How to build the plug-ins?

1 Build
2 Debug
3 Debug options
4 Plug-ins cache
5 Debug with CDT sources

Build

select the ilg.gnuarmeclipse.parent project
right click, select Run As → Maven install
wait a while for Maven to load all required modules

The result of a successful build looks like this:

[INFO] --- tycho-p2-plugin:0.25.0:update-local-index (default-update-local-index) @ ilg.gnuarmeclipse.repository ---
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INFO] Reactor Summary:
[INFO] 
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse parent ............................. SUCCESS [  0.153 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse core ............................... SUCCESS [  2.347 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse debug core ......................... SUCCESS [  0.276 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse packages core ...................... SUCCESS [  0.405 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse managed build code ................. SUCCESS [  0.655 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse managed build feature .............. SUCCESS [  0.137 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse templates core ..................... SUCCESS [  0.422 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse Cortex-M template .................. SUCCESS [  0.252 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse Cortex-M template feature .......... SUCCESS [  0.097 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse STM32Fx templates .................. SUCCESS [  1.709 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse STM32Fx templates feature .......... SUCCESS [  0.082 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse Freescale Kinetis templates ........ SUCCESS [  0.292 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse Freescale PEx template ............. SUCCESS [  0.268 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse Freescale templates feature ........ SUCCESS [  0.100 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse ADuCM template ..................... SUCCESS [  0.396 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse ADuCM template feature ............. SUCCESS [  0.080 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse GDB debug .......................... SUCCESS [  1.170 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse J-Link debug ....................... SUCCESS [  0.648 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse debugger Restart button ............ SUCCESS [  0.233 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse J-Link debug feature ............... SUCCESS [  0.117 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse OpenOCD debug ...................... SUCCESS [  0.478 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse OpenOCD debug feature .............. SUCCESS [  0.118 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse PyOCD debug ........................ SUCCESS [  0.820 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse PyOCD debug feature ................ SUCCESS [  0.088 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse QEMU debug ......................... SUCCESS [  0.432 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse QEMU debug feature ................. SUCCESS [  0.089 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse packages data ...................... SUCCESS [  0.339 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse debug packs ........................ SUCCESS [  0.268 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse packages ........................... SUCCESS [  0.208 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse packages UI ........................ SUCCESS [  0.431 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse managed build packs ................ SUCCESS [  0.329 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse packages feature ................... SUCCESS [  0.129 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse CodeRed perspective ................ SUCCESS [  0.258 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse CodeRed perspective feature ........ SUCCESS [  0.151 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse documentation ...................... SUCCESS [  0.052 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse documentation feature .............. SUCCESS [  0.043 s]
[INFO] GNU ARM Eclipse repository ......................... SUCCESS [  5.770 s]
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INFO] BUILD SUCCESS
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INFO] Total time: 43.399 s
[INFO] Finished at: 2017-02-18T15:18:25+02:00
[INFO] Final Memory: 146M/1424M
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------

The build result is in the ilg.gnuarmeclipse.repository project

the target/ilg.gnuarmeclipse.repository-3.3.1-SNAPSHOT.zip file
the target/repository folder, with the p2 update site

Debug

Create a file Eclipse Workspaces/debug.options with the following content:

ilg.gnuarmeclipse.core/debug=true

ilg.gnuarmeclipse.managedbuild.cross/debug=true
#ilg.gnuarmeclipse.managedbuild.packs/debug=true

ilg.gnuarmeclipse.debug.core/debug=true
ilg.gnuarmeclipse.debug.gdbjtag/debug=true

ilg.gnuarmeclipse.debug.gdbjtag.jlink/debug=true
ilg.gnuarmeclipse.debug.gdbjtag.openocd/debug=true
ilg.gnuarmeclipse.debug.gdbjtag.qemu/debug=true

#ilg.gnuarmeclipse.packs/debug=true
#ilg.gnuarmeclipse.packs.core/debug=true
#ilg.gnuarmeclipse.packs.data/debug=true
#ilg.gnuarmeclipse.packs.ui/debug=true

ilg.gnuarmeclipse.codered/debug=true

To run a debug session using the GNU ARM Eclipse plug-ins:

Run → Debug Configurations
select Eclipse Application
click New
- Name: Eclipse GNU ARM Plug-ins
- Location: ${workspace_loc}/../runtime-Eclipse46
Tab: Plug-ins
- Launch with: plug-ins selected below; the Workspace list should include all ilg.gnuarmeclipse.* plug-ins; the Target Platform list should include all Eclipse, not only CDT, plug-ins; if the Eclipse plug-ins are not in the list, then the Preferences → Plug-in Development -> Target Platform is not Running Platform, and must be changed. The alternative to use all workspace and enabled plug-ins might work in some configurations, and can also be used, but if dependencies are not met, manual selection is required.
- click the Validate Plug-ins button; most probably the org.apache.xmlrpc plug-in will complain about javax.xml.bind; either install it, or disable the plug-in; validate again and disable a few more plug-ins (org.eclipse.mylyn.bugzilla.core, org.eclipse.mylyn.bugzilla.ui and org.eclipse.mylyn.commons.xmlrpc).
Tab: Arguments
- Program arguments:
  - -consoleLog
  - -debug .../GNU\ ARM\ Eclipse/Eclipse\ Workspaces/debug.options
- VM arguments:
  - -ea (to enable assertions)
  - -Dorg.eclipse.swt.internal.carbon.smallFonts (only on macOS)
  - -Xdock:icon=../Resources/Eclipse.icns
- enable Use the -XstartOnFirstThread argument when launching with SWT
click the Apply button
click the Debug button

Be sure the target platform is the Running Platform, otherwise starting the debug session fails.

Debug options

as seen before, the debug options are grouped in a file and passed to Eclipse using the -debug <name> option.

Plug-ins cache

When starting debug sessions from within Eclipse, a copy of the run-time is kept under

${workspace_loc}/.metadata/.plugins/org.eclipse.pde.core/Eclipse GNU ARM Plug-ins

For unknown reasons, some changes in the source code (like changing properties files) do not trigger a rebuild, and it is normally not possible to test these changes.

The workaround I found was to remove this folder, and Eclipse will recreate it before the next run.

Debug with CDT sources

A more elaborated configuration is required when willing to run debug sessions using CDT source files from the Git repository, for example to debug issues inside CDT.

Clone the CDT repository:

git clone git://git.eclipse.org/gitroot/cdt/org.eclipse.cdt.git org.eclipse.cdt.git

Create a new working set named CDT

in the Package Explorer view, click the down pointing triangle,
select Configure Working Sets…
- click the New… button
- fill in the Working set name: with CDT
- click the Finish button

Import all CDT projects

in the Eclipse menu → File → Import… → Existing Maven Projects
click the Next > button
browse for the org.eclipse.cdt.git folder
keep all projects selected
enable Add projects(s) to working set and enter CDT
click the Finish button
accept the Discover m2e connectors dependency to tycho-eclipserun-plugin and click the Finish button

Create a new debug configuration

in the Eclipse menu → Run → Debug Configurations…
duplicate ‘Eclipse GNU ARM Plug-ins’ into ‘Eclipse GNU ARM Plug-ins CDT’
using the Validate Plug-ins button, disable unwanted plug-ins until the validation passes
click the Apply button
click the Debug buton to start a debug session

GNU ARM Eclipse

A family of Eclipse CDT extensions and tools for GNU ARM development