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Cannot use (Eclipse)/links folder for external Eclipse plug-ins in Rational Application Developer version 7.0

Troubleshooting


Problem

In IBM Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 6.0.x it was possible to use the "RAD Install Dir/eclipse/links" folder when installing a third party plug-in. This is not the case with version 7.0 prior to v7.0.0.2. A list of plug-in install alternatives is discussed.

Symptom

When installing an externally-located PVCS plug-in into Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 7.0, you needed the ability to use the Eclipse plug-in LINKs functionality to connect to the code management tool/plug-in.

The previous installation steps included:

Copy the edited link file:
C:\PVCS\Dimensions\8.0\Integrations\com.merant.team.pvcs.link
to
C:\IBM\Rational\SDP\6.0\eclipse\links

Cause

This no longer works in Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software version 7.0.

Resolving The Problem

The <RAD v7 Install Dir>\SDP70 folder is the v7 equivalent of the eclipse folder in v6.0.x and it does not suffice to just create a links folder. If you installed v7 using an existing Eclipse 3.2.1+, then that install location will be your eclipse folder.


Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 7.0 ships with Eclipse 3.2.1, while version 6.0.x used Eclipse 3.0.x. Under the <RAD v7 Install Dir>\IBM\SDP7.0\configuration\org.eclipse.update directory, in the platform.xml file, there is a transient value which is set to "true".
This causes links to not be able to load into version 7.0.0.0.
This is a known Eclipse 3.2.x defect: https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=166852.

The corresponding IBM defect tracking this problem is
APAR PK36257 : "UNABLE TO LOAD LINKS / DETECT PLUG-IN".

The Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software version 7 agent (IBM Installation Manager) now sets the transient attribute in the platform configuration:
<RAD v7 Install Dir>\IBM\SDP70\configuration\org.eclipse.update\platform.xml.
While it does solve the problem of not having the platform.xml getting reconciled every time new features or plug-ins are discovered, it does not update the platform with Eclipse extensions from the LINKS folder.

Eclipse 3.2.1 bugzilla 166852 is fixed as of Eclipse 3.2.2 and is part of update Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software verson 7.0.0.2 or later.

For a versions prior to 7.0.0.2 installation, use one of the following alternatives to a links folder for installing a plug-in - Plugin Install Alternatives:

  1. Add a site entry directly to platform.xml for the extension location, and then invoke eclipse with the -clean option

    OR
  2. Use Help: Manage Configuration: Add Eclipse Extension to add the extension location

    OR
  3. Invoke Update Configurator to add the site from the command line,

    For example:
  4. Drop the features and plug-ins directly to the install location for the product and invoke Eclipse with the -clean option. The install location corresponds to <RAD v7 Install Dir>\SDP70, which is your primary eclipse folder in the case of v7.0, as discussed earlier. It has a plugins folder.

So, if you are a user who has a plug-in in an external site, invoking Update Configurator to add the site from the command line (solution 3) might be the best thing to do. Then you would not need to create the link file any more.

Note: More information on the Links folder

A common usage of the links folder was to make it easier to move to a new version of Eclipse. You could keep your plug-ins in a folder outside your Eclipse install directory (much like the recommended approach for workspaces). Then when you installed a more recent Eclipse build, you could just copy over the {my plugin}.link file to the links folder in the new Eclipse install directory. This made it easier to remember which plug-ins and features you have installed and to copy them over correctly to a new Eclipse install.

An example of using the links folder is shown in Related Information item: Manage your Eclipse environment.

Rational Application Developer v7.5.x/Eclipse 3.4.x:

In addition to the above references to the Equinox p2 updater technology for Eclipse 3.4, the Related Information article:
Equinox p2 cures Eclipse plug-in headaches , is very informative and descriptive of the changes. For example, you no longer need to use -clean.

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Document Information

Modified date:
10 September 2020

UID

swg21255228

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