Classloader fails with simple Java IDL tutorial program

         I copied the code given in the tutorial intoappropriately-named java
 source files. When I try to start the tutorial program (HelloServer,
 HelloClient, and HelloApplet) on the Java IDL, I get an error. The name server
 is already started on port 900 without mishap. Starting "java HelloServer", I
 get the following error (my machine is named "wrath"):

> wrath% java HelloServer
> ERROR: java.lang.NullPointerException
> java.lang.NullPointerException
> at java.net.URLClassLoader.definePackage(URLClassLoader.java:229)
> at java.net.URLClassLoader.defineClass(URLClassLoader.java:188)
> at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(URLClassLoader.java:144)
> at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:244)
> at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:185)
> at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass0(Native Method)
> at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass(ClassLoader.java:357)
> at
> java.security.SecureClassLoader.defineClass(SecureClassLoader.java:94)
> at java.net.URLClassLoader.defineClass(URLClassLoader.java:199)
> at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(URLClassLoader.java:144)
> at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:244)
> at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:185)
> at HelloServer.main(HelloServer.java:21)
>

 this is using the latest (beta4) build of the JDK1.2 JVM for Solaris. The beta 3 build also comes up with this problem, but earlier JDK 1.1.* releases do a
  segmentation fault. The really odd thing is that the PC version never has
 this problem.

         The tutorial is located at

         http://java.sun.com/products/jdk/1.2/docs/guide/idl/jidlExample.html


Source code is in the Comments section



brian.preston@eng 1998-04-22