How to launch iDash Admin GUI using OpenJDK and IcedTea-Web

Products

• iDash Workload Automation

Issue/Introduction

When attempting to launch the iDash Admin Tool (admintool.jnlp) in an environment using Red Hat OpenJDK (such as version 21), the launch fails because OpenJDK does not natively include Java Web Start (javaws) support.

Cause

The iDash Admin Tool requires a Java Web Start implementation to process .jnlp files. Standard OpenJDK distributions often exclude this component, which was previously bundled with Oracle Java.

Resolution

To successfully run the iDash Admin GUI in an OpenJDK environment, you must use IcedTea-Web, which provides the necessary javaws functionality.

Note: While Oracle Java is an alternative, iDash 12.1 is specifically tested for stability with the AdoptOpenJDK and IcedTea-Web combination.

Recommended Configuration Steps:
1. Install Java 8: Download and install Adoptium Temurin (Java 8) from the official Adoptium Temurin Releases.
2. Install IcedTea-Web: Download and install IcedTea-Web 1.8.8 (or the latest compatible version) to obtain the javaws component.
3. Associate JNLP Files:

• Locate the admintool.jnlp file.
• Right-click the file and select Open With.
• Browse to and select the javaws executable located in your IcedTea-Web installation directory.

Once associated, the iDash Admin Tool will launch using the IcedTea-Web implementation