I'm new to Eclipse, there is a project at work that is set up and running, I want to set it up just like that on my home PC so I can look at it in my spare time, so I zipped up the project directory, and unzipped it on my home PC, but it didn't work like Netbeans, seems missing lots of parts/plug-ings ? How do I know what plug-ins are needed for the project at work, so I can install them at home, the project is large and someone else developed it, is there a way in Eclipse to zip up all the plugins related to the project with the project and unzip and install them automatically ?
The easiest way to reproduce the installed plugins should be File->Export->Install->Installed Items to File. The resulting file can be imported on your machine using File->Import->Install->Software items from file and will lead to installing all plugins which are available on the first machine.
Notes:
This requires that the plugins from the first machine can be found via public update sites, as that exported file will only contain a list of meta data from where to install the plugins, not the actual jar files.
The export includes all plugins of the first machine. You can deselect some of them, but there is no automated way to find only the ones needed for your project.
Requires Eclipse 3.7 or newer.
Related
I downloaded and ran eclipse.exe.exe for installation, but it doesn't get added to the Programs as an Installed software. I always get to locate the .exe and launch the IDE from there. Any thoughts why it doesn't get installed as a Program?
Eclipse doesn't work as a regular installation, but as an archive of related files, majorly because to create as much as a loose connection to the environment/OS as possible. Applications that are installed need to update data in OS registry and is therefore on some points restricted. In your Eclipse IDE you can specify own registries with data relevant for the project.
Another benefit is that it's easily updated and can also be easily shared between work stations without installation. That gives flexibility, if your workspace is corrupted, you don't need to uninstall, reinstall, restart and all that stuff. All you need is to take a back up of your plugins folder inside you Eclipse, and then discard the current directory, unzip the original download and replace your plugins with the backup. You are up and running on a new instance, no holds barred !!
My Eclipse installation got completely borked and won't start up, so I will likely have to reinstall it (but this is also relevant when upgrading to a new Eclipse version). I want not to have to hunt down all the plugins I had installed. So where does Eclipse store list of available update sites? And if it isn't in plain text, can it be copied into another installation without problems?
Click on File->Export->Install (Installed Software Items to File)
sorry that I did not notice that your eclipse installation is not working. I don't think there is a direct solution to import the installs from eclipse config files (If you can't export from eclipse). Eclipse stores this configuration in the "articles.xml" files inside "eclipse/configuration/../../...."
e.g on my box I checked here:
eclipse/configuration/org.eclipse.osgi/bundles/293/data/-750392822/artifacts.xml
There will be many articles.xml files like this. I suggest to find one articles.xml files inside your broken eclipse path and then try importing that in new eclipse by help->install new softeare->(the click on) Available Software Sites->Import and then import these articles.xml files. To be honest, I did not try this, but would like to try this..
I don't know where it stores the websites but you can export/import sites from/to eclipse
There is a link like button named "Available Software Sites" on intall update/plugin window. There you can choose all the sites and export those sites and import on another eclipse installlation.
I am behind an intranet that does not have access to the download sites. Assuming I have access to all of the correct zip and jar files. What are the step by step instructions to get Eclipse to the point where I can go to Windows -> Preferences and see the Google entry?
1) I don't have access to the http://code.google.com/eclipse/docs/getting_started.html site because I am on a closed network.
2) I tried using the dropins folder and when I re-open Eclipse and go to Windows->Preferences "Google" isn't listed.
Any ideas?
The official zip-file installation instructions are at http://code.google.com/eclipse/docs/install-from-zip.html
This uses the Eclipse dropins mechanism, which helps Eclipse to pick up the new plugins in a clean way, quote:
... the dropins folder can be used much like the plugins directory was used in the past. A subtle twist on old behavior here is that plug-ins and features added to the dropins folder are properly installed into the system rather than being forced in.
Note:
Make sure, that you extract the zip file into the correct destination. It can easily happen, that it gets extracted e.g. into some subdirectory - so please check twice. You should have the following structure:
eclipse (this is your Eclipse installation folder)
dropins
eclipse (this is the directory created by extracting the zip file)
features
com.google.*
plugins
com.google.*
features
(your already installed features)
plugins
(your already installed plugins)
...
Then (re-)start Eclipse.
Just install the plugin from here and you are set to go.
http://code.google.com/eclipse/docs/getting_started.html
If you get a correct zip file for plugin, you will see "plugins" and "features" as soon as you open the zip file.
If your eclipse is in a location "c:\eclipse", extract the zip file into "c:\eclipse". The files will go into the corresponding folders.
Drop them in the plugins folder
I've just installed a new Linux distro on my box and want to move my Eclipse home from the old /home/username/ to my new one. Because I changed the desktop, I don't want to copy all hidden folders from ~/. So which directories do I need copy in order to have all my installed plugins?
I've already copied ~/.eclipse/ and it definitely contains files related to the plugins but Eclipse won't load them. Any hints?
We've eventually found the directory containing all that stuff by accident. Somehow we broke it and Eclipse refused to start on my coworker's computer:-)
See ~/workspace/.metadata/.plugins or wherever your workspace resides.
As far as I know, Eclipse stores its plugins in its installation directory (eclipse). They might reside in eclipse/plugins or eclipse/dropins. You can copy the whole eclipse directory from your old box.
I'm using Eclipse and have plenty of plugins installed and configured to my needs. Is there any good way to backup these plugins and the configuration of them. I want to be able to replay these plugins in futures eclipse version (as long as they are compatible) and on different PCs.
I know I could simply archive the whole eclipse/ folder, but I find this a little inelegant.
There are two parts to your question:
Copying your settings between Eclipse installs
Copying your installed plugins between Eclipse installs
#1 is easy to do. You can export your Eclipse preferences from the File -> Export... -> Preferences. The resulting file contains all of your preferences for each installed plugin. It is portable between Eclipse installs and versions.
#2 is not really the "Eclipse" way of doing things. It is possible, but you need to structure your installed plugins differently. Rather than using the standard update manager to install your plugins, you can use the dropins folder. What you need to do is to copy every feature and plugin that you want to be shared across multiple installs into a zip file with the following structure:
eclipse/
features/
plugins/
Then you can unzip the file into the dropins folder of all the Eclipses that you want.
More information on dropins:
http://help.eclipse.org/helios/index.jsp?topic=/org.eclipse.platform.doc.isv/reference/misc/p2_dropins_format.html
P2 installation replication is a tool to help you backup installed plug-ins, you could install it via Eclipse Marketplace.
According to the settings of configuration, most of them are persisted in your workspace. So you could backup your workspace/.metadata folder.
While inelegant, archiving the entire eclipse folder is also insufficient. I think you want to archive the following:
The entire eclipse installation folder.
The .metadata folder of every workspace.
By doing this, you will not only preserve the plugins and their settings, but you will also preserve an eclipse installation in which you know your plugins work.
I've made small service for myself to synchronize Eclipse settings. Currently it supports Java Templates + Bash Aliases. Could be useful for someone else.
http://confsync.com