11.10 not supporting java.awt.Desktop API

[iceback]

Since I cannot find other references to this problem I have to assume it's a configuration problem. The problem is that Desktop API in not functional.

I have a pretty vanilla ubuntu-11.10 (64 bit) install and I'm running the default GNOME (Unity?) window manager. Though I have to admit I've added a fair number of packages hoping one will restore what I think should be normal behaviour.

Linux am-rjs 3.0.0-16-generic #28-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jan 27 17:44:39 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_31-b04)

public class DesktopInvoke {
    public static void main(String [] args) {
        Desktop dt = Desktop.getDesktop();
        if (dt.isDesktopSupported() ) {
            System.out.println("Should work fine");
        }
        else {
            System.out.println("You're hosed");
        }
    }
}

And running this I get

java -cp . DesktopInvoke
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.UnsupportedOperationException: Desktop API is not supported on the current platform
	at java.awt.Desktop.getDesktop(Desktop.java:126)
	at DesktopInvoke.main(DesktopInvoke.java:5)

Sure, it's not well crafted but the point I think is made. WTF.

[iceback]

Just for closure, this resolved itself. No clue as to what changed.

[ackey]

I just had a similar problem (but on 12.04, 64-bit) and solved it by installing libgnome2-0. Apparently, according to the documentation documentation of the desktop API, it looks for "gnome libraries". I found the solution here. I'm not 100% positive that it was just libgnome2-0 that fixed it, but either that or the associated packages did. When installing it through aptitude I ended up getting

The following NEW packages will be installed:
  libbonobo2-0{a} libbonobo2-common{a} libgnome2-0 libgnomevfs2-0{a} libgnomevfs2-common{a}

iceback, I know your problem was already solved but this was one of the few threads I found when trying to debug this for myself. Maybe this will help someone!