Re: [platform-update-dev] Where to start/ How to help

[Jeff McAffer <Jeff_McAffer@xxxxxxxxxx>]

As far as I know, this is not currently
implemented.  It is an interesting usecase.  Most of the function
needed is already there. The ability to install and remove features is
available at the high level (see InstallCommand and friends).  There
are lower-level operations if more control is needed.

The tricks in this are that 
a) you need SWT if you are going to
draw a login dialog
b) what do you do if the user changes
on next login (e.g., do you uninstall plugins not in that user's list)
c) do you cache or do you install the
plugins every time
d) what do you do about restart (do
you need to restart after the install)

Do the following, 

1) write a plugin that uses just SWT
and the Install standalone calls to do roughly what you want
2) craft an eclipse install that has
just swt, osgi, runtime and the relevant parts of update (and your plugin
ofcourse)
3) write a config.ini that lists your
plugin at startlevel 3 after the update.configurator (which is also at
startlevel 3)
4) in your plugin's start() run your
login stuff
5) when you figure out what is what,
call update and get it to install things that are not already installed
6) return from the start() method
7) note that you will have to dispose
of the Display to keep SWT happy
8) also note that you will have to set
the eclipse.application and/or the eclipse.product system properties when
you know what it is you are running.

There are bound to be some details i
nthere but that is the basic idea.  Let us know if you have something
to contribute back.  I suggest entering a bug report and then attaching
your code.  

Jeff

"James D Carroll" <jamesdcarroll@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent by: platform-update-dev-admin@xxxxxxxxxxx

02/11/2005 07:38 AM

Please respond to
platform-update-dev

To	"Eclipse Update" <platform-update-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx>
cc
Subject	[platform-update-dev] Where to start/ How to help

I've read just about every article I can find about
the update portions of
Eclipse and downloaded the source from CVS. There's a particular feature
that I'd like to see update have but can't seem to find how to achieve
it
and would be VERY interested in making it a reality.

Baiscally it would involve the ability to create a 'login' page that accepts
user and password. The update manager then would contact the update site
and
get the list of plugins that person should have, download new versions
if
needed, and delete any that they shouldn't have.

I think that this would be very useful in a business world by allowing
for
not only the role based distribution of plugins, but for centralized
liscensing management.

Thanks. I really hope that I can hope make this a reality if it already
isn't.

James
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