Since Eclipse 3.5 there seems to be no option to have drop a plugin jar ( not a feature ) in the Eclipse base directory and have it picked up at next startup.
Is there any possiblity to have plain plugins jars installed in Eclipse 3.5?
Since the advent of p2, you should be using the dropins directory instead.
To be completely clear create "plugins" under "/dropins"
and make sure to restart eclipse with the "-clean" option.
Simplest way - just put in the Eclipse plugins folder. You can start Eclipse with the -clean option to make sure Eclipse cleans its' plugins cache and sees the new plugin.
In general, it is far more recommended to install plugins using proper update sites.
For Eclipse Mars (I've just verified that) you to do this (assuming that C:\eclipseMarsEE is root folder of your Eclipse):
Add plugins folder to C:\eclipseMarsEE\dropins so that it looks like:
C:\eclipseMarsEE\dropins\plugins
Then add plugin you want to install into that folder:
C:\eclipseMarsEE\dropins\plugins\someplugin.jar
Start Eclipse with clean option.
If you are using shortcut on desktop then just right click on Eclipse
icon > Properties and in Target
field add: -clean like this: C:\eclipseMarsEE\eclipse.exe -clean
Start Eclipse and verify that your plugin works.
Remove -clean option from Target field.
go to Help -> Install New Software... -> Add -> Archive.... Done.
in Eclipse 4.4.1
copy jar in "C:\eclipse\plugins"
edit file "C:\eclipse\configuration\org.eclipse.equinox.simpleconfigurator\bundles.info"
add jar info.
example:
com.soft4soft.resort.jdt,2.4.4,file:plugins\com.soft4soft.resort.jdt_2.4.4.jar,4,false
restart Eclipse.
This is how you can go about it:
Close Eclipse
Download a jar plugin (let's assume its testNG.jar)
Copy testNG.jar to a certain folder (say C:\Project\resources\plugins)
In your Eclipse installation folder, there is a folder named dropins (could be C:\eclipse\dropins), create a .link file in that folder, (like plugins.link)
Open this file with any text editor and enter this one line:
path=C:/Project/resources/plugins
Save the file and start Eclipse.
And you are good to go!
Please do not forget to change your backward slashes in your plugins folder path to forward slashes on step 5. I used to forget and it would take my time unnecessarily.
Related
I feel really stupid by asking this question, but how can I install Json Editor Plugin in my Eclipse Helios? I looked at the Forum in sourceforge, but I can't install it neither through .zip or by adding a web site. And will I need to change the execution environment to Java 1.6?
Here is what I did to get the Json Editor Plugin to show up in the Install Dialog.
By doing a little Google-ing, I found this page which describes the steps to install JsonEditorPlugin on 3.4.
After you have followed the first 6 steps, make sure that Group items by category is un-ticked. After that, you can then choose Json Editor Plugin to be installed from the local Zip archive that you have downloaded from the net.
Edit: as a side note, you must not have the unzipped contents of the zip archive in the dropins/ folder, otherwise it will appear as if the plugin is already installed.
Simply dropping the zip contents into the dropins folder however did work also.
Note: You must right click your .json file and choose 'Open with' -> 'Json Editor'
You can install plugins by just unzipping them into the dropins folder.
It does not matter if the zip file contains the parent folders "plugins" and/or "eclipse".
I would recommend Java 1.6 as it brings a better performance and the plugin might require Java 1.6. On your desktop shortcut you use following execution arguments:
eclipse -vm <path to jre 1.6 installation folder>\bin\javaw
Download jsonedit-repository-0.9.7.zip (or whatever) and put it in a folder you like.
In Eclipse Help --> Install New Software
Add --> Archive button and select the zip file.
Name it and press OK
Press button Next and Follow master of installation.
Then after opening json file possibly needed right click mouse on the file --> open with --> JSON editor
If I export a plugin from Eclipse using the 'Export -> Deployable Plug-ins and Fragments' as a jar file. I was wondering how I can then use this plugin in my workspace after I restart Eclipse. Are there any additional steps I need to perform to use the plugin?
Just copy it into the dropins folder of Eclipse. Do not use the plugins folder directly as there is a good chance it won't be picked up.
Put the JAR in a folder named dropins/eclipse/plugins under your target eclipse directory.
An easier method to install it is to select 'install into host' when you export the plugin.
For testing purposes you shouldn't have to use the dropins folder, but instead launch it as an eclipse plugin.
Depending on the type of plugin you have created you may need to click a button or hotkey to activate it.
I have downloaded a RAR file from the following location, to be (manually) installed to Eclipse (Helios). How can I perform the manual installation?
http://sourceforge.net/projects/eclipsesql/files/SQL%20Explorer%20RCP%20%28exc%20JRE%29/3.6.1/sqlexplorer_rcp-3.6.1.macosx.cocoa.x86.tgz/download
Instead of putting it directly into the plugins directory, it's better to use the dropins directory as this was created just for this purpose. Have a look here: http://wiki.eclipse.org/Equinox_p2_Getting_Started#Dropins
For sqlexplorer: do not download the full RCP version (as your link does), this one is standalone. Get this one instead: http://sourceforge.net/projects/eclipsesql/files/SQL%20Explorer%20Plugin/3.6.1/sqlexplorer_plugin-3.6.1_SR2.zip/download
Extract this to $eclipse_home$\dropins\sqlexplorer and restart Eclipse.
BUT: Using the SqlExplorer Update Site (http://eclipsesql.sourceforge.net/) would be an even better option (Help>Install new Software)
I have tried the installation with the explanation about the dropins folder and had to tweak it like that:
Unzip the distribution into your eclipse installation directory under the folder dropins. Your structure should be:
eclipse/
dropins/
eclipse/
features/
plugins/
Remove all other files and directories. There is some missing piece (file contents.xml), so that the distribution is no real p2 repository which leads to an error. The directories plugins and features are sufficient.
Restart your eclipse (I have done it with option -clean, not sure if that is necessary).
SQLExplorer is then installed and visible in the help, in different menus and with a new perspective.
I even was able to use it to have a look at my SQLite3 database of a rails3 application. Wow!! So I will give it a try.
From their website (http://www.sqlexplorer.org/):
Eclipse Plugin
Download
Download the Eclipse SQL Explorer plugin and extract the zip file in your eclipse directory (requires Eclipse 3.3 or better).
After restarting eclipse with the -clean option, a new SQL Explorer perspective should be available.
Eclipse Update Site
You can install and update Eclipse SQL Explorer via the eclipse update mechanism. The update site for Eclipse SQL Explorer is http://eclipsesql.sourceforge.net/
I always go for the update site option if they present it, it's easier and lets you do updates easily. To use the update mechanism just select Help > Insall New Software... then enter the update site, press Add and go through the wizard.
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
With Eclipse 3.4, is it possible to provide an ADDITIONAL plugin directory from command line? Something like:
eclipse -plugin_dir D:/myproduct/V1.1/plugins -clean
This is just to save copying of plugins everytime.
While copying can be done with script, it's possible that user may not have
write permissions to system install eclipse.
Follow up:
The solution given by #VonC is for reusing same plugins in multiple Eclipses.
I'm looking for a to use Multiple versions of plugins with Same Eclipse.
( If user has Version 1.1 and Vesion 1.2 of my plugin installed )
Resolved:
The directory pointed to by -Dorg.eclipse.equinox.p2.reconciler.dropins.directory
should end with a directory named 'eclipse'
Inside this eclipse where should be directory called plugins,
place all the jars at in the plugins directory
create a launcher , which launch eclipse with additional command line:
-vmargs
-Dorg.eclipse.equinox.p2.reconciler.dropins.directory=AbsolutePath\eclipse
One may want to add -clean also ..
As mentionned in Installing Eclipse (3.4+) plugins in a directory other than ECLIPSE_HOME/plugins, the right way is to define a bundle pools (also introduced here)
See my previous answer for more details.
It space is not a big issue, users can copy the system install of eclipse into a work directory and put additional plugins/features in the dropins/ directory.