Java update - Enable applet plug-in and Web start applications

http://derflounder.wordpress.com/2011/08/31/activate-java-web-plug-ins-setting-in-10-7-from-the-command-line/

there is a way to create it manually, add to user template etc.

I created a package with the .plist ByHost File and set it to FUT to install during imaging, but it doesn't seem to be working.

JAMF should be able to handle this like it does other ByHost files, right (at image time)?

I created a script that I run at every user logon. It's based on some code from someone else doing the same thing.

1#!/bin/sh
2
3# Only for Mac OS 10.7
4
5if [ `sw_vers -productVersion | awk -F. '{ print $2 }'` -eq 7 ]; then
6
7    # Set the UUID for the ByHost File Naming
8    MAC_UUID=`system_profiler SPHardwareDataType | grep "Hardware UUID" | awk '{print $3}'` 
9    if [ `echo $MAC_UUID | cut -c 1-24` == "00000000-0000-1000-8000-" ]; then
10        MAC_UUID=`echo $MAC_UUID | cut -c 25-36`
11    fi
12
13    # Set the "Enable applet plug-in and Web Start Applications" setting in Java Prefs
14    echo "UUID for ByHost file naming set to $MAC_UUID"
15
16    /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Delete :GeneralByTask:Any:WebComponentsEnabled" /Users/$3/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.java.JavaPreferences.${MAC_UUID}.plist
17    /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :GeneralByTask:Any:WebComponentsEnabled bool true" /Users/$3/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.java.JavaPreferences.${MAC_UUID}.plist
18    /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Delete :GeneralByTask:Any:WebComponentsLastUsed" /Users/$3/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.java.JavaPreferences.${MAC_UUID}.plist
19    /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :GeneralByTask:Any:WebComponentsLastUsed real $(( $(date "+%s") - 978307200 ))" /Users/$3/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.java.JavaPreferences.${MAC_UUID}.plist
20
21    chown $3 /Users/$3/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.java.JavaPreferences.$MAC_UUID.plist
22    echo "Java web plug-in enabled"
23fi

Maybe try the Oracle java update http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/press/1603497?

Thanks for the script. According to a few security sites, supposedly will only disable itself after 35 days of non Java use, but if that countdown starts with the image date that's not so helpful.

It's a shame you can't run the script once a month per user.

Edit: the package to set the ByHost file setting did work - I had another package fighting with it. I assume I'll still have to use the script in this thread though because after 35 days it will be unchecked again.

I use Rich's script as a login script or along with the JAVA update to enable the plugin after the update.

1#!/bin/sh
2
3# Set the the "Enable applet plug-in and Web Start Applications" setting for Java in your Mac's default user template and for all existing users.
4# Code adapted from DeployStudio's rc130 ds_finalize script, from the section where DeployStudio is disabling the iCloud and gestures demos
5
6osversionlong=`sw_vers -productVersion`
7osvers=${osversionlong:3:1}
8
9
10# Get the system's UUID to set ByHost prefs
11MAC_UUID=$(system_profiler SPHardwareDataType | awk -F" " '/UUID/{print $3}')
12
13# Checks first to see if the Mac is running 10.7 or 10.8. If so, the script
14# checks the system default user template for the presence of 
15# the Library/Preferences and Library/Preferences/ByHost directories.
16# If the directories are not found, they are created and then the
17# "Enable applet plug-in and Web Start Applications" setting for Java
18# setting is enabled.
19
20if [[ ${osvers} -eq 7 || 8 ]];
21then
22  for USER_TEMPLATE in "/System/Library/User Template"/*
23  do
24     if [ ! -d "${USER_TEMPLATE}"/Library/Preferences ]
25      then
26        mkdir -p "${USER_TEMPLATE}"/Library/Preferences
27     fi
28     if [ ! -d "${USER_TEMPLATE}"/Library/Preferences/ByHost ]
29      then
30        mkdir -p "${USER_TEMPLATE}"/Library/Preferences/ByHost
31     fi
32     if [ -d "${USER_TEMPLATE}"/Library/Preferences/ByHost ]
33      then
34        /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Delete :GeneralByTask:Any:WebComponentsEnabled" "${USER_TEMPLATE}"/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.java.JavaPreferences.${MAC_UUID}.plist
35    /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :GeneralByTask:Any:WebComponentsEnabled bool true" "${USER_TEMPLATE}"/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.java.JavaPreferences.${MAC_UUID}.plist
36    /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Delete :GeneralByTask:Any:WebComponentsLastUsed" "${USER_TEMPLATE}"/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.java.JavaPreferences.${MAC_UUID}.plist
37    /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :GeneralByTask:Any:WebComponentsLastUsed real '356031204.300292'" "${USER_TEMPLATE}"/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.java.JavaPreferences.${MAC_UUID}.plist
38      fi
39  done
40fi
41
42
43# Checks first to see if the Mac is running 10.7 or 10.8. If so, the script
44# checks the existing user folders in /Users for the presence of 
45# the Library/Preferences and Library/Preferences/ByHost directories.
46# If the directories are not found, they are created and then the
47# "Enable applet plug-in and Web Start Applications" setting for Java
48# setting is enabled.
49
50if [[ ${osvers} -eq 7 || 8 ]];
51then
52  for USER_HOME in /Users/*
53  do
54    USER_UID=`basename "${USER_HOME}"`
55    if [ ! "${USER_UID}" = "Shared" ] 
56    then 
57      if [ ! -d "${USER_HOME}"/Library/Preferences ]
58      then
59        mkdir -p "${USER_HOME}"/Library/Preferences
60        chown "${USER_UID}" "${USER_HOME}"/Library
61        chown "${USER_UID}" "${USER_HOME}"/Library/Preferences
62      fi
63      if [ ! -d "${USER_HOME}"/Library/Preferences/ByHost ]
64      then
65        mkdir -p "${USER_HOME}"/Library/Preferences/ByHost
66        chown "${USER_UID}" "${USER_HOME}"/Library
67        chown "${USER_UID}" "${USER_HOME}"/Library/Preferences
68    chown "${USER_UID}" "${USER_HOME}"/Library/Preferences/ByHost
69      fi
70      if [ -d "${USER_HOME}"/Library/Preferences/ByHost ]
71      then
72        /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Delete :GeneralByTask:Any:WebComponentsEnabled" "${USER_HOME}"/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.java.JavaPreferences.${MAC_UUID}.plist
73    /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :GeneralByTask:Any:WebComponentsEnabled bool true" "${USER_HOME}"/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.java.JavaPreferences.${MAC_UUID}.plist
74    /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Delete :GeneralByTask:Any:WebComponentsLastUsed" "${USER_HOME}"/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.java.JavaPreferences.${MAC_UUID}.plist
75    /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :GeneralByTask:Any:WebComponentsLastUsed real '356031204.300292'" "${USER_HOME}"/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.java.JavaPreferences.${MAC_UUID}.plist
76        chown "${USER_UID}" "${USER_HOME}"/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.java.JavaPreferences.${MAC_UUID}.*
77      fi
78    fi
79  done
80fi

Hi,

Does this script takes care of enabling the JAVA after 35 days?
Because I can't understand ```
"Add :GeneralByTask:Any:WebComponentsLastUsed real '356031204.300292'
``` . in the script. We need JAVA applet and webstart should be enabled always. Does this real value helps on keeping it enabled?

Regards,
Karthikeyan M

I've got an updated version of the script that addresses the date issue. Instead of ```
"Add :GeneralByTask:Any:WebComponentsLastUsed real '356031204.300292'
, it now uses
"Add :GeneralByTask:Any:WebComponentsLastUsed real $(( $(date "+%s") - 978307200 ))"
``` to set the real key value.

Script is available from https://github.com/rtrouton/rtrouton_scripts/tree/master/rtrouton_scripts/enable_java_web_plugins_at_login

@rtrouton - thanks for posting the updated link. Works great.

Is there an easy way to scope this only to machines that have applied this new Java OS X update that just hit (version 9 I believe)?

Also does this work on the 10.6 version?

@gshackney, my script does work on 10.6.8 Macs that have had Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 9 applied. I've got a post on it here:

http://derflounder.wordpress.com/2012/06/14/automatically-activate-the-java-web-plug-ins-setting-on-mac-os-x-10-6-x/