Making Juniper SSL VPN network connect applet work on 64-bit Linux (Fedora)

Old Juniper SSL VPN appliances network connect Java applets not working on 64 bit systems without some additional steps. Here these steps.

1. Install older then Java "7 update 51" 32 bit version of java. 
         You can use 7.51 but you need to add your ssl vpn endpoint to the exception list:
         http://kb.juniper.net/InfoCenter/index?page=content&id=KB28704 
 You can download 32 bit JRE 7.45 from Oracle web site java archive
 I recommend you to download tar.gz archive instead of rpm. It will allow you to have multiply java  installed and switch between them using alternatives

2.  Install java and configure alternatives to use downloaded java: 

Install:

$ tar -xvzf ./jre-7u40-linux-i586.tar.gz

# mv /home/myuser/Downloads/jre1.7.0_45/ /usr/java/

configure alternatives for java 32 bit

# alternatives --install /usr/bin/java java /usr/java/jre1.7.0_40/bin/java 32

configure alternatives for java browser plugin (yes, i suggest to use alternatives to manage java plugins)

# alternatives --install /opt/google/chrome/plugins/libnpjp2.so java_chrome /usr/java/jre1.7.0_40/lib/i386/libnpjp2.so 32

switch alternatives to use installed 32bit Java:

# alternatives --config java_chrome

# alternatives --config java

3. Test if java plugins works and has correct version  in chrome or firefox

go to http://www.java.com/en/download/installed.jsp and verify Java version

4. Install xterm and some 32 bit version of libraries: 

    yum install xterm glibc.i686 zlib.i686 

    These components required to install and run network connect application

5. Go to your ssl vpn endpoint using browser, login and launch network connect.

You should now see new xterm window and sudo password request for first time network connect installation.

If not --> check network connect install log for details:

$ less ~/.juniper_networks/network_connect/installnc.log

Normally after this you should see network connect starting and working. 

If not ---> check:

 - presence of network connect aplication , file permissions and ownership:

      $ ls -la ~/.juniper_networks/network_connect/

         -rws--s--x. 1 root   root   1281164 Mar 21 22:17 ncsvc

 - if network connect application could run:  

$ ~/.juniper_networks/network_connect/ncsvc --version

Juniper Network Connect Server for Linux.

Version         : 7.1

Release Version : 7.1-16-Build26805

Build Date/time : Aug 21 2013 01:11:08 

Copyright 2001-2010 Juniper Networks

if you see any error check for the missing 32bit libraries.