private static final String errMsg = "Error attempting to launch web browser";

    /**

     * This method opens the URL in a native platform browser

     */

    public void openURL(String url) {

        String osName = System.getProperty("os.name");

        try {

            if (osName.startsWith("Mac OS")) {

                Class<?> fileMgr = Class.forName("com.apple.eio.FileManager");

                Method openURL = fileMgr.getDeclaredMethod("openURL", new Class[] {

                    String.class

                });

                openURL.invoke(null, new Object[] {

                    url

                });

            } else if (osName.startsWith("Windows"))

                Runtime.getRuntime().exec("rundll32 url.dll,FileProtocolHandler " + url);

            else {

                String[] browsers = {

                        "firefox", "opera", "konqueror", "epiphany", "mozilla", "netscape"

                };

                String browser = null;

                for (int count = 0; count < browsers.length && browser == null; count++)

                    if (Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] {

                            "which", browsers[count]

                    }).waitFor() == 0)

                        browser = browsers[count];

                if (browser == null)

                    throw new Exception("Could not find web browser");

                else

                    Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] {

                            browser, url

                    });

            }

        } catch (Exception e) {

            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, errMsg + ":\n" + e.getLocalizedMessage());

        }

    }