Java 1.3.1 and 1.4.2 Release 2 (#2): Web browser, system stability issues; Cisco PIX interface broken; more

Web browser, system stability issues A number of users report issues with various Web browsers since applying the Java 1.3.1 and 1.4.2 Release 2 update. Several readers note problems with loading certain Web pages or issues with system stability -- including complete system freezes -- that ensue after accessing specific pages.

Marc Giller writes:

"I'm running Mac OS X 10.4.2, and just installed the Java update yesterday. Since then, Safari is busted. Sometimes I can navigate to different sites, but if I quit the program and try to start it again later, my whole system freezes up and I have to do a hard shut down. Other times, Safari launches but then freezes the whole system when I try to click on a link.

Michael Robertson adds:

"Since installing yesterday's Java update on 2 computers (G5 dual 2.0 and Powerbook 15" 1.25), I have run into identical problems on both. I haven't completely isolated the issue yet, but here is how it has occurred on both machines:

1. Web pages suddenly stop loading - sometimes halfway through a page
2. Applications (apparently all of them) then refuse to launch, first bouncing in the dock for up to a minute and then simply having a stationary, inactive icon in the dock
3. After that, the system becomes completely unresponsive; switching between open applications works, but finder functions are unavailable (the dock doesn't work, menus are inaccessible, force quit key command does not respond).
4. Eventually, I am left with a spinning cursor and must shut down the machine using the power button.

"I saw this exact behavior on the Powerbook last night and assumed I would need to do some maintenance on it today to find the problem. The G5 began acting precisely the same way this morning - the first time I had used it since installing the update."

In addition to Safari, users are reporting similar problems with OmniWeb.

Cisco PIX interface broken It appears that the Cisco PIX Device Manager 3.0 Java-based interface to the Cisco PIX 501 firewall is broken with the new Java release, delivering the following error message:

'exception: java.security.AccessControlException: access denied (java.util.PropertyPermission java.version read)'

One reader writes:

"So now I can no longer administer my Cisco PIX with the one updated Mac. The Device Manager continues to work fine on other networked Macs that have not been updated."

If you are experiencing similar issues, please let us know.

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