I have a large, p2-enabled Eclipse RCP app composed of many individual features
(>500 plugins). Currently, the app is deployed as a single product. I'd like to
break off the majority of the features and have them installed automatically
from one or more p2 repositories via a custom, lightweight, headless app
accompanied by the necessary p2/equinox bundles and their transitive
dependencies. What's more (and this is important), I need the headless app to
automatically start some of the installed plugins (without a platform
restart!), which would kick off the full-blown application.
Imagine a "core" product accompanied by dozens of additional features (which
have already been developed). Different users in the organization would use the
product for different needs and roles. Instead of downloading a single,
gargantuan product, the app would automatically download and install only the
features necessary for their particular roles and responsibilities. In fact,
some users would automatically be prevented from seeing or being able to
download certain features.
More specifically, my users would download and execute a simple script that
would kick off an installation process like the following:
1. The script kicks off the RCP app's Eclipse executable (done/works ok)
2. The Eclipse/Equinox framework initializes, runs the SimpleConfigurator,
and starts my IApplication bundle (done/works ok)
3. The framework instantiates my IApplication implementation based on my
config.ini's eclipse.application param (done/works ok)
4. The framework invokes my IApplication instance's
start(IApplicationContext) method
5. My IApplication instance resolves and executes a p2 ProvisioningJob
based on a configurable list of IUs (done/works ok)
6. My IApplication instance uses the Eclipse extension framework to
identify one of the newly installed bundles that contains its own IApplication
(doesn't work)
7. My IApplication instance uses the Eclipse extension framework to create
an executable instance of the newly installed bundle's IApplication class
(doesn't work)
8. My IApplication instance calls the other IApplication instance and
blocks until the other IApplication returns
So far, I've got an IApplication implementation that successfully works through
Step #5. However, everything after Step 5 is giving me problems. As you know,
the p2 logic only installs the IUs. It doesn't start the plugins, much less
make their extension points available for creating executable extensions.
I tried to mimic the p2 UI logic by looking up the SimpleConfigurator and
invoking its applyConfiguration() method. However, it caused the
org.eclipse.core.runtime plugin to stop, kill the running Platform, and stop my
IApplication instance and its plugin.
After that I tried to initialize my installed plugins manually, such as using
the PlatformAdmin to set start levels, resolve, etc. However, I kept running
into NoClassDefFound errors since some plugins didn't lazily initialize as
expected.
I also tried to set up a separate profile, install my "heavyweight" features to
the dropins directory, and use the reconciler APIs to initialize my plugins.
Unfortunately, the app still tried to restart the org.eclipse.core.runtime
plugin and kill the running Platform.
Any advice? This is a crucial step in making my RCP app lightweight and easier
to deploy and update.
Thanks,
Chip
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