> But when I construct the post, it fails.
Fails *how*?
> I have read various comments on the web from 2001, 2002, 2003 saying that
> java version
> 1.3 uses the browser to manage the https process.
Java 1.3 had the JSSE package for SSL, and it was folded into 1.4. What
they may have meant was that Java 1.3 running in a browser might use the
browser's SSL if JSSE wasn't present.
> Does any one have an idea how to disable the JSSE stuff in jre 1.5 or 1.6 so
> that I can test that
> old procedure?
There's no advantage in going back to that even if you could.
> Any ideas on comparing the browser https exchange and comparing in to the
> jsse transmissions?
Why? What actual problem are you having? If the handshake succeeded,
JSSE or SSL is not the culprit here.
> Could the remote site be detecting the transmission from jre and saying "I
> don't like communicate
> with java, I will disable the post!" Doing the transaction via the browser
> is OK.
It could be deciding that based on the User-agent heading in HTTP. Again
this is nothing to do with SSL.
> How is the posted data encrypted?
By SSL depending on the negotiated cipher suite.
> Do I actually need a local certificate?
> The browser does not
> seem to need anything special.
If the server asks for a certificate and you don't have one the
handshake will fail. If the handshake succeeds, the certificate isn't
the problem.
> I is especially had to diagnose something which is encrypted!
Not really. If the handshake succeeds you can get the plaintext. If it
fails you need to trace the handshake and find out why.