Meng Lu's home page / computing / installing and configuring / Installing and configuring Eclipse
  1. Installing security certificate in Eclipse for
  2. eclipse.ini
  3. Plug-ins
  4. Preferences
  5. References

Last verification:

  • 2024-8: macOS 14.6.1, Eclipse JEE 2024-06 (4.32.0).
  • 2024-2: macOS 13.1, Eclipse JEE 2023-12 (4.30.0).
  • 2023-11: macOS 13.1, Eclipse JEE 2023-09 (4.29.0).
  • 2021-12: macOS 12.1, Eclipse 2021-12 (4.22.0).
  • 2021-4-2: Windows 10 Pro (version: 20H2; OS build: 19042.867), Eclipse version 2021-03 (4.19.0).
  • 2020-10-26: macOS 10.14.6, Eclipse 2020-09 (4.17.0).

Installing security certificate in Eclipse for

A security certificate is a small data file used to confirm the authenticity, identity, and reliability of a website or web application. The file contains verified information about the company and the domain. For some plug-ins of Eclipse, the Java runtime running Eclipse may need to have the security certificate imported before installing from the software's update URL.

Steps to import a security certificate

Find the executable keytool in the java.home path found in

Eclipse -> About Eclipse -> Installation Detail -> Configuration -> java.home

The values I found:

  • Eclipse 2023-12:
java.home=/Applications/Eclipse_JEE_2023-12.app/Contents/Eclipse/plugins/org.eclipse.justj.openjdk.hotspot.jre.full.macosx.x86_64_17.0.9.v20231028-0858/jre/
  • Eclipse 2024-06:
java.home=/Applications/Eclipse_JEE_2024-06.app/Contents/Eclipse/plugins/org.eclipse.justj.openjdk.hotspot.jre.full.macosx.x86_64_21.0.3.v20240426-1530/jre/

And the above path contains a bin/keytool.

Note it's different from the Java paths found in

Settings > Java > Installed JREs

which has the following JREs as of 2024-8 with Eclipse JEE 2024-06 (4.32.0):

/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/temurin-22.jdk/Contents/Home
/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/openjdk.jdk/Contents/Home

Import the certificate with the following commands:

$myJavaPath='/Applications/Eclipse JEE.app/Contents/Eclipse/plugins/org.eclipse.justj.openjdk.hotspot.jre.full.macosx.x86_64_17.0.8.v20230801-1951/jre'

$"$myJavaPath/bin/keytool" -cacerts -delete -alias EXAMPLECA

$"$myJavaPath/bin/keytool" -cacerts -list | ack EXAMPLECA
Enter keystore password: changeit
EXAMPLECA, Aug 30, 2023, trustedCertEntry,

$"$myJavaPath/bin/keytool" -trustcacerts -cacerts -alias EXAMPLECA -import -file ~/Downloads/EXAMPLECA.crt

That default password is 'changeit', which is found in

https://blogs.sap.com/2018/06/27/jdk-keystore-with-eclipse-cloud-platform-integration-tool/

Then I'm able to use

https://www.example.com/example_update

as an installation URL.

eclipse.ini

location

On macOS, the configuration file

 ../Eclipse.app/Contents/MacOS/eclipse.ini

or for Eclipse 4.5 and later:

 ../Eclipse.app/Contents/Eclipse/eclipse.ini

On Windows, the configuration file is at

%ProgramFiles%\Eclipse 4.19\eclipse\eclipse.ini

%ProgramFiles% on Windows 10 is

C:\Program Files

Memory size

eclipse.ini has

-startup
../../../plugins/org.eclipse.equinox.launcher_1.0.101.R34x_v20080819.jar
--launcher.library
../../../plugins/org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.carbon.macosx_1.0.101.R34x_v20080731
-showsplash
org.eclipse.platform
-vmargs
-Xdock:icon=../Resources/Eclipse.icns
-XstartOnFirstThread
-Xms1024m
-Xmx1536m
-XX:PermSize=256M
-XX:MaxPermSize=512M
-XX:+UseParallelGC
-Dorg.eclipse.swt.internal.carbon.smallFonts
  • Xms and Xmx are the starting and maximum heap size for JVM running Eclipse, respectively. Heap stores objects, so anything that create large number of objects will require large value for Xmx
  • PermSize and MaxPermSize are for memory storing classes (data structures, not object instances) so they normally don't need to be large[1].
  • -Xss2m sets the Java stack size to 2MB; If it requires very deep level of recursion and can have large inputs, a stack size too small may cause java.lang.StackOverflowError (c.f. documentation at eclipse.org/openj9/docs/).
  • -XX:ConcGCThreads=5 sets the number of threads used for parallel garbage collector[2].

-Dorg.eclipse.swt.internal.carbon.smallFonts

On high-resolution displays on macOS(?), removing

-Dorg.eclipse.swt.internal.carbon.smallFonts

is said to make the font size larger for some GUI elements. But I couldn't notice any difference.

References:

  • http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/24621/how-do-increase-font-size-of-eclipse-globally

Plug-ins

(If not specifically mentioned, in reasonably modern version of Eclipse, install plug-ins using the menu Help > Eclipse Marketplace.)

UI

  • DevStyle
    • As of Eclipse 4.7, one can install it from Help > Eclipse Marketplace. I use the "Darkest Dark" color theme by setting Preferences ⟶ General ⟶ Appearance ⟶ Theme: DevStyle Theme (Darkest Dark).
    • 4.4+: Use Preferences ⟶ General ⟶ Appearance ⟶ Theme: Dark
    • Pre-4.4:

Java

  • CheckStyle

    • As of Eclipse 2020-09, one can install it from Help > Eclipse Marketplace. The name of the plug-in as of Eclipse 2020-09 is "Checkstyle Plug-in 8.35.0".
    • As of Eclipse 4.6, one can install it from Help > Eclipse Marketplace. The name of the plug-in as of Eclipse 4.8.0 (Aug., 2018) is "Checkstyle Plug-in 8.12.0".
    • Eclipse plug-in site: http://eclipse-cs.sourceforge.net/
    • Plug-in repository URL: http://eclipse-cs.sf.net/update/
    • Available checks: http://checkstyle.sourceforge.net/availablechecks.html
    • Robert Sedgewick's check-style configuration file used for his algorithms course.
    • I usually set it to use "Google Checks" in Window > Preferences > CheckStyle > Global Checks Configuration.

  • SpotBugs/FindBugs

    • As of Eclipse version 2018-09 (4.9.0) and Sept. 2018, according to https://github.com/spotbugs/spotbugs, FindBugs has been succeeded by SpotBugs, and install the SpotBugs plug-in from Help > EclipseMarketplace.
    • As of Eclipse 4.4, one can install it from Help > Eclipse Marketplace.
    • Plug-in repository URL: http://findbugs.cs.umd.edu/eclipse or http://findbugs.cs.umd.edu/eclipse-candidate if the former does not work.
    • Robert Sedgewick's FindBugs configuration file used for his algorithms course.

  • (possibly obsolete) Eclipse Code Recommenders'

    • As of Eclipse version 2022-06, 'Eclipse Code Recommenders' gives an error 'No repository found at http://download.eclipse.org/recommenders/updates/stable/' and could NOT be installed.
    • As of 2020-10 and Eclipse 2020-09, it reports "repository not available" error when attempting to install it.
    • Install it from Help > Eclipse Marketplace.

  • (obsolete) ObjectAid UML Explorer

    • As of 2021-12, this plug-in seems no longer available. See https://marketplace.eclipse.org/content/objectaid-uml-explorer.
    • Plug-in repository URL: http://www.objectaid.com/update/current

Uqbar Tomcat XT Eclipse Plug-in

For launch and administer Tomcat's contexts.

  • As of Eclipse 4.4, one can install it from Help > Eclipse Marketplace.

Scala

  • (optional) Scala IDE.
  • As of Eclipse 4.4, one can install it from Help > Eclipse Marketplace.
  • Plug-in repository URL: http://scala-ide.org/download/current.html.

Mathematica

  • Wolfram Workbench
    • As of 2018-10 and Eclipse version 2018-09 (4.9.0), install it manually following the instruction at https://web.archive.org/web/20180108074322/http://support.wolfram.com/kb/27221 which essentially points out the repository URL http://workbench.wolfram.com/update/.
    • As of 2017-10, install it from Help > Elcipse Marketplace: http://marketplace.eclipse.org/content/wolfram-workbench-2).

Version control

  • CVS Integration

    • As of 2023-11, there is an update URL for installing CVS client. See Installing and configuring CVS client plug-in in Eclipse.
    • As of Eclipse version 2022-03 (4.23), installing the 'CVS Client' plug-in via Eclipse menu Help > Eclipse Marketplace is no longer supported. Instead, one needs to install it using the last update URL that still support it:
      1. Help > Install New Software...
      2. In the drop-down menu after 'Work with:', type or select https://download.eclipse.org/releases/2021-12/ (or the equivalent (?) https://download.eclipse.org/eclipse/updates/4.22), which is the last version that still includes 'CVS Client'
      3. Type filter text 'CVS'.
      4. Find and install 'Eclipse CVS Client'.
    • As of at least Eclipse version 2018-09 (4.9.0), to install CVS client,
      1. Help > Install New Software...
      2. Set 'Work with: --All Available Sites--'.
      3. Type filter text 'CVS'.
      4. Find and install 'Eclipse CVS Client'.
    • Since Eclipse 4.5, it is no longer included in Eclipse by default. One can install it by going to the menu Help > Eclipse Marketplace and searching by keyword "CVS Integration"

  • (obsolete) EGit

    • Since Eclipse 4.4, it is included in Eclipse as the built-in Git support.

I don't use Mercurial and SVN any more as of Eclipse 4:

Editing

  • AnyEdit
    • As of Eclipse 4.4, one can install it from Help > Eclispe Marketplace.
    • Plug-in repository URL: http://andrei.gmxhome.de/eclipse/.

Programming languages

  • Eclispe Wild Web Developer
    • If using Eclipse Java EE, it is installed by default.
  • (optional) JSON editor
    • If using Eclipse Java EE, it already includes support to Web development.
    • As of at least Eclipse 4.7.0 and 2017-8, one can install it from Help > Eclispe Marketplace.
  • (optional) Papyrus: UML modeling support

Misc

Preferences

Note preferences are workspace specific and you can export, save, and import preferences metadata using menu File ⟶ Export ⟶ Preferences [3].

  • Preferences ⟶ General ⟶ enable "Show heap status"

  • Preferences ⟶ General ⟶ Compare/Patch ⟶ enable "Ignore white space"

  • Preferences ⟶ General ⟶ Keys

  • Preferences ⟶ General ⟶ Network Connections

    • ⟶ SSH2: add private keys

  • Preferences ⟶ General ⟶ Editors

    • Check "Allow in-place system editors".
    • Size of recently opened files list: 20 (the maximum)
    • ⟶ Text Editors:
      • Check "Show print margin".
      • Check "Insert spaces for tabs".
      • Check "Show whitespace characters".
      • ⟶ Spelling
        • Optionally, uncheck "Enable spell checking" to help speeding up text editor.
    • ⟶ AnyEdit Tools:
      • Convert: Tab width/number of spaces for tab: 4

  • Preferences ⟶ General ⟶ Appearance

    • ⟶ Theme: Dark

    • If the "Darkest Dark Theme with DevStyle" plug-in is installed

      • ⟶ Theme: DevStyle Theme
      • ⟶ DevStyle ⟶ Color Themes
        • Workbench theme: Dark Gray (Darkest Dark)
        • Icon colors: Pastels
        • Editor theme: Solarized Dark
        • check "Theme background"
        • check "Enable breadcrumb"

    • ⟶ Colors and Fonts ⟶

    • ⟶ Basic ⟶ Text Font: Source Code Pro 18

      • ⟶ CVS
        • Outgoing Change (Background): dark green
        • Outgoing Change (Foreground): white
        • Ignored Resource (Background): dark gray
        • Ignored Resource (Foreground): light gray
      • ⟶ Git
        • Uncommitted Change (Background): dark green
        • Uncommitted Change (Foreground): white
        • Ignored Resource (Background): dark gray
        • Ignored Resource (Foreground): light gray

  • Preferences ⟶ Run/Debug ⟶ Launching

  • Preferences ⟶ Team ⟶ CVS

    • ⟶ Console: Check "Show CVS console automatically when command is run"
    • ⟶ Ext Connection: let CVS modules use ext connection method to use Eclipse's extssh connection method. Reference: Eclipse (version 4) documentation Workbench User Guide > Reference > Preferences: CVS Ext Connection Method
      • Check "Use another connection method type to connect";
      • For Connection type, select 'extssh'.

  • Preferences ⟶ Java ⟶ Editor

    • ⟶ Content Assistant: Change "Auto Activation Delay" to 500 ms.

Preferences ⟶ Wolfram (with Wolfram Workbench plugin)

  • ⟶ Editor
    • ⟶ Advanced: Editor update delay (ms). I use 1500 ms.
    • ⟶ Indenting: Indent with spaces
  • ⟶ Wolfram Cloud
    • User name: (email address)

References

  1. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/12114174/what-does-xxmaxpermsize-do/12114284#12114284↩
  2. https://www.eclipse.org/openj9/docs/xxconcgcthreads/, https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/technotes/guides/vm/gctuning/parallel.html, https://web.archive.org/web/20200211194652/https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/technotes/guides/vm/gctuning/parallel.html↩
  3. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4214526/how-to-save-eclipse-settings-fonts-formatting-etc↩
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