APPX Desktop Client Launched via Java Web Start

This document will explain how to start the APPX Desktop Client via Java Web Start Technology.

Overview

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 configuration other than an APPX Login Manager configured to accept logins. APPX server on any platform may be connected to via the client when launched with Java Web Start. The size of the APPX Java Web Start bundle is about 1.3 MB. When the APPX Desktop Client is run for the first time, Java Web Start will download the entire package ; the next time it will check only for modified jar files (an upgrade) and download them. If this is not the case, the application will start immediately.

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 configured with jnlp mime type support. 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

Install APPX Server. No special configuration is needed in the APPX Server for APPX Desktop Client connectivity when launched via Java Web Start, just make sure you have an APPX Client Manager (Unix or Linux or Windows) 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 (Unix or Linux or Windows) 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]$

Key components of appx.html and appx.jnlp

appx.html

The appx.html file is the web document that a web browser can view. This document contains a link to a Java Web Start file (appx.jnlp). When this link is clicked, the JRE environment is installed if it doesn't exist on the client desktop, and then the APPX Desktop Client application will load. Subsequent clicks will only download updates. Modify

Modify appx.html and appx.jnlp files

appx.html file modifications

Click Next.

Configure your web server

Your webserver needs to support the .jnlp mime type. There are too many web servers and web server version that each configure via different actions, syntax or configuration file location that it is beyond the scope of this document to cover mime type configuration fully. However, this might be enough to get you on the right track is your server is not already configured for jnlp mime type support.