Netbeans Platform Manager fails to recognize JDK1.1.8, need to crosscompile
I'm running Netbeans 4.1 and I'm trying to add another Java platform to cross-compile an applet to Java1.1. However, NetBeans fails to recognize JDK1.1.8 in the Platform Manager.
I downloaded JDK1.1.8 and installed on Windows 2000 Pro.
By the way, I struggled for loooong to extract JDK1.1.8 and the following was my problem:
16-bit MS-DOS Subsystem
path to the program that you are trying to start or install
C:\Windows\System32\Autoexec.nt The system file is not suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows applications. Choose 'Close' to terminate the application.
The rather easy solution I found here: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;324767&Product=winxp
Back to my current problem. In Netbeans Platform Manager (PM) I try to add JDK1.1.8. PM correctly detects the folder C:\JDK1.1.8 as a platform folder (as can be seen by a special folder icon) which I then select and click "Next". Then I type the name "JDK1.1" and browse to add the sources and select C:\JDK1.1.8\lib\classes.zip. Then I select jdk118-doc.zip as Javadocs. Problem is that the "Next" button does not become active and installation of the new Platform cannot continue. PM says "cannot detect and install the selected platform."
I really need to cross-compile to ensure my applets are Java1 compatible for wide web browser compatibility (reworked my applet from Swing to AWT). Is there a work-around for this? Does NetBeans5.0 perhaps fix this? I checked netbeans.org for known issues with PM but no luck.
Is there another way inside Netbeans to correctly tell javac how to cross-compile? I tried the following:
-target 1.1 -bootclasspath C:\JDK1.1.8\lib\classes.zip -extdirs ""
I added these directives under Project --> Properties --> Build --> Compiling --> Additional Compiler Options. I just get an error (javac: source release 1.4 requires target release 1.4) and from the documentation I deduced that it is because I do not have JDK1.1 installed. But as already discussed above, I cannot get JDK1.1.8 to install.
Another clue I got from another post is to edit Windows variables concerning JavaHome. This apparently tells NetBeans which JDK to use by default. But it has to be set up manually = makes me unsure how safe it is. What is the correct way to do this?
Can anyone perhaps help me?
Things I could try but haven't yet:
1) Install NetBeans 5
2) edit JavaHome path so that NetBeans uses JDK1.1.8 as the default
3) manually compile from the Windows commandline
4) ???