 appx.tgz
[joe@webserver html]$ cd appx
[joe@webserver appx]$ ls
appx32.gif  appx.html  appx.jar  appx.jnlp  appx-nativelib.jar  splash.gif

Take a look at the appx.html file. This file is just a starter file that you can use to load the .jnlp file.:

[joe@webserver appx]$ cat appx.html
<html>
   <body>
      <body bgcolor=black>
      <font color=red>
      <font size=5>
      <center>
      <HR>
Java Web Start Demonstration
      <br>
Click <a href="appx.jnlp">Here</a>
      <br>
      <hr>
You should execute or download and execute the application.  It will not run until the appx.jar file is signed.
      <br>
      <hr>
   </body>
</html>
[joe@webserver appx]$

Now take a look at the appx.jnlp file. This file is an XML file that contains the information needed by Java Web Start to load the APPX Desktop Client jar file:

[joe@webserver appx]$ cat appx.jnlp
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- JNLP File for APPX Desktop Client 4.2.a Application -->
<jnlp
  spec="1.0+"
  codebase="http://webserver.example.com/appx"
  href="appx.jnlp">
  <information>
    <title>APPX Desktop Client 4.2.a Java Web Start Demo Application</title>
    <vendor>APPX Software, Inc.</vendor>
    <homepage href="http://www.appx.com"/>
    <description>APPX Desktop Client 4.2.a Java Web Start Demo Application</description>
    <description kind="short">A demo of the capabilities of the APPX Desktop Client launched via Sun's Java Web Start.</description>
    <icon href="http://webserver.example.com/appx/appx32.gif"/>
    <icon kind="splash" href="splash.gif"/>
    <offline-allowed/>
  </information>
  <security>
      <all-permissions/>
  </security>
  <resources>
    <j2se version="1.6"/>
    <jar href="http://webserver.example.com/appx/appx.jar"/>
    <nativelib href="http://webserver.example.com/appx/appx-nativelib.jar"/>
  </resources>
  <application-desc main-class="start.Appx"/>
</jnlp> 
[joe@webserver appx]$