Introduction

This document describes how to build the Dashboard as Java Webstart.

Java Webstart provides the possibilty to deploy a Java standalone application over a network.
It ensures the most current version of the application and offers the same experience as the standalone application does (for more information see java.sun.com)

In the following, the process how to created and deploy Dashboard as Java Webstart is described.

Preconditions and Goals

As Java Webstart is provided over the internet you need to deploy it on an web server (such as the Apache httpd server).
So please ensure that you or someone you trust has access to the document root directory of you web server.
Furthermore please ensure that the following line is in the mime.types file found at /your/web/server/conf:
```
application/x-java-jnlp-file    jnlp
```
This lets the web server know how to handle the jnlp file correctly. If this entry has not been in your mime.types please restart your webserver.

How to do it

Check-out jMoby from its CVS repository

You probably already have done this. The details are in a separate document. Remember that you are using one of the following CVS locations/protocols. For developers with write access, use:

:ext:your_username@pub.open-bio.org:/home/repository/moby

For read-only, use an anonymous access:

cvs -d :pserver:cvs@cvs.open-bio.org:/home/repository/moby

In both cases, you are interested in module moby-live/Java.

By the way, the best CVS client for Windows I know is CVS Tortoise.

Create the Dashboard Webstart application

Make sure that you have run

ant install

Creating the Dashboard Webstart application is as easy as getting wet on a rainy day.
Just run

ant dashboard-webstart

During the process some information is required which will be described here in detail.

The creation process

The first thing you will see is that you are presented some general information about what is happening now. Just press RETURN after you have read it.

The next interaction you have to do is to give a path to the keystore....
In case you have no idea what this means, you will get the information shortly. In case you know what it is AND you already have a valid keystore please enter the path to this keystore. Dashboard-webstart will then use the existing keystore (but remember your password then).

So what is that keystore ?

The Dashboard Webstart requires full access to ones harddrive (to cache the ontologies), therefore you have to sign the jars which the application needs. For this signing process you need a key stored in a keystore. This ant task creates a new key called dashboard and puts it into the keystore you enter.

So for this part just type a location at which the keystore shall be stored (remember to enter a path to a file, not to the directory - like /usr/local/user/mykeystore). You can use this keystore later of course to create other keys or to sign other jars (you find more information about the keystore & signing process at java.sun.com).

Creating a keystore

If you entered a keystore which does not exists, the process will ask you several information about who you are and where you from.

Keep in mind that this information is really important as people who start your Dashboard JavaWebstart have to accept that the application gets access to their harddrives. The values you enter here are shown to the user and they are asked if they trust the person offering the Webstart application. So please enter the correct information about you.

At the end you have to give a password which is at least 6 characters long for the keystore. This password will be always required in case you add another key to the keystore, so dont forget this one.
After that you are free to enter the password for the key you are about to create. If you want to use the same password as for the keystore itself, just hit RETURN. Otherwise enter your password.

Using an existing keystore

If you already have a keystore you only have to provide the password of the keystore and if you want a password for the key.

In either of the cases the jars will be signed now...

Location of the Webstart application

After the signing you have to enter the URL at which the Webstart application will be found (like http://you.domain.com/dashboard).

Packing things together

After you entered all this information a tar.gz file is created and can be found at moby-live/Java/docs/dist/. Copy this file into the directory you entered just before on your webserver and unpack it there.

And thats all... You and everyone else (or the ones you are allowing to) can now access your Dashboard Webstart application by calling http://your.domain.com/your/dashboard/path/dashboard.jnlp

Important information

Unfortunately you can not experience the full power of the Dashboard application, as the MoSeS code generator will not work in the Webstart application.
To disable this panel you have to edit the moby-live/Java/src/config/dashboard/META-INF/services/org.biomoby.service.dashboard.DashboardPanel file. Just comment out the following line:

org.biomoby.service.dashboard.GeneratorPanel

so that it looks like

#org.biomoby.service.dashboard.GeneratorPanel

Of course you can also comment out other panels and therefore individualise your Dashboard Webstart application.
Please note that if you changed this file you have to run the ant task again !

Andreas Groscurth

Last modified: Wed Nov 19 16:14:36 2008