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FAQ How do I run Eclipse?
When you unzip the Eclipse SDK, it creates a base install directory called eclipse. The directory layout looks something like this:
eclipse/ features/ ''the directory containing Eclipse features'' plugins/ ''the directory containing Eclipse plugins'' eclipse.exe ''platform executable'' cpl-v10.html ''the CPL license'' install.ini jre/ ''the JRE to run Eclipse with'' notice.html readme startup.jar ''classes needed to start the platform''
You can start Eclipse by running eclipse.exe on Windows or eclipse on other platforms. This small launcher runs a JVM with the following arguments:
java -cp eclipse/startup.jar org.eclipse.core.launcher.Main
If available under the eclipse/jre directory, the Eclipse JRE will be used; otherwise the launcher will consult the JAVA_HOME system path variable. A better option is to explicitly specify a JVM of your choice, using the -vm command line argument:
eclipse -vm c:/jre/bin/javaw.exe
You should always use -vm so you can be sure of what VM you are using.
Installers for other applications sometimes modify the JAVA_HOME variable,
thus changing the VM used to launch Eclipse without your knowing about it.
The first time the eclipse command is executed,
the platform creates a workspace directory, such as eclipse/workspace.
The workspace will contain all your projects, along with private metadata
computed by various plug-ins.
In Eclipse 3.0, you are prompted to choose a workspace location on start-up.
Previously, the platform stored the workspace in the Eclipse install directory
by default. In all versions of Eclipse, you can manually specify the workspace
location on the command line, using the -data <workspace-path>
command-line argument. The easiest way to quickly start Eclipse on different
workspaces for versions before Eclipse 3.0 is to create shortcuts or shell
scripts for each launch.
The use of -data is advised because using the default workspace location
will make it much more difficult for you to upgrade to new versions of Eclipse.
See Also:
FAQ_How_do_I_increase_the_heap_size_available_to_Eclipse?
FAQ_Who_shows_the_Eclipse_splash_screen?
This FAQ was originally published in Official Eclipse 3.0 FAQs. Copyright 2004, Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. This text is made available here under the terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0.