Enter Java ME on Symbian OS : Java ME Management on Devices (part 1) - MIDP Security Settings

Java ME on Symbian OS is tightly integrated with the native platform services and is not managed as a separate entity; MIDlets are launched from the main menu like any other application (and not from a separate Java application submenu). At some point you may want to manage certain aspects related to Java ME in general or to a specific application; for example, you may want to change security settings, or install or remove a MIDlet suite. On Symbian smartphones, Java management operations are found in the native system management services.

The locations or management capabilities of the following management services may differ depending on the Symbian OS version, UI platform or device manufacturer. However, it should be easy for you to spot those differences and find your way through.

1. MIDP Security Settings

During development, you may want be able to view and change the security settings of your tested MIDlets, for example, to see which certificates are deployed on the device. If your tested MIDlet uses the Push Registry and is in the untrusted domain, you might want to change the security settings so that it asks the user for permission only at the first launch.

For example, on the Nokia N95, select Menu, Tools, Settings, Security, Certificate management (see Figure 1). To view details of a certificate, such as its validity period and fingerprint, scroll to the certificate and press the middle key.

Figure 1. Trust roots on a) Nokia N95 and b) Nokia 5800 XpressMusic

To view and change the security settings for a MIDlet suite on the Nokia N95, open the Application Manager (Main Menu, Tools, App. mgr.) as shown in Figure 2.

After opening the Application Manager, scroll down to the suite name, press the middle key and select Open to see the security settings for each of the function groups (see Figure 3).

Figure 2. List of installed applications on a) Nokia N95 and b) Nokia 5800 XpressMusic

Figure 3. Suite security settings on a) Nokia N95 and b) Nokia 5800 XpressMusic

On S60 3rd Edition FP2 devices (and later), a new kind of run-time security prompt was introduced. It allows users to directly change the security setting for the application while it is running.

On the Sony Ericsson W960i, MIDP security settings are found at the same location on the device as all system-wide security settings. Go to Main menu, Tools, Control panel, Security and you will see the device security settings options (see Figure 4).

Figure 4. Sony Ericsson W960i security settings panel

Tap Certificate manager to view the system-wide digital certificates. Back at the top-level Security panel, tap Java certificates to view the digital certificates according to the security domains manufacturer, operator and third party (see Figure 5). Java certificates cannot be added or deleted, but you can disable or enable the existing certificates.

Figure 5. Third-party trust roots on Sony Ericsson W960i

At the top-level Security panel, tap MIDlet accounts to view all installed MIDlet suites (see Figure 6a) and MIDlet permissions to view and set the security permissions of the installed MIDlet suites. This is where you can set, for example, the messaging user permission to one of the available security options according to the Java trust domain (e.g., Always ask or Do not allow for an untrusted MIDlet suite).

Figure 6. a) MIDlet accounts and b) user permissions on Sony Ericsson W960i