Java Plugin & Linux Firebird

[Dave Tweten]

Sorry for asking about Linux Mozilla on this list, but asking the 
freebsd-ports list produced no answers, polite or otherwise.  This query 
should at least net some answers.

I've abandoned Linux Netscape Navigator 4.8 and have been trying to 
upgrade to Linux Mozilla Firebird.  Firebird itself, and the Shockwave 
Flash plugin work fine but Java plugins have been resisting me.  It seems 
like a good time to pause and ask some questions:

1. Does linux-mozillafirebird actually even need a Java plugin?  I've
   been trying to install one because native Mozilla required java/jdk14,
   or it would complain (according to its build messages).  But, there
   aren't any similar build messages from linux-mozillafirebird.

   Incidently, I abandoned native Mozilla because the Linux plugin
   wrapper required a modification to the 4.9 distribution source,
   and I don't want to have to make manual changes to the source
   every time I cvsup the latest from STABLE.

2. If linux-mozillafirebird doesn't need a Java plugin, what are the
   Blackdown, IBM, and Sun plugins good for, anyway?

3. If it does need a plugin, what are the relative advantages of
   linux-blackdown-jdk14, linux-ibm-jdk14, and linux-sun-jdk14?

4. Again, assuming that a plugin is needed, how do I provide
   linux-ibm-jdk14 and linux-sun-jdk14 with a libgcc_s.so.1 file,
   or provide linux-blackdown-jdk14 with the symbol,
   GetGlobalServiceManager__16nsServiceManagerPP17nsIServiceManager?
   They each complain that something is missing when
   linux-mozillafirebird starts.

Any advice will be considered; any polite advice will be appreciated.
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