[jbosstools-dev] Packaging JBoss Tools for Fedora (issue & potential patches)

[Max Rydahl Andersen]

>>>>>> That might be a little old at this stage but basically the same. Since that, there are a few new JBoss Tools modules ready. I'm in
>>>>>> slow internet hell at the moment, but when I get back to a decent connection I'll upload updated ISOs. That one should give you the
>>>>>> general gist though!
>>>>> 
>>>>> Got link on where the latest greatest is to try out ?
>>>>> /max
>>>> 
>>>> I'll be uploading tomorrow, as that's the deadline for GSOC. I'd
>>>> upload ISO images more often but I don't have the network
>>>> resources. Dan Allen has been helping me with it this week, and we've
>>>> got quite a few new customizations that should be useful,
>>> 
>>> such as ? Where is this discussed/done - i'm curious?
> 
> The customizations that Gerard is referring to in this case are of the Linux environment itself, not specific to JBoss Tools (or even Eclipse). We are setting up the user's home directory so that they can start coding as soon as the boot finishes. This includes things like customizing terminal settings, adding git awareness to the bash prompt, setting the Eclipse workspace directory and default perspective and things of that sort.

cool - but what needs to change concerning eclipse workspace directory and default perspective ?

> We've been shooting ideas back and forth through the Fedora kickstart file hosted at gitorious: https://gitorious.org/fedora-jboss-spin/kickstart/ and I've been posting ideas on Google+. Now that those passing ideas are turning into conversations, I'll be sure to post on a mailinglist. The ideal place for this discussion is probably the Fedora Java mailinglist: https://lists.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/java-devel

Overall java sure, but I'm mostly curious in if there are things we could do better in jbosstools or even other places that would make things better/easier not only for a specific Fedora Java spin.

>>>> including a
>>>> user instance of JBoss AS managed by JBoss Tools, configured by
>>>> default! :)
>>> 
>>> yikes - I really don't like the sound of having more and more customizations of JBoss Tools in Feodra.
>>> 
>>> Why not just add this to JBoss Tools already existing autodetecton instead ? i.e. we already have automatic detection of servers
>>> in JBoss Tools and it makes no sense to only let the Fedora distro be the one that knows how to find
>>> the Fedora packaged one does it ? (cc'ed Dan Allen to hear more ;)
>>> 
>> 
>> It's not the default for Fedora, and there isn't any modification to
>> that effect to the JBoss Tools package in Fedora; it's just for the
>> 'Fedora Java Remix' live distribution. We see it as a way of making it
>> easier for people to get started. Of course, it should still be
>> possible to use other servers.

Maybe i'm just coming from a different world but I would rather see JBoss Tools server adapter be able to detect and setup the JBoss AS Fedora version out-of-the-box independent on you having a Fedora Java Remix installed or where your jboss tools installation came from.

> Exactly, the idea is for them to boot Fedora, open Eclipse and be able to deploy right away. We can't use the auto-discover at the moment because JBoss Tools doesn't properly auto-discover the "user instance" of JBoss AS that is prepared by the "jboss-as-cp" script in the JBoss AS package.

Exactly - this is what i'm curious about - getting server adapter to identify the server.

> This script creates a skinny standalone instance of JBoss AS that only has the configuration files and uses JBOSS_BASE_DIR to point to the real installation. This is the proper way (IMO) to properly handle permissions on an operating system that properly handles permissions :)

Please open JBIDE jiras for stuff we don't handle properly - just fixing it in fedora java remix is not a good long term solution. 

Seems like most of this can be solve by having firstclass support for more "base dirs"

> The server configuration that we added is partly necessary because it requires the vm arguments to be customized to isolate the configuration from the base installation. Since that would require hand editing those arguments, it's much easier on the developer if we setup the instance for them. Of course, once JBoss Tools can configure a user instance of JBoss AS (or even autodetect it), then that becomes unnecessary. I'll hold firm on the requirement that when they start Eclipse the first time, they should have a JBoss AS server already ready to go (that's one of the key goals of this spin).

Yes, please open jiras so we can now what you actually need - adding yet another autosetup is IMO backwards. (fine for this gsoc java respin as a proof of concept, but for me being able to have the autodetect pick up such installation no matter how you got jboss tools is much more interesting)

Could you open a jira and optimally point to the source for whatever configuration you do externally to the existing autodetection and server adapter setup ?

> Btw, you can grab a spin ISO, pop it into a virtual machine (like VirtualBox) and try it out:
> 
> http://ryan.lt/fedora-java-remix/

thanks, i'll try it out.

/max