Eclipse Launch-Configutation for OSGI Framework does not work on Mac

Question

I tried to start the development of a bundle using Eclipse Kepler on a Mac (OS 10.8.4). I created a minimal "Hello World" bundle and created a corresponding OSGI-Framework launch configuration. When starting the launch configuration I always get the following exception:

osgi> !SESSION 2013-09-08 23:03:50.713 -----------------------------------------------
eclipse.buildId=unknown
java.version=1.6.0_51
java.vendor=Apple Inc.
BootLoader constants: OS=macosx, ARCH=x86_64, WS=cocoa, NL=de_DE
Command-line arguments:  -dev file:/Users/stephan/Documents/workspace/.metadata/.plugins/org.eclipse.pde.core/New_configuration (1)/dev.properties -os macosx -ws cocoa -arch x86_64 -consoleLog -console

!ENTRY org.eclipse.core.net 1 0 2013-09-08 23:03:53.012
!MESSAGE System property http.nonProxyHosts has been set to local|*.local|169.254/16|*.169.254/16 by an external source. This value will be overwritten using the values from the preferences
***WARNING: Display must be created on main thread due to Cocoa restrictions.

!ENTRY org.eclipse.equinox.preferences 4 2 2013-09-08 23:03:53.293
!MESSAGE Problems occurred when invoking code from plug-in: "org.eclipse.equinox.preferences".
!STACK 0
java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError
    at org.eclipse.debug.internal.ui.DebugUIPreferenceInitializer.setDefault(DebugUIPreferenceInitializer.java:186)
    at org.eclipse.debug.internal.ui.DebugUIPreferenceInitializer.setThemeBasedPreferences(DebugUIPreferenceInitializer.java:204)
    at org.eclipse.debug.internal.ui.DebugUIPreferenceInitializer.initializeDefaultPreferences(DebugUIPreferenceInitializer.java:79)
    at org.eclipse.core.internal.preferences.PreferenceServiceRegistryHelper$1.run(PreferenceServiceRegistryHelper.java:300)
    at org.eclipse.core.runtime.SafeRunner.run(SafeRunner.java:42)
    at org.eclipse.core.internal.preferences.PreferenceServiceRegistryHelper.runInitializer(PreferenceServiceRegistryHelper.java:303)
    at org.eclipse.core.internal.preferences.PreferenceServiceRegistryHelper.applyRuntimeDefaults(PreferenceServiceRegistryHelper.java:131)
    at org.eclipse.core.internal.preferences.PreferencesService.applyRuntimeDefaults(PreferencesService.java:368)
    at org.eclipse.core.internal.preferences.DefaultPreferences.applyRuntimeDefaults(DefaultPreferences.java:221)
    at org.eclipse.core.internal.preferences.DefaultPreferences.load(DefaultPreferences.java:274)
    at org.eclipse.core.internal.preferences.EclipsePreferences.create(EclipsePreferences.java:409)
    at org.eclipse.core.internal.preferences.EclipsePreferences.internalNode(EclipsePreferences.java:670)
    at org.eclipse.core.internal.preferences.EclipsePreferences.node(EclipsePreferences.java:812)
    at org.eclipse.core.internal.preferences.AbstractScope.getNode(AbstractScope.java:38)
    at org.eclipse.core.runtime.preferences.DefaultScope.getNode(DefaultScope.java:76)
    at org.eclipse.ui.preferences.ScopedPreferenceStore.getDefaultPreferences(ScopedPreferenceStore.java:250)
    at org.eclipse.ui.preferences.ScopedPreferenceStore.getPreferenceNodes(ScopedPreferenceStore.java:285)
    at org.eclipse.ui.preferences.ScopedPreferenceStore.internalGet(ScopedPreferenceStore.java:475)
    at org.eclipse.ui.preferences.ScopedPreferenceStore.getString(ScopedPreferenceStore.java:535)
    at org.eclipse.debug.internal.ui.launchConfigurations.PerspectiveManager.initPerspectives(PerspectiveManager.java:996)
    at org.eclipse.debug.internal.ui.launchConfigurations.PerspectiveManager.startup(PerspectiveManager.java:269)
    at org.eclipse.debug.internal.ui.DebugUIPlugin.start(DebugUIPlugin.java:542)
    at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.BundleContextImpl$1.run(BundleContextImpl.java:711)
    at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
    at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.BundleContextImpl.startActivator(BundleContextImpl.java:702)
    at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.BundleContextImpl.start(BundleContextImpl.java:683)
    at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.BundleHost.startWorker(BundleHost.java:381)
    at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.AbstractBundle.resume(AbstractBundle.java:390)
    at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.Framework.resumeBundle(Framework.java:1176)
    at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.StartLevelManager.resumeBundles(StartLevelManager.java:559)
    at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.StartLevelManager.resumeBundles(StartLevelManager.java:544)
    at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.StartLevelManager.incFWSL(StartLevelManager.java:457)
    at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.StartLevelManager.doSetStartLevel(StartLevelManager.java:243)
    at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.StartLevelManager.dispatchEvent(StartLevelManager.java:438)
    at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.StartLevelManager.dispatchEvent(StartLevelManager.java:1)
    at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.eventmgr.EventManager.dispatchEvent(EventManager.java:230)
    at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.eventmgr.EventManager$EventThread.run(EventManager.java:340)
Caused by: org.eclipse.swt.SWTException: Invalid thread access
    at org.eclipse.swt.SWT.error(SWT.java:4397)
    at org.eclipse.swt.SWT.error(SWT.java:4312)
    at org.eclipse.swt.SWT.error(SWT.java:4283)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.error(Display.java:1076)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.createDisplay(Display.java:833)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.create(Display.java:816)
    at org.eclipse.swt.graphics.Device.<init>(Device.java:130)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.<init>(Display.java:707)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.<init>(Display.java:698)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.getDefault(Display.java:1396)
    at org.eclipse.jface.preference.PreferenceConverter.<clinit>(PreferenceConverter.java:81)
    ... 37 more

I tried it using the Apple JDK 1.6.0_51 and the Oracle JDK 1.7.0_25. I also tried the -XstartOnFirstThread switch. I always get the same error.

The bundle looks like this:

package testbundle;

import org.osgi.framework.BundleActivator;
import org.osgi.framework.BundleContext;

public class Activator implements BundleActivator {

/*
 * (non-Javadoc)
 * @see org.osgi.framework.BundleActivator#start(org.osgi.framework.BundleContext)
 */
public void start(BundleContext context) throws Exception {
    System.out.println("Hello World!!");
}

/*
 * (non-Javadoc)
 * @see org.osgi.framework.BundleActivator#stop(org.osgi.framework.BundleContext)
 */
public void stop(BundleContext context) throws Exception {
    System.out.println("Goodbye World!!");
}

}

Maybe someone can give me a hint.

Thanks Stephan

Answer 1

I think that the Eclipse bundles have to be started with the START_ACTIVATION_POLICY flag, because they contain SWT code in their activators and therefore assume (incorrectly!) that they are on the main thread.

Basically you shouldn't use PDE's "OSGi Framework" launcher if you have Eclipse/SWT bundles. You should use the "Eclipse Application" launcher, as if you were developing an RCP app.