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I do C++ embedded development for the NetBurner platform. They have plug-ins that customize Eclipse and in addition to a build tool-chain they add a Launch Group under the Run Configuration area. Everything was working fine under Indigo (32 bit) when I decided to install Subclipse (big mistake). As soon as the install finished I could no longer run my existing configurations successfully. When I went into the Run Configurations area I noticed the Launch Group I used to use was missing. Here is what it looked like earlier yesterday:

Run Config Dialog before installing subclipse

Here's what it looks like today:

Run Config Dialog after installing subclipse

Things I've tried

  1. First I uninstalled the Subclipse plugins using the Help->About->Installation Details and then selecting them one at a time, Uninstalling and restarting after each uninstall. No change.

  2. Then I unpacked the original Eclipse Indigo/CDT 32 bit download to a fresh folder. Copied over the NetBurner plugins from the zip I got from the manufacturer. No change.

  3. Launched with different Workspaces, no change.

  4. Launched a Galileo version, it uses older plug-ins, and it still works.

  5. Copied older plug-ins into Indigo, the older NetBurner launcher shows up (but it doesn't really work with Indigo)

  6. Removed the older plug-ins put in the newer ones, old NetBurner launcher went away new launcher does not show up.

  7. Tried removing the {Workspace}.metadata.plugins\org.eclipse.debug.core.launches - no change. Interestingly even though launches has many .launch files that should show up under Run Configuration, nothing shows up.

One other strange (possibly relevant) thing is that icon for the NetBurner Perspective went away, now it just has <NetBurner> as the text and a generic perspective icon.

I can still cross-compile and build for the NetBurner (i.e. the build toolchain still works), it's just the ability to use run configurations that seems to be missing.

I'm out of ideas, does anyone know of some global setting that sits outside the workspace and outside the Indigo installation folder that could be causing this?

I'm running on Win 7 64 bit ultimate, I run the 32 bit version of Indigo because the 64 bit doesn't appear to work with the NetBurner plug-ins. I've also disabled the two Mylyn tasks under General->Startup and Shutdown (they seemed to cause many Permgen memory crashes). This is the same setup I had working flawlessly yesterday.

Update

I also noticed that only 3 of the 4plug-ins are showing up in the Installation Details plug-in pane. The nbeclipse.core_2.6.0.jar is in the eclipse plugin directory but not showing as loaded. So I guess I know now the problem is the plug-in isn't loading but I don't know why or how to get it to load, or what subclipse could have changed that would cause this.

Eclipse's loaded plug in view and eclispe directory of plugins

Tod
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  • The Mfg. released new versions of the plug-ins and everything started working again. – Tod Aug 31 '12 at 17:02

1 Answers1

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I suspect that the Subclipse installation may have caused an update to some other plugin(s) that it depended on (keep in mind the transitive nature plugin dependency resolution; if you're installing plugin A and it requires a certain version of Plugin B that you don't have, Plugin B will be installed or updated to that version). In doing so, maybe the NetBurner plugin can no longer load because its declared dependencies are no longer met (ie, it depended on an earlier version and does not tolerate a later version).

You can use the OSGi Console to help determine why a plugin is not loading. Here are a couple of references that should help:

By the way, you can not just copy plugins into an Eclipse installation and expect them to work. For several versions now, Eclipse has not supported that ability. You must use Help > Install New Software or File > Import > Install > From Existing Installation to install plugins. Ask the vendor if they have an update site to install from; like I said above, simply dropping things into Eclipse's plugins folder is not supported any more, it won't work. Other than the vendor providing an update site, the only other option is to use the dropins folder, as described here.

E-Riz
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  • NetBurner just supplies me with the raw plug-ins so I'm not sure how I can install via either of the two methods you mention. I tried doing an Add... then specifying the path with Local but I just get an error that the path isn't a software site. It worked the first time, but maybe now I'm paying the price. Thanks for the tip on the tool. I ran in console mode and SS nbeclipse shows only three of the four plugins two are marked lazy and one is active. I suspect the missing one is the crux of the problem. – Tod Apr 13 '12 at 03:10
  • How did you originally install NetBurner into Eclipse? Since it is a proprietary third-party tool, your best bet at this time probably is to go their forums or other support channel for help. – E-Riz Apr 13 '12 at 14:34
  • I am also pursuing this with their tech support. I think I'm their only user that's not happy to use the Ganymede based version they have pre-customized and distribute with their development kit. I think they may have only updated the plug-in because I keep pestering them! Originally I just unzipped and dragged the .jar files into the plug-in folder and it worked! It still works for 3 of the 4. I just can't see that 4th one. The OSGI console only shows me IDs for three of them. I'll post back here if I ever find an answer as to what's going on. – Tod Apr 14 '12 at 00:26
  • I added some more info to my answer that might help. – E-Riz Apr 14 '12 at 03:14
  • Sometimes the docs are frustratingly incomplete to neophytes like me. I removed all four plugins from the plugins and put them in the Dropins folder. Same result. 2 of the 4 load. I kept reading and it said the dropins fail silently unless you modify the .options file but it didn't say which .options file or where to find it. I could only find one at ...\eclipse\plugins\org.eclipse.ui.intro.universal_3.2.500.v20110510 Doesn't strike me as a logical location but I modified it. Then added the -debug to a shortcut with the path. Got a new console window but no msgs about any of the 4 plugins. – Tod Apr 14 '12 at 21:11
  • It also said _"If you are attempting to use dropins, but your bundles are not being found, first ensure org.eclipse.equinox.ds and org.eclipse.equinox.p2.reconciler.dropins are marked to auto-start."_ OK - any idea how I do that? In my eclipse folder is a *configuration* folder. Inside that is a config.ini, that file has an entry equinox.use.ds=true so I guessed at equinox.use.reconciler=true and then I tried things like equinox.auto-start.ds=true but near the last line of the console I always have `[p2] Sat... - [Start Level Event Dispatcher] [reconciler] Reconciliation skipped.` – Tod Apr 14 '12 at 21:21
  • Using `dropins` is always a last resort, it is not intended as a user-friendly mechanism. Shame on NetBurner for not doing the simple task of supplying an update site for proper installation. It would literally take an hour or two of effort on their part. – E-Riz Apr 15 '12 at 01:18
  • I'll talk to them and see if they can do it. I believe they feel that the majority of their customers are better served by using the pre-customized "NBEclipse" that they provide. I was hoping if I could get the Reconciler to auto-start I might be able to give them more info on why the plug-in is failing to load on my system. – Tod Apr 15 '12 at 16:59