ASDM 7.1 fails to start on MacOS

Question

Hi,
I have an ASA-5505 which I have been managing using ASDM from a PC and a Mac.
I just happens that the Mac has not been used in a little while and when I tried to use ASDM on it, it fails.
I've had a trawl through various posts and release notes (after updating various components in the process, incl Java with all the diabling/security updates of late) but am still having the problem and this is where I'm at:
- the ASA runs v8.4(2) and ASDM 7.1(1)52
- release notes state that ASDM 7.1 should work on Java 7 on Windows 7 and MacOS 10.7
- ASDM starts fine on my Windows 7 PC running Java 1.7.0_13
- I am also running Java 1.7.0_13 on MacOS 10.7.5
- on MacOS, ASDM starts, asks for credentials, download/refreshes the cached app... and then crashes with the following exception message:
Java Web Start 10.13.2.20
Using JRE version 1.7.0_13-b20 Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM
User home directory = /Users/[myusername]
c:   clear console window
f:   finalize objects on finalization queue
g:   garbage collect
h:   display this help message
m:   print memory usage
o:   trigger logging
p:   reload proxy configuration
q:   hide console
r:   reload policy configuration
s:   dump system and deployment properties
t:   dump thread list
v:   dump thread stack
0-5: set trace level to <n>
CacheEntry[https://192.168.1.1/admin/public/asdm.jnlp]: updateAvailable=false,lastModified=Mon Dec 17 19:55:35 GMT 2012,length=-1
Match: beginTraversal
Match: digest selected JREDesc: JREDesc[version 1.6+, heap=67108864-536870912, args=-XX:MaxNewSize=1024k, href=null, sel=false, null, null], JREInfo: JREInfo for index 0:
    platform is: 1.7
    product is: 1.7.0_13
    location is: http://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
    path is: /Library/Internet Plug-ins/JavaAppletPlugin.plugin/Contents/Home/bin/java
    args is: null
    native platform is: Mac OS X, x86_64 [ x86_64, 64bit ]
    JavaFX runtime is: JavaFX 2.2.5 found at /Library/Internet Plug-ins/JavaAppletPlugin.plugin/Contents/Home/
    enabled is: true
    registered is: true
    system is: true
Match: selecting maxHeap: 536870912
Match: selecting InitHeap: 67108864
Match: digesting vmargs: -XX:MaxNewSize=1024k
Match: digested vmargs: [JVMParameters: isSecure: true, args: -XX:MaxNewSize=1024k]
Match: JVM args after accumulation: [JVMParameters: isSecure: true, args: -XX:MaxNewSize=1024k]
Match: digest LaunchDesc: https://192.168.1.1/admin/public/asdm.jnlp
Match: digest properties: [-Dhttp.agent=ASDM/]
Match: JVM args: [JVMParameters: isSecure: true, args: -XX:MaxNewSize=1024k -Dhttp.agent=ASDM/]
Match: endTraversal ..
Match: JVM args final: -Xmx512m -XX:MaxNewSize=1024k -Dhttp.agent=ASDM/
Match: Running JREInfo Version    match: 1.7.0.13 == 1.7.0.13
Match: Running JVM args mismatch: have:<-Xmx512m -Dhttp.agent=ASDM/> !satisfy want:<-Xmx512m -XX:MaxNewSize=1024k -Dhttp.agent=ASDM/>
Application Logging Started at Thu Feb 07 14:01:25 GMT 2013
Local Launcher Version = 1.5.56
Local Launcher Version Display = 1.5(56)
OK button clicked
Trying for ASDM Version file; url = https://192.168.1.1/admin/
Server Version = 7.1(1)52
Server Launcher Version = 1.5.56, size = 758784 bytes
invoking SGZ Loader..
Cache location = /Users/[myusername]/.asdm/cache
Exception in thread "SGZ Loader: launchSgzApplet" java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: apple/laf/AquaTableHeaderUI
at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass1(Native Method)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass(ClassLoader.java:791)
at com.cisco.nm.dice.loader.l.loadClass(DashoA19*..:232)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:356)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass1(Native Method)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass(ClassLoader.java:791)
at com.cisco.nm.dice.loader.l.loadClass(DashoA19*..:232)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:356)
at java.lang.Class.forName0(Native Method)
at java.lang.Class.forName(Class.java:188)
at dla.updateUI(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.table.JTableHeader.<init>(JTableHeader.java:159)
at dlz.<init>(Unknown Source)
at dla.<init>(Unknown Source)
at do6.<init>(Unknown Source)
at do5.createDefaultTableHeader(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.JTable.initializeLocalVars(JTable.java:5531)
at javax.swing.JTable.<init>(JTable.java:635)
at javax.swing.JTable.<init>(JTable.java:574)
at dns.<init>(Unknown Source)
at dlk.<init>(Unknown Source)
at dn5.<init>(Unknown Source)
at dk9.<init>(Unknown Source)
at dk5.<init>(Unknown Source)
at dkv.<init>(Unknown Source)
at do5.<init>(Unknown Source)
at ds.<init>(ds.java:64)
at ds.<init>(ds.java:60)
at _d.<init>(_d.java:36)
at _f.<init>(_f.java:36)
at _g.<init>(_g.java:71)
at bb6.a(bb6.java:98)
at px.b(px.java:461)
at px.<init>(px.java:280)
at com.cisco.pdm.PDMApplet.start(PDMApplet.java:160)
at com.cisco.nm.dice.loader.r.run(DashoA19*..:410)
Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: apple.laf.AquaTableHeaderUI
at com.cisco.nm.dice.loader.l.loadClass(DashoA19*..:246)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:356)
... 36 more
The root cause of the issue seems to be that a Java class called apple.laf.AquaTableHeaderUI is not found...
Now, I don't know much about Java, but that seems to be an Apple UI related class - I presume that it would be good to use this to give ASDM a more native look and feel, but why on earth is there no fallback? or am I missing something?
Any information or help on the matter will be very welcome... even if it's only to say that you are experiencing the same issue!
Olivier

Answer 1

I had exactly the same problem on a Mac mini running OS X 10.9.3 and 10.9.4 with Java 1.7.0_60.  I spent any amount of time flushing caches, deleting my ~/.asdm directory and re-installing the dm-launcher.dmg file.
I eventually got it running by installing Apple's Java for OS X 2014-001 from http://support.apple.com/kb/dl1572, deleting my ~/.asdm directory, using the Java Control Panel to delete all cached files and installed apps, then reinstalling from a fresh download of the dm-installer.dmg file.
Bit of a blunderbus approach, I know, but it worked for me.  I think the Apple Java installation was what tipped the balance, but who knows, as it really ought to have been there already, shouldn't it?!
YMMV :-)
[followup comment]
I just checked the Software Installations history on my Macbook Air on which ASDM has been working just fine.  It had Java for OS X 2013-005, which is the predecessor of 2014-001, and I remember having to install it to sort out compatibility problems between Java 6, Java 7 and ASDM 7.1.  The Mac mini, on the other hand, had Java for OS X 2012-005, which I suspect is the root of my problems.
You can find out which Java you have by running "java -version" from a Terminal, and cross-check against the table on https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/technotes/tn2002/tn2110.html.