Launch Settings

This page provides information about how the settings from Eclipse OSGi Framework Launcher dialog relates to Pax Runner.

Bundles Tab

Framework

Select the OSGi framework you want to use. The ones added by Eclipse Plugin are those which name ends with "via Pax Runner". If you do not see this list it means that the plugin is not installed or not properly installed. Refer to installation guide for details.
Maps to Pax Runner option "platform".

Default start level

Sets the start level for those bundles that have not set a specific start level value ("Default").
Maps to Pax Runner options "bundleStartLevel", "frameworkStartLevel".

Default auto-start

Sets if the bundles that do not have a specific auto-start option set ("Default") will be started or not.
Maps to Pax Runner option "start".

Bundles

Every bundle you select will be installed and eventually started into the launched platform. If the bundle you select is a workspace bundle (under development) prior starting the framework the bundle will be automatically packaged as jar (as when you were using Eclipse export functionality). You will notice this as as a progress bar displayed by Eclipse for each bundle in this situation.
Maps to Pax Runner file scanner.

Validate Bundles

If you are using the setting "Validate bundles automatically prior launching" it may give you an error (that you can answer with OK to go further), mentioning that you did not select all the necessary bundles. This is not always true as some of the packages your selected bundles require may be present in the launched platform as been exported by the launched platform or by bundles that you set up via the arguments (using pax runner provisioning scanners) or by using profiles. So, answer with OK and go further to find out if your bundle actually work or not. Same message you can get by using the button "Validate Bundles".

Add Required Bundles

If your are using the button "Add required bundles" Eclipse will select some bundles that are actually needed only by equinox (e.g. org.eclipse.osgi) and maybe more. So, validate first that you actually need all the bundles that are automatically selected.

Arguments Tab

Program arguments

In the program arguments you can set any option or provisioning url that you can set when starting Pax Runner in the "normal way". Any argument that do not start with "-" will by passed unchanged to Pax Runner. So, you can include options or provisioning urls. So, for example you can do something like:

--log=DEBUG --ee=OSGi/Minimum-1.1 --profiles=log,config mvn:org.ops4j.pax.web/pax-web-service

vM arguments

The content of this field will be passed unchanged as started virtual machine options.
Maps to Pax Runner option "vmOptions".

Settings Tab

Java executable (Java Runtime Environment)

Not used.

Runtime JRE (Java Runtime Environment)

The version of Java the framework will be started in. By using this setting the plugin will detect the JRE home directory and it will pass it to Pax Runner.
Maps to Pax Runner option "javaHome".

Location (Configuration Area)

A path to a directory where the platform specific artifacts will be stored. In this directory Pax Runer will create a sub-directory named "runner".
Maps to Pax Runner option "workingDirectory".

Clear the configuration area before launching

Removes the working directory (configured by the option above). Actually it will delete the "runner" directory from that folder.
Maps to Pax Runner option "clean".

Environment Tab

Environment variables to set

Setup the framework properties that will be made available in the started platform.
(under the hood the plugin will create a file that contains the framework properties, file that is sent to Pax Runner as a provision url using the file scanner)

Append / Replace environment variables

Nou used.

Common Tab

Almost all of this options are Eclipse generic options for all launch configurations. Nevertheless, the following option it has a meaning for Pax Runner:

Allocate console (Standard Input and Output)

If a console will be available in the launched platform.
Maps to Pax Runner option "console".