HOWTO set up Juniper Network Connect VPN on Ubuntu Dapper

[dvo]

I also had quite some trouble getting Juniper to run on a new 64-bit Linux installation (Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty").
Using a 32-bit chroot works, but is quite cumbersome.

After a lot of investigation and trial and error, I realized that the - only - problem is that ~/.juniper_networks/network_connect/libncui.so is a 32-bit library, thus it cannot be used by 64-bit Java.
Shame on Juniper that they do not provide a 64-bit version of the library! This would be the only thing they'd need to do to support 64-bit Linux systems out-of-the box.

First note that JNC will only work with the Java Runtime Environment from Sun/Oracle. In case your installation uses another JRE as default, you may use the command sudo update-alternatives --config java to switch to java-6-sun.

My workaround for a 64-bit installation is as follows.

Additionally install the 32-bit variant of Java: aptitude install ia32-sun-java6-bin .
Assuming that Java is installed at /usr/lib/jvm/java-6-sun/jre/bin/ and at /usr/lib/jvm/ia32-java-6-sun/jre/bin/ ,
rename /usr/lib/jvm/java-6-sun/jre/bin/java as /usr/lib/jvm/java-6-sun/jre/bin/java.orig and
save the following shell script as /usr/lib/jvm/java-6-sun/jre/bin/java :

#!/bin/bash
if [ $3x = "NCx" ]
then
    /usr/lib/jvm/ia32-java-6-sun/jre/bin/java "$@"
else
    /usr/lib/jvm/java-6-sun/jre/bin/java.orig "$@"
fi

This script should be readable and executable for all. It will call the 32-bit variant of Java when launching Network Connect (and otherwise call the default 64-bit variant).

[david lang]

that works and is MUCH easier than dealing with the chroot.

thanks

[PhartSmellah]

@dvo,

You are an angel from above. So simple, and it just works now.

I'd like to ask for one more thing: at the moment, the ncLinuxApp.jar file only executes properly if I run it through the browser plugin.
When I try:

java -jar ncLinuxApp.jar

I get:

Failed to load Main-Class manifest attribute from
ncLinuxApp.jar

Have any idea what's missing?

[dvo]

@dvo,

You are an angel from above. So simple, and it just works now.

Pleased to hear!

I'd like to ask for one more thing: at the moment, the ncLinuxApp.jar file only executes properly if I run it through the browser plugin.
When I try:

java -jar ncLinuxApp.jar

I get:

Failed to load Main-Class manifest attribute from
ncLinuxApp.jar

Have any idea what's missing?

I also tried this, and I'd guess that ncLinuxApp.jar is simply not intended to be called independently.
Yet NC.jar is; it is called for instance as follows, where the "ia32-" part is due to my above little script:

/usr/lib/jvm/ia32-java-6-sun/jre/bin/java -classpath /home/david/.juniper_networks/network_connect/NC.jar NC -h ura-emea.siemens.com -L 0 -l 0 -n -t -x

[PhartSmellah]

@dvo,

Thanks for the quick reply once more!

Here's what happened when I tried your script:

ak@ak-desktop:~$ /usr/lib/jvm/ia32-java-6-sun/jre/bin/java -classpath /home/ak/.juniper_networks/network_connect/NC.jar NC -h vpn.companyvpn.com -L 0 -l 0 -n -t -x
Searching for ncsvc in current working directory
Searching for ncsvc in /home/ak/.juniper_networks/network_connect done.
[>/home/ak/.juniper_networks/network_connect/ncsvc<] [>-l<] [>0<] [>-L<] [>0<] [>-n<] [>-t<] [>-x<] indx = 6 
reading form stdin .. 
No data within 30 seconds.
Password: <TYPED MY PASSWORD FOR THE VPN>
usage: ncui -h host -u user -p passwd -r realm -f cert_file [-l log_level] [-L log_level]
       ncui -h host -c cookies -f cert_file [-l log_level] [-L log_level] [-U sign_in_url]
       ncui -v
    log_level : 0 : Log Critical messages only
                1 : Log Critital and Error messages
                2 : Log Critital, Error and Warning messages
                3 : Log Critital, Error, Warning and Info messages(default)
                4 : Log All Verbose messages
                5 : Log All messages
ak@ak-desktop:~$

Received "Invalid parameters" error.

As an eager Linux n00b I'd really like to understand what's going on here.
I'm trying to understand the switches you used, can you explain them? Maybe through that I will find what's missing.

[dvo]

@dvo,

Thanks for the quick reply once more!

Here's what happened when I tried your script:
[...]

reading form stdin .. 
No data within 30 seconds.

[...]

As an eager Linux n00b I'd really like to understand what's going on here.
I'm trying to understand the switches you used, can you explain them? Maybe through that I will find what's missing.

My switch script simply forwards the parameters that it receives (apparently being called from ncLinuxLauncher.jar).
AFAICS, the NC.jar waits for credential input from the browser to be provided via a socket or STDIN.
Sorry, since I am not a JNC expert, I cannot provide more detail.

[Eccentric.Ash]

I also had quite some trouble getting Juniper to run on a new 64-bit Linux installation (Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty").
Using a 32-bit chroot works, but is quite cumbersome.

After a lot of investigation and trial and error, I realized that the - only - problem is that ~/.juniper_networks/network_connect/libncui.so is a 32-bit library, thus it cannot be used by 64-bit Java.
Shame on Juniper that they do not provide a 64-bit version of the library! This would be the only thing they'd need to do to support 64-bit Linux systems out-of-the box.

dvo, you are a lifesaver!!!

I was using the method mentioned by Scott Deming and it was working fine until my company decided to upgrade to "Junos Pulse Secure Access Service". That upgrade broke the little workaround by Scott.

Your method is elegant, simple and flawless!! It works for me. Thanks a lot for your efforts, I am sure it will help a lot of people!!

[toey]

THANKS! works a treat

[jayanm]

Thanks.. this worked great for me too. The java 32/64 script just did the magic.

[Vithal K]

Angel is absolutely right! Thanks a lot, dvo