Java Applet Troubleshooting Guide

The VoxForge Speech Submission Application requires the following:

1. Java version 1.5 or greater;
2. Java enabled in your browser;
3. If you are using a Linux that has an open source Java that does not support signed applets (e.g. OpenJDK or IceTea), then you need Sun's JRE (Java Runtime Environment);
   
4. Special Java configurations if running behind a proxy server (see below for instructions); and
5. Special setup for USB microphones (see below).
   

How to determine if Java is installed on your PC

If Java is working properly on your browser you will see a grey rectangle below this paragraph with one line of text that says something like "Java Version 1.5.0_12 from Sun Microsystems Inc.":

 

symptom: you see text stating something like: "Browser has Java disabled"

problem: the Java Run-time Environment ("JRE") is installed on your computer, but it is disabled in your web browser

solution: Click one of these links for information on how to enable Java in your browser:

• Enable JRE through your Web browser;
• Enable JRE through the Java Plug-in Control Panel (Windows).

You might also need to Clear your Web Browser Cache to get Java to work in your browser.

symptom: you see the outline of a white box with no text in it

problem: Java is not Installed on your computer

solution: Go to Sun's Verify your Java Installation and follow the instructions on the page to install Java onto your computer.

Windows

• Internet Explorer - Sun's Java download will automatically configure IE for Java.
• FireFox - You need to click the white box or click the "missing plugins" button at the top right-hand corner of the page. FireFox will guide you to download a Java Run-time environment for you PC.
• Other browsers.

Linux

• Sun's Installation Instructions
• Community documentation:
  • Fedora: Unofficial Fedora FAQ's section on How to install Java.  See also:
    • 32-bit Fedora 9 Sun Java FireFox Plugin Installation
    • 64-bit Fedora 9 Sun Java FireFox Plugin Installation
  • Ubuntu: Community Ubuntu Documentation or Java.net
  • Suse: OpenSuse.org

symptom: you see a grey box with no text in it

Problem: Older version of Java.

Solution: Go to Sun's Verify your Java Installation and follow the instructions on the page to upgrade the version of Java on your computer.

Other Problems

symptom: can't see the waveform display on Java applet

Problem: Zoom settings in browser window are incorrectly set.

Solution: FireFox: View > Zoom: click "Zoom in" until waveform display is visible (can also use your mouse wheel to change zoom settings).

Proxy Servers

If your browser is behind a proxy server, please set up your Java JRE as follows: 

• Open the JRE control panel:
  
  • Windows: located in system control panel under Java (Start>Control Panel>Java - If this isn't visible, ensure you're using "Classic View", and not "Category View");
  • Linux: located in System>Preferences>Java (or execute jcontrol from the command line);
    
• Click the "General" tab, then click the "Network Settings..." button. Enter  proxy settings as directed by your local system administrator;
• Restart your web browser.

USB Microphones

The Speech Submission applet assumes that you will connect to your default audio source.  If your computer has an analog microphone jack (on your motherboard or on an audio card) it assumes that this is your default audio source, even if you plug in a USB microphone (it basically ignores the audio from your USB microphone).  The Speech Submission app currently has no way to change the audio source (yet..).

Possible approaches to correct this:

• Disable your motherboard's microphone jack (or the audio card itself) in your system bios (this changed on the menu you can select when your computer first starts up);
• Remove your audio card; or
  
• Modify the sound.properties file in the JRE\lib directory of your JDK installation.

Other Resources

• Javatester.org
• VoxForge Forums