>as java.endorsed.dirs should not be null.
I think it can be null. Here is some text from the javadocs:
If no value is set for java.endorsed.dirs, then Sun Microsystem's
implementation of the Java 2 Platform looks for JAR files in a default
standard location:
<java-home>\lib\endorsed [Microsoft Windows]
<java-home>/lib/endorsed [Solaris or Linux]
Here <java-home> refers to the directory where the runtime software is
installed (which is the top-level directory of the Java 2 Runtime
Environment or the jre directory in the Java 2 SDK).
The Java runtime environment will use classes in such JAR files to
override the corresponding classes provided in the Java 2 Platform as
shipped by Sun.
--
Karan Singh Malhi
