Any new ideas for launching web browser from application

Question

I have searched the forums trying to find a new way of launching a web browser from a java application. The problem I am having is that on Unix and Linux systems, at least the variety I have access to (not quite sure on what that variety those are as they are not my systems or systems I control), the common method of using Runtime.getRuntime().exec(STRING) with either netscape or mozilla does not work. While using the Runtime.exec method is not the same as a console, I did try on these systems "netscape + A_WEB_ADDRESS" (or mozilla) and it did launch the respective browser with the page, so it appears that at least from the console level, those commands are valid.
All the forums seem to say that the Runtime.exec method is the way to go. All the source code I have found through links from the forum say the same thing. I have voted on this bug:
http://developer.java.sun.com/developer/bugParade/bugs/4210168.html
and the feedback there does seem to indicate that there is similar trouble out there. Below is the code I am using. It does work on Win2000,XP, and Mac OSX. The application is not supported on earlier systems, and as it stands it will not work on Win 95,98, nor ME. Only small modification should be needed for work on those OSs, but as I no longer personally use those OSs, I cannot be sure.
private void openNativeBrowser(String url) {
// not the browser itself is started, i only call something like
// start http://www.javasoft.com
// and then the standardbrowser will be started ...
StringBuffer call = new StringBuffer();
System.err.println(System.getProperty("os.name"));
System.err.println(System.getProperty("user.dir"));
try {
// which OS ?
String operatingSystem = System.getProperty("os.name");
// how to call the OS
if (operatingSystem.toLowerCase().indexOf("windows") > -1)
call.append("cmd /c start ").append(url);
else
if (operatingSystem.toLowerCase().indexOf("mac") > -1)
call.append("open ").append(url + " &");
else if(operatingSystem.toLowerCase().indexOf("linux") > -1)
// use Script 'netscape'
call.append("mozilla ").append(url).append(" &");
else
call.append("netscape ").append(url).append(" &");
System.err.println(call.toString());
// start it ...
Runtime.getRuntime().exec(call.toString());
catch (Exception e) {
System.out.println(e.getMessage());
e.printStackTrace();
As I said, if you have a new way to call the broswer that seems to work on either Unix or Linux, please post it, point to it, or explain it.
Aaron

Answer 1

there is a shell script on Linux called htmlview that you can launch like this:
String[] cmd = {"htmlview", "http://java.sun.com"};
try {
    Runtime.getRuntime().exec(cmd);
} catch (IOException ioe) {
    // do something
}which will open the default browser. Don't think this is available on other *NIX though, although the script itself would probably work so you could include it with your app (/usr/bin/htmlview).