Let's gather some tips here for BatClient on a Linux box.

For a new Ubuntu just follow the instructions at: http://www.java.com/en/download/help/linux_install.xml

Instructions
- delete old batclient directory
- go to www.bat.org/batclient and download batclient.jnlp to your desktop
- right click batclient.jnlp and choose "Open With other application"
- choose "/usr/java/jre1.7.0_09/bin/javaws"
- watch it download
...
- after initial download it should be sufficient to just double click the batclient.jnlp icon on your desktop to open client





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Keeping this part for older releases?

I'm using Debian "Etch" and had some difficulties to get it working. Now it seems to work, so here's what I did:

JAVA
- Go to (sorry but you have to) http://www.java.com/en/download/linux_manual.jsp
- Download Linux (self-extracting file, 19.2MB) (jre-6u22-linux-i586.bin)
- as root, apt-get install java-package
- as root, mkdir /usr/java
- as root, mv jre-6u22-linux-i586.bin /usr/java/
- as root, cd /usr/java
- as root, chmod a+x jre-6u22-linux-i586.bin
- as root, ./jre-6u22-linux-i586.bin
(- accept licence with 'yes')
- check that subdirectory jre1.6.0_22 was created
- go to firefox plugin directory (/usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/ or /usr/lib/mozilla-firefox/plugins/ or /usr/lib/iceaweasel/plugins/ or /usr/lib/iceape/plugins/ etc..)
- ln -s /usr/java/jre1.6.0_22/plugin/i386/ns7/libjavaplugin_oji.so . (rm old one if one already exists)
- Firefox 6 seemed to need this also: ln -s /usr/java/jre1.6.0_27/lib/i386/libnpjp2.so .
- check with "about:plugins" in your url-box to see that correct java version is in use

(dont know if this is still needed?
- add to /etc/profile:
...
export PATH
add these -> JAVA_HOME="/etc/lib/java"
add these -> export JAVA_HOME
umask 022
)
- reboot to be sure

Instructions
- delete old batclient directory
- go to www.bat.org/batclient and download batclient.jnlp to your desktop
- right click batclient.jnlp and choose "Open With other application"
- choose "/usr/java/jre1.6.0_11/javaws/javaws"
- watch it download
...
- after initial download it should be sufficient to just double click the batclient.jnlp icon on your desktop to open client


NOTE!!
I haven't got fonts working, so my maps are not in a "monospace" font which means theyre all screwy. Any help on this?

Hmm... In my Debian Etch Client runs fine with some exception.
Background of windows are white so map and battle windows are
really hard to see as their backgrounds cannot be changed. Or can they?

I got few issues. There's a window toolbar above the "Network", "Settings", "Help" toolbar, that's themed with java default theme. Which is Grey. And butt ugly :S Also, the main window is titled as "(null)"

All windows that have Window transparency set on, are with a grey background and you can't make out any text really. If you turn off alpha, the windows turn black and you can actually use them.

Player own status window doesn't have an alpha setting apparently, so it's all grey and I cannot change it :-/ Same with login window and apparently Party OOF window bugs in a similar manner.

My setup is Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon, nVidia 6800 GTS with nvidia proprietary drivers, X.Org server (with glx modules), compiz effects at fullness (with advanced modules). Metacity window manager. I doubt these make any difference though. Haven't tried without glx modules, as I like my desktop with hw rendering :D

Tried this also on my laptop with same issues, but that doesn't have compiz and has ATI Mobile as display driver. Both have Ubuntu community sun java run time environment.

java -version output:
java version "1.6.0_03"
Java™ SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_03-b05)
Java HotSpot™ Client VM (build 1.6.0_03-b05, mixed mode, sharing)

"There's a window toolbar above the "Network", "Settings", "Help" toolbar, that's themed with java default theme. Which is Grey. And butt ugly :S Also, the main window is titled as "(null)""

This is a window manager related bug, change from Gnome to KDE or Enlightenment and the problem disappers. We will research if we can fix the problem w/ Gnome.

With gnome the background color can be changed using gnome's themes - high contrast inverse is one that is readable, kind of.

Another issue that can be fudged around is running batclient on 64-bit os's - as Sun hasn't ported java web start to 64-bit archs, you'll have to do the installation & startup manually. For example:


... just my 0.02 gold coins.

Ok this is linux...you dont need to reboot unless it affects kernal....this is a java ap...so it dont affect kernal so no reboot should be required

Had the same problem and managed to fix this. Opened up home/batclient/conf/desktop.xml and replaced all instances of Dialog.plain with Monospaced.plain

It changed some fonts in windows where a monospaced font doesn't really do any good but at least all the map type thingies work nicely now. I should probably get to studying the file a bit more this time and only changing what needs to be changed.

Added a new step for Firefox6 Java, just in case Batclient needs it too :)