FW: Signed Applet Shortcomming

Silvert, Stan (Stan.Silvert@delta-air.com)
Thu, 9 Jul 1998 13:41:18 -0400

From: "Silvert, Stan" <Stan.Silvert@delta-air.com>
To: "'java-security@java.sun.com'" <java-security@java.sun.com>
Subject: FW: Signed Applet Shortcomming
Date: Thu, 9 Jul 1998 13:41:18 -0400

Hello,

I work for Delta Airlines and we are wanting to use signed applets in
our intranet with Java Plug-in. The reason we are choosing Java and
applets is because we don't have to install software at the client. The
problem we have is with the identitydb.obj file which must be loaded
onto each client's system by some means not specified by Sun.

Right now it looks like there is no seamless way to get the identity
database (identitydb.obj) onto all the client's systems. I think that
Plug-in has an opportunity to help out here. Since Plug-in loads the
Java run-time, it could just as easily create/update an identitydb.obj
file for the user. This way a signed applet would be truly
distributable over the net.

Here is a post from an Internet newsgroup from someone having the same
problem. Nobody was able to help him:
http://x1.dejanews.com/getdoc.xp?AN=360798294&CONTEXT=900005641.89194599
&hitnum=11

Some here at Delta are suggesting that we use Microsoft's IE Java VM
because it only requires that the user accept the certificate from a
signed CAB file instead of manually copying or creating the proper
identitydb.obj file on the client system. I would hate to see us go
down that path.

Stan Silvert
stan.silvert@delta-air.com