Equinox Launcher Plan

• Overview
• Current Status
• Recent Improvements
  • Java Version Support
  • Platform Support
  • Build Infrastructure
  • Security Enhancements
• Ongoing Work
  • Performance Improvements
  • Enhanced Error Reporting
  • Platform Modernization
• Future Plans
  • Launcher Architecture
    • Modularization
    • Native Code Reduction
  • Command-Line Interface
    • Enhanced Argument Processing
    • Configuration File Improvements
  • Cross-Platform Consistency
  • Development Experience
    • Improved Build System
    • Testing Infrastructure
• Technical Debt
  • Areas for Cleanup
• Platform-Specific Plans
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • macOS
• Contribution Guidelines
  • Areas for Contribution
  • How to Contribute
• Deprecation Policy
• Version History
• References
• See Also

Overview

This page outlines the development plans, ongoing improvements, and future direction for the Equinox Launcher. The launcher is a critical component that provides the entry point for Eclipse and Equinox-based applications.

Current Status

The Equinox Launcher is a mature, stable component that has been in production use for many years. It consists of:

• Native executable: Platform-specific binaries for Windows, Linux, and macOS
• Java launcher code: org.eclipse.equinox.launcher bundle
• Native libraries: Platform-specific JNI libraries in launcher fragments

Recent Improvements

Java Version Support

• Updated minimum Java version requirements to align with Eclipse platform requirements
• Enhanced JVM detection to handle newer Java versions
• Improved error messaging when incompatible Java versions are detected

Platform Support

• Added support for Apple Silicon (ARM64) on macOS
• Added support for Linux ARM64 (aarch64)
• Added support for Linux RISC-V 64-bit
• Continued support for existing platforms (x86_64, Windows ARM64)

Build Infrastructure

• Modernized native build scripts
• Improved cross-compilation support
• Updated compiler toolchains (Visual Studio 2022, modern GCC)
• Better integration with Maven/Tycho build system

Security Enhancements

• macOS notarization for improved security and user experience
• Code signing improvements
• Better handling of security policies on various platforms

Ongoing Work

Performance Improvements

Goals:

• Reduce startup time
• Optimize native library loading
• Improve JVM detection performance
• Reduce memory footprint

Approach:

• Profile startup sequence to identify bottlenecks
• Optimize native code
• Cache JVM detection results where appropriate

Enhanced Error Reporting

Goals:

• Provide clearer error messages
• Better diagnostics for common issues
• Improved logging and debugging capabilities

Approach:

• Categorize common error scenarios
• Provide actionable error messages with suggested solutions
• Add structured logging for easier troubleshooting

Platform Modernization

Goals:

• Support latest operating system versions
• Adapt to platform changes (e.g., macOS security, Windows store)
• Remove deprecated platform dependencies

Approach:

• Regular updates for new OS versions
• Testing on preview/beta OS releases
• Proactive API migration for deprecated functionality

Future Plans

Launcher Architecture

Modularization

Goal: Make the launcher more modular and extensible.

Proposed Changes:

• Better separation between launcher and framework initialization
• Pluggable JVM selection strategies
• Extensible command-line argument processing

Native Code Reduction

Goal: Reduce platform-specific native code where possible.

Approach:

• Leverage Java features that replace native functionality
• Use JDK APIs instead of custom native implementations
• Maintain native code only where necessary for platform integration

Command-Line Interface

Enhanced Argument Processing

Goal: Improve command-line argument handling.

Plans:

• Support for modern CLI patterns (e.g., --long-options)
• Better validation and error reporting
• Consistent behavior across platforms

Configuration File Improvements

Goal: Enhance eclipse.ini processing.

Ideas:

• Support for comments and documentation in eclipse.ini
• Include mechanism for shared configurations
• Better validation and error reporting

Cross-Platform Consistency

Goal: Ensure consistent behavior across all supported platforms.

Areas:

• Argument parsing
• Path handling
• Environment variable processing
• Error messages

Development Experience

Improved Build System

Goals:

• Simplify building native components
• Better IDE integration
• Streamlined release process

Approach:

• Further Maven/Tycho integration
• Automated testing of native builds
• Containerized build environments

Testing Infrastructure

Goals:

• Comprehensive automated testing
• Platform-specific test coverage
• Performance benchmarking

Plans:

• Expand org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.tests
• Add integration tests for native launcher
• Automated testing on all supported platforms
• Performance regression testing

Technical Debt

Areas for Cleanup

1. Legacy Code: Some code dates back to early Eclipse versions
   • Gradual refactoring while maintaining compatibility
   • Remove unused code paths
2. Platform-Specific Code: Consolidate where possible
   • Identify common patterns across platforms
   • Create shared abstractions
3. Documentation: Keep documentation up-to-date
   • Document internal architecture
   • Improve code comments
   • Update user-facing documentation

Platform-Specific Plans

Windows

• Continued support for Windows 10 and 11
• ARM64 Windows support improvements
• Better high-DPI support
• Windows Store compatibility (if applicable)

Linux

• Support for emerging architectures (RISC-V, etc.)
• Better Wayland support
• Compatibility with newer GTK versions
• Snap/Flatpak packaging considerations

macOS

• Continued Apple Silicon improvements
• Adapt to macOS security changes
• Support for latest Xcode and SDK versions
• App Store compatibility considerations

Contribution Guidelines

The Equinox Launcher welcomes contributions:

Areas for Contribution

1. Platform Support: Help test and improve support for specific platforms
2. Bug Fixes: Address issues in the bug tracker
3. Documentation: Improve user and developer documentation
4. Testing: Add test coverage
5. Performance: Identify and fix performance issues

How to Contribute

1. Check the issue tracker
2. Discuss significant changes in GitHub Discussions or issues first
3. Follow the contribution guidelines
4. Submit pull requests with:
   • Clear description of changes
   • Test coverage where applicable
   • Documentation updates

Deprecation Policy

The launcher maintains compatibility with older Eclipse versions while moving forward:

• Native APIs: Maintain binary compatibility where possible
• Command-Line Arguments: Deprecated arguments supported with warnings
• Java Versions: Follow Eclipse platform requirements
• Platform Support: Announce end-of-life well in advance

Version History

The launcher version corresponds to the Eclipse release it ships with:

• Eclipse 4.x: Major redesign with native launcher
• Eclipse 3.x: Original launcher implementation
• Future: Continuous evolution with Eclipse platform

References

• Source Code
• Native Build Scripts
• Issue Tracker
• Eclipse Equinox Project

See Also

• Equinox Launcher
• Startup Issues
• Launcher Issues
• Building the Launcher