Likely Auskey Solution for Linux Mint 17 (Ubuntu 14)

[Grant Smith]

As you probably know Firefox 52 and later no longer work - bugger. So if you are lucky and your Java is fairly recent you will only need to install Firefox ESR on your system using the graphical interface as follows:
1. Click the menu icon (ie Mint/Ubuntu icon) in the bottom left of your screen and up will come your applications etc.
2. Type "Firefox ESR" in the search box (without the quotes). With luck there will be an install option there.
3. Click on the install option. If all goes well you restart your computer after the install, open the new Firefox ESR from your Menu/Internet (like you do to open your existing Firefox or Chrome etc) and the bloody Auskeys will show when you go to the bp.ato.gov.au page. Happy Days.

When life isn't meant to be easy .....
If there is no install option for Firefox ESR do the following:
4. Click the menu icon then Administration then Software Sources
5. Enter you Root (or Administrator) password in the pop up box.
6. Click on PPAs tab then "+ Add a New PPA"
7. Under the "Please enter the name of the new PPA....." type the following (or copy paste) 

ppa:jonathonf/firefox-esr

8.Make sure you CLICK THE UPDATE BOX (top right of the software sources box you are in)
9. Now do steps 1-3 again. Hopefully happy days.

If you are like I was and you just want to vote the government out on the spot and get someone in ...
.. that will let you pay your tax with Linux. Try the following.
a. Open Firefox ESR and check if your Java is working ... go to https://www.java.com/verify   (click on the ESR "click" link)
b. If the version is Version 8 or newer your Version is good enough for the ATO if not you will need to update or install Java 8.
c. Either way click on the "Download" link above your result on the java verify page.
If your version is not up to date download the latest version for your system (32 or 64 bit) then for everyone
d. click on the "instructions" link to the right of the download link for your system.

e. Here life gets complicated if you have never used commandline interface before. 
Its not too wicked if you copy and paste the instructions or type VERY carefully EVERYTHING IS CASE SENSITIVE
that is "a" is NOT the same as "A". So here we go ...
i. open a terminal - Click on Menu then type "terminal" in the search box then click on the terminal icon
ii. Follow the instructions from the "instructions" link if you need to install or update Java.

TIP: It's easier to follow the example directories they give you. If you try to change into a directory (eg. cd usr/java) that doesn't
exist on your system just make it with the command sudo mkdir (eg. sudo mkdir usr/java) then cd (eg. cd usr/java).
To go up one level in the directory structure (eg. from usr/java to usr} type cd .. (with a space between the "d" and ".")
To go back down the directory structure just remember to cd from where you are. (eg. to go from usr to usr/java just type cd java)

10. Create a symbolic link to the Java Plugin in the Firefox plugins directory. This is step 3 in the (32bit) Linux instructions
under Unable and configure Firefox. (you'll need it too if your on 64bit). Here's their instructions with my tips in bold:

Go to the Firefox plugins directory

cd ~/.mozilla/plugins      

Create the plugins directory if it does not exist. (Remember...type  sudo mkdir ~/.mozilla/plugins) the tilde ~ is often next to your "1" key.

Create the symbolic link
How to find the bloody "Java installation directory" . Open your file browser (yep Menu then type "file browser" then click)
...Click on the "Up Arrow" until it greys out and you can not go up any further. The Up Arrow is usually
located under the letter "H" in Help. You should see lots of directories including "bin", "dev", "etc".
Now search for "libnpjp2.so" in the file browser (click on the looking glass icon)
With luck there will be only one file shown WITHOUT a linking symbol on it (link symbol is usually a curved arrow)
Right click on the file without a linking symbol then select "Properties".
Copy the text to the right of "Location" it should start with "/" and finish with "/lib/i386" or "lib/amd64"
the "Java installation directory" is everything BETWEEN the "/" and "/lib/...." on mine I copied
"/usr/lib/jvm/jre1.8.0_131/lib/i386" so my "Java installation directory" is "usr/lib/jvm/jre1.8.0_131"
such that my symbolic link in ~/.mozilla/plugins is 
 32-bit plugin:
ln -s Java installation directory/lib/i386/libnpjp2.so . 

ln -s usr/lib/jvm/jre1.8.0_131/lib/i386/libnpjp2.so (on my computer ... yours will be different probably)

Hence my Java installation directory is "usr/lib/jvm/jre1.8.0_131"

 64-bit plugin:

ln -s Java installation directory/lib/amd64/libnpjp2.so .


I hope if you have had to go to this much trouble to pay get your tax right you build a fantastic business. 
I also hope this works for you. It worked for me. However if you can't get it to work please contact the goverment's support.
Afterall it they who collect the tax .... I'm just try to build my business. Good luck