Java 7 update 25 makes our java web start application fail with no logging

Question

Since the java 7 update 25 launched by Oracle our application no longer functions.

Initially we got some warning about codebase & sercurity tags missing in the Manifest file, which we fixed.

The problem we now end up with is that in the Console we only get the following lines:

#### Java Web Start Error:
#### null

We also get an application Error dialog with the message: Unable to launch the application.

The details button gives the following details in the Exception:

java.lang.NullPointerException
    at com.sun.jnlp.JNLPClassLoader.getPermissions(Unknown Source)
    at java.security.SecureClassLoader.getProtectionDomain(SecureClassLoader.java:206)
    at java.security.SecureClassLoader.defineClass(SecureClassLoader.java:142)
    at java.net.URLClassLoader.defineClass(URLClassLoader.java:449)
    at java.net.URLClassLoader.access$100(URLClassLoader.java:71)
    at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java:361)
    at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java:355)
    at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
    at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(URLClassLoader.java:354)
    at com.sun.jnlp.JNLPClassLoader.findClass(Unknown Source)
    at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:424)
    at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:357)
    at desktop.DesktopProxySelector.<init>(DesktopProxySelector.java:24)     <- code smippet below
    at desktop.Main.main(Main.java:139)                                      <- code smippet below
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:606)
    at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.executeApplication(Unknown Source)
    at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.executeMainClass(Unknown Source)
    at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.doLaunchApp(Unknown Source)
    at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.run(Unknown Source)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:724)

The relevant code parts are:

Desktop.Main.main

/**
 * Main method, starts the application
 */
public static void main(String[] args) {
    System.setProperty("java.net.useSystemProxies", "true");

    //Logger.getLogger("httpclient.wire.header.level").setLevel(Level.FINEST);
    //Logger.getLogger("org.apache.commons.httpclient.level").setLevel(Level.FINEST);
    java.net.ProxySelector.setDefault(new DesktopProxySelector(java.net.ProxySelector.getDefault()));

(The last line is line number 139)

desktop.DesktopProxySelector:

public class DesktopProxySelector extends ProxySelector {

    public  DesktopProxySelector(ProxySelector defaultSelector) {
    URI httpsUri = new CentralConfigurationService().getCentralLocation();

(The last line is line number 24 where the exception occures)

Can someone give us some clues hints (or better a solution) for this new behaviour of java caused by this 'minor' update.

When we run the application straight from the cli using java -jar Desktop.jar the application wil run file, so the issue has clearly something todo with the changes in java web start.

@trashgod: the error clearly has something to do with the Permissions change in 7u25, since the NullPointerException occurs in com.sun.jnlp.JNLPClassLoader.getPermissions.

Just to explain what I think happens (I am a colleague of Wouter): desktop.Main instantiates a desktop.DesktopProxySelector (our class), desktop.DesktopProxySelector instantiates desktop.configuration.CentralConfigurationService desktop.configuration.CentralConfigurationService instantiates a java.net.URI.

On the first line of the DesktopProxySelector init where the CentralConfigurationService is instantiated the getPermissions method, called by the JNLPClassLoader, throws the NullPointerException. So something is going wrong while loading the CentralConfigurationService class by java webstart with getting the permissions for the class. Could that have anything to do with the fact that a URI class is instantiated, which requires extra permissions (a connection to a remote uri is setup)?

Complex

Uhm well, JavaFX is now included in u25 from what I've read, but I don't know whether that could provoke that – Helmand

So far, I only see the update expose my own errors. See also these related Q&A, Q&A. – Disconcerted

The problem seems to be related to network connections in java webstart, with the changes to the permissions system in java 7u25. As soon as we comment out the line 139 in main, the exact same exception occurs at desktop.Main$2.run(Main.java:148) which reads HttpClientFactory.initialize();. So it really seems there is a bug in the new permission system in java 7u25 where network connections are concerned in java webstart. – Geek

I get the same exception in one of my JNLP apps now, but everything seems to still work. Very strange. And annoying, since it e-mails me everytime it throws the error! – Gandhiism

In any case, getting a NullPointerException is NOT included in the class loader's contract. Oracle broke it. – Medial

Answer 1

Eventually the problem was solved. The problem was caused between a mismatch in the included jar files in the main MANIFEST.MF file vs the jar files mentioned in the launch.jnlp.

Apperently it is now required to have all jar files that will be used also be present in the launch.jnlp file.

(In the past it was decided to keep this file manually in sink, which obviously was not always maintained in a propper way. Now this process is automated, so the problem should no longer happen to us.)

Complex

this seems like a bad idea - requiring duplicate information in both the .jar file and the jnlp file creates the opportunity for errors without adding any security (since you control the contents of both) – Medial

That is something that for me happens automagically by netbeans. Might be related to how the project has been setup in the past. – Complex

@Wouter, I use Netbeans to compile my .jnlp app as well. I am getting this error too. How do you add the jar files to the MANIFEST.MF file? – Discoid

I am not sure how this is realized, I can only see that in the final MANIFEST.MF file (inside the jar META-INF filder) al files are managed and that this file is created by ant. I assume that netbeans takes care of this by during the project setup/build phase – Complex