--- name: "javaws" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "icedtea-web" version: "1.8.8-1" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/javaws" --- # javaws(1) a Java Web Start client ## NAME javaws - a Java Web Start client ## SYNOPSIS **javaws** \[-run-options\] jnlp file\ **javaws** \[-control-options\] ## DESCRIPTION **javaws** is an implementation of a JNLP client. It uses a JNLP (Java Network Launch Protocol) file to securely run a remote Java application or a Java applet. This implementation of **javaws** is from the IcedTea project and is based on the NetX project.\ A JNLP file is an xml file that describes how to securely run a remote Java application or a Java applet. ## OPTIONS When specifying options, the name of the jnlp file can be after the command, the -jnlp option, an option with no arguments, or after an argument with an option that takes one argument. A html file that launches a jnlp can be specified after the -html option.\ The jnlp-file can either be a url or a local path.\ The JNLP file should only be specified once, whether as a main argument, after -jnlp or through an html file. **Control options:** - \-about Shows a sample application.(No argument expected) - \-help Prints out information about supported command and basic usage.(No argument expected) - \-license Display the GPL license and exit.(No argument expected) - \-viewer Shows the trusted certificate viewer.(No argument expected) - \-Xcacheids List available IDs in cache, which you can use to delete individual applications.(Expected none or one argument) - \-Xclearcache Clean the JNLP application cache. If you pass argument, only specified application is deleted.(Expected none or one argument) **Run options:** - \-allowredirect Follows HTTP redirects.(No argument expected) - \-arg arg Adds an application argument before launching.(Expected one or more arguments) - \-browser Launch embeded browser. Use in great need only!(Expected one or more arguments) - \-headless Disables download window, other UIs.(No argument expected) - \-html Location of HTML file to launch (url or file). You can use parameter ALL or numbers (like 1 2 5) to select applets on page. However experimental, this switch should keep you still in safety.(Expected one or more arguments) - \-jnlp Location of JNLP file to launch (url or file).(Exactly one argument expected) - \-nosecurity Disables the secure runtime environment. You need also deployment.security.itw.ignorecertissues to workaround corrupted signatures(No argument expected) - \-noupdate Disables checking for updates.(No argument expected) - \-param name=value Adds an applet parameter before launching.(Expected one or more arguments) - \-property name=value Sets a system property before launching.(Expected one or more arguments) - \-startuptracker Enable startup time tracker(No argument expected) - \-strict Enables strict checking of JNLP file format.(No argument expected) - \-update seconds Check for updates.(Exactly one argument expected) - \-verbose Enable verbose output.(No argument expected) - \-version Print the IcedTea-Web version and exit.(No argument expected) - \-Xignoreheaders Skip jar header verification.(No argument expected) - \-xml Uses a strict XML parser to parse the JNLP file.(No argument expected) - \-Xnofork Do not create another JVM.(No argument expected) - \-Xoffline Prevent ITW network connection. Only cache will be used. Application can still connect.(No argument expected) - \-Xtrustnone Instead of asking user, will foretold all answers as no.(No argument expected) ## EXAMPLES - javaws -about Shows basic help and about informations. - javaws -about -headless Shows basic help and about informations in terminal only. - javaws -Xnofork -Xignoreheaders -allowredirect -Xoffline http://mypage.web/dangerous.jnlp Will start dangerous.jnlp application, originally from mypage.web, without downloading it, without headers check and in forced single VM. ## FILES - $JAVA\_HOME/lib/deployment.config java-global deployment properties file. May be affected by deployment.jre.dir. - $JAVA\_HOME/lib/security/cacerts Contains various system java-wide stored certificates. Controlled by **deployment.system.security.cacerts** - $JAVA\_HOME/lib/security/jssecacerts Contains various system java-wide stored certificates. Controlled by **deployment.system.security.jssecacerts** - $JAVA\_HOME/lib/security/trusted.certs Contains various system java-wide stored certificates. Controlled by **deployment.system.security.trusted.certs** - $JAVA\_HOME/lib/security/trusted.clientcerts Contains various system java-wide stored certificates. Controlled by **deployment.system.security.trusted.clientautcerts** - $JAVA\_HOME/lib/security/trusted.jssecerts Contains various system java-wide stored certificates. Controlled by **deployment.system.security.trusted.jssecerts** - $TMP/$USER/netx/locks Location of netx locks. Controlled by **deployment.user.locksdir** - $TMP/$USER/netx/locks/netx\_running Location of netx main lock. Controlled by **deployment.user.runningfile** - $XDG\_CACHE\_HOME/icedtea-web/cache Contains cached runtime entries. Controlled by **deployment.user.cachedir** - $XDG\_CACHE\_HOME/icedtea-web/cache/recently\_used Additional information about items in cache - $XDG\_CACHE\_HOME/icedtea-web/pcache Contains saved application data. Controlled by **deployment.user.pcachedir** - $XDG\_CACHE\_HOME/icedtea-web/tmp Contains temporary runtime files. Controlled by **deployment.user.tmp** - $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/icedtea-web/.appletTrustSettings File responsible for various actions on applets and apps based on their codebase based on users actions. - $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/icedtea-web/deployment.properties Users main deployment properties file. - $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/icedtea-web/icons Location where icons of javaws applications desktop/menu launchers icons are stored - $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/icedtea-web/log contains file-log files (if enabled), itw-cplugin-date\_time.log for native part of plugin, itw-javantx-date\_time.log for everything else. Controlled by **deployment.user.logdir** - $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/icedtea-web/security/java.policy Contains granted permissions for selected unsigned apps. Controlled by **deployment.user.security.policy** - $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/icedtea-web/security/trusted.cacerts Contains various users stored certificates. Controlled by **deployment.user.security.trusted.cacerts** - $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/icedtea-web/security/trusted.certs Contains various users stored certificates. Controlled by **deployment.user.security.trusted.certs** - $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/icedtea-web/security/trusted.clientcerts Contains various users stored certificates. Controlled by **deployment.user.security.trusted.clientauthcerts** - $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/icedtea-web/security/trusted.jssecacerts Contains various users stored certificates. Controlled by **deployment.user.security.trusted.jssecacerts** - $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/icedtea-web/security/trusted.jssecerts Contains various users stored certificates. Controlled by **deployment.user.security.trusted.jssecerts** - $XDG\_DATA\_HOME/applications/javaws Subdirectory in users menus space, for placing custom menu shortcuts. - {%WINDIR/Sun/Java or /etc/.java}/deployment/.appletTrustSettings File responsible for various actions on applets and apps based on their codebase based on admins actions. - {%WINDIR/Sun/Java or /etc/.java}/deployment/deployment.config Global deployment config file. Where $XDG\_CONFIG\_DIR, $XDG\_CACHE\_DIR and $XDG\_RUNTIME\_DIR are set as ~/.config, ~/.cache and /tmp or /var/tmp if not set. ## BUGS There aren't any known bugs. If you come across one, please file it at:\ http://icedtea.classpath.org/wiki/IcedTea-Web#Filing\_bugs\ http://icedtea.classpath.org/bugzilla\ Please run in debug (-verbose switch or itw-settings setting or ICEDTEAPLUGIN\_DEBUG variable set to true) mode and include that output (best is from java console) with URL to jnlp or html file (or the jnlp/html file or application itself) when filing out the bug report.\ ## AUTHOR The following people have made contibutions to this project.\ Please keep this list in alphabetical order.\ Lillian Angel \Andrew Azores \Deepak Bhole \Laurent Bourgès \Adam Buchta \Ricardo Martín Camarero \Marcin Cieslak \Danesh Dadachanji \Adam Domurad \Lukasz Dracz \Thomas Fitzsimmons \Olesya Gerasimenko \Michał Górny \Mark Greenwood \Tereza Hlavackova \Lars Herschke \Peter Hatina \Andrew John Hughes \Jie Kang \Alex Kashchenko \Matthias Klose \Alexandr Kolouch \Jan Kmetko \Francis Kung \Denis Lila \DJ Lucas \Omair Majid \Jon A. Maxwell \Thomas Meyer \Kurt Miller \Saad Mohammad \Martin Olsson \Stefan Ring \Ville Skyttä \Fridrich Strba \Andrew Su \Joshua Sumali \Joel Tesdall \Michal Vala \Jiri Vanek \Tomáš Votava \Mark Wielaard \Jacob Wisor \Man Lung Wong \\ This project also includes code from the following projects:\ OpenJDK \\ Netx \\ ## SEE ALSO [**icedtea-web**(1)](/icedtea-web/1.md) [**javaws**(1)](/javaws/1.md) [**icedtea-web-plugin**(1)](/icedtea-web-plugin/1.md) [**itweb-settings**(1)](/itweb-settings/1.md) [**policyeditor**(1)](/policyeditor/1.md) **policytool**(1) **java**(1) http://icedtea.classpath.org/wiki/IcedTea-Web\ http://icedtea.classpath.org/hg/icedtea-web\