Will SIP run on my machine?
The Java programming language is supported, in principle, by all major
operating system and browser manufacturers. In practice, some browsers
are not yet up to the level at which they should be. While all of SIP's
features are available in a Java 1.1 compatible browser that can run
signed applets, some browser/platform combinations are not quite there
--- yet.
As for the most commonly used educational systems...
- Windows 95/98: SIP will work as a signed applet (i.e., with
all its features) on a Windows 95/98 machine in a recent version of
Netscape Communicator or Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE).
- Mac: SIP will work with all its features on a Power Mac in
Netscape 5.0 (once that release is available --- soon?). At present you
have two options...
- SIP will run with all its features in Applet Runner. Download
SIPapplet_sit.hqx which contains the file "SIP Applet.html". Run
"SIP Applet.html" in Applet Runner. First, you may have to download the
Macintosh run-time Java machine from Apple (see details below).
- SIP will run as an unsigned applet in MSIE, and then only if you
download the Macintosh run-time Java machine from Apple (see details
below).
Details on the platforms that I have tried:
- Windows 95/98 or NT machine, Netscape Communicator 4.5-- SIP
works as expected.
- Windows 95/98 or NT machine, Microsoft Internet Explorer
4.5-- SIP works as expected.
- Mac (various OS, CPU), Apple's Applet Runner-- SIP works
as expected. Check to see if you have the Applet Runner application
(use Finder, click on File, Find...). If you don't have Applet Runner,
download the Macintosh run-time Java machine (called MRJ) from http://www.apple.com/java. Download
the Stuffit file
SIPapplet_sit.hqx which contains the html file "SIP Applet.html". To open
"SIP Applet.html" in Applet Runner, double click on it, or open it in
Applet Runner using "Open Local HTML File...". Then to run SIP, click on
the "Start SIP" button that appears in the small Applet Runner window. It
may take 15 seconds or so for the small Applet Runner window to appear.
(Note: on Macs a window's menu bar is at the top of the screen,
separated from the window. With both an Applet Runner window and a SIP
window opened the menu bar will contain the items "File Edit Applet File
View Process Analyze". The first three items apply to the Applet Runner
window. The other items "File View Process Analyze" apply to the SIP
window.)
- Mac (various OS, CPU), Netscape Communicator (various
levels)-- SIP does not work at all! However, an Apple website
FAQ
states that Netscape 5.0 (due out soon) should enable the user to select
the Macintosh run-time Java machine, which should allow SIP to work as
a fully functional signed applet in the Netscape browser.
- Mac (various OS, CPU), Microsoft Internet Explorer, Macintosh
Edition (various levels)-- SIP will work only as an unsigned applet.
In other words, you will not be able to read/write images on your own
machine's disk. All other features will work. This level of capability
requires that you: (1) download the Macintosh run-time Java machine
(called MRJ) from http://www.apple.com/java, if you
don't already have it, and (2)
set the preferences in MSIE to use the MRJ rather than the built-in MSIE
java. (Note: I know this "patch" works in MSIE 4.5 on a Mac 7500/100
running Mac OS 7.6.1. It may even work on older machines, or with a less
recent OS, but I don't know that from direct experience.) Finally, I
have read that the Microsoft Internet Explorer Macintosh Edition may
never enable applets to run as signed applets! (I guess that's a
choice by Microsoft.)
- Sun Unix Workstation running Solaris (various levels), Netscape
Communicator (various levels)-- SIP works as expected.
- Linux machine, Netsape Communicator (various levels)-- SIP
works as expected.
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