Thanks...I guess my frustration wasn't allowing me to get a good search on the forums.
I did get is working. For anyone else who wants to use JiveSoftware - wildfire this is how I got it working on a Debian Sarge 3.1 server:
http://www.jivesoftware.org/community/thread.jspa?messageID=116842
PART A Java on Debian:
(1) (as root) type: apt-get install java-package.
(2) (not as root) dowload the desired java sdk from java.sun.com
(3) (not as root) type: fakeroot make-jpkg <name-of-the sdk-file-you-downloaded>
It's really important you _don't_ do this part as root.
If you get an error saying that 'fakeroot' isn't found, then, as root, do:
apt-get install fakeroot.
When you have successfully run 'fakeroot make-jpkg', you should a debian package
in the same directory as your downloaded sun sdk, for example:
sun-j2sdk1.5_1.5.0+update06_i386.deb
Possible glitch; fakeroot complains that you are missing some plugins; try (as non-root):
for 32-bit machines:
DEB_BUILD_GNU_TYPE=x86_32-linux fakeroot make-jpkg <name-of-the-sdk-file-you-downloaded>
for amd 64-bit machines:
DEB_BUILD_GNU_TYPE=x86_64-linux fakeroot make-jpkg <name-of-the-sdk-file-you-downloaded>
commands are all on one line.
(4) Check you have the dependencies for java installed. As root
apt-get libasound2
apt-get java-common
apt-get xfree86-common
apt-get xlibs
apt-get libmysql-java (I installed this just in case)
Don't worry about messages saying you already have the latest version installed.
(5) Install your java debian package (as root)
dpkg -i <path-to-the-debian-package-you-built>,
e.g.
dpkg -i sun-j2sdk1.5_1.5.0+update06_i386.deb
(6) Hopefully all will be well. Try typing: java
at the command prompt.
PART B Wildfire on Debian.
(1) Download Wildfire. ( http://www.jivesoftware.org/downloads.jsp )
(2) Check you have 'alien' installed.
(as root) apt-get install alien
(3) Make the wildfire debian package:
fakeroot alien wildfire_2_6_2.rpm (or whatever version it is)
(4) You should now have a package called something like:
wildfire_2.6.2-2_i386.deb
in the directory where you ran 'fakeroot alien'.
(5) Install Wildfire:
(as root) dpkg -i wildfire_2.6.2-2_i386.deb (or whatever the name of your new debian package was)
-----
What I did...
6) Download mysql-connector-java ( http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/connector/j/3.0.html )
$ tar -xvzf mysql-connector-java-3.1.10.tgz
Copy mysql-connector-java-3.1.10-bin.jar to /usr/lib/j2sdk1.5-sun/jre/lib/ext
7) Since I want to use MySQL as my database I need to create a database and then my tables. Wildfire makes it easy, it comes with a MySQL script for all the tables:
/opt/wildfire/resources/database/wildfire_mysql.sql
I used phpmyadmin so it made it very easy! More instructions are here: ( http://www.jivesoftware.org/builds/wildfire/docs/latest/documentation/database.html )
8) make sure wildfire.xml is writable
# chmod 777 /opt/wildfire/conf/wildfire.xml
9) start up wildfire service
# /opt/wildfire/bin/wildfire start
9) Getting all the settings input
http://localhost:9090 or http://127.0.0.1:9090
In my debian setup it seemed all the defaults worked but when I tried to setup MySQL as my choice of database it wanted:
jdbc:mysql://server1.com:3306/wildfire
NOT
jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/wildfire
10) protect your wildfire.xml file from being changed
# chmod 644 /opt/wildfire/conf/wildfire.xml
I hope this helps anyone who runs into problems like me.
If anyone has an easier and/or better way please share!!