Provided by: eclipse-platform_3.8.1-11_amd64 
NAME
eclipse - extensible tool platform and Java IDE
SYNOPSIS
eclipse [ platform options ] [ -vmargs [ Java VM arguments ]]
DESCRIPTION
The Eclipse Platform is an open and extensible platform for anything and yet nothing in particular. It
provides a foundation for constructing and running integrated software-development tools. The Eclipse
Platform allows tool builders to independently develop tools that integrate with other people's tools so
seamlessly you can't tell where one tool ends and another starts.
When invoked without selecting any particular application, the eclipse command will start the Eclipse
Platform with the Java Development Tools (JDT) functionality enabled and ready to use.
This manual page documents the command-line arguments for the Eclipse Platform and it is based on the
Runtime Options help item in the Eclipse online help ⟨see below⟩ .
PLATFORM OPTIONS
Listed below are the command line arguments processed by various parts of the Eclipse runtime. Many of
these values can also be specified using System properties either on the command line using -D VM
arguments, by specifying their values in a config.ini file or by using a <launcher>.ini file. Using the
two latter techniques it is possible to customize Eclipse without using command line arguments at all.
For each argument in the list, its corresponding System property key is given (in {}). Also given is the
Eclipse runtime layer in which the command line argument is processed (in ()).
-application <id> (Runtime)
The identifier of the application to run. The value given here overrides any application defined
by the product being run.
This is equivalent to setting the property eclipse.application to <id>.
-arch <architecture> (OSGi)
The processor architecture value.
This is equivalent to setting the property osgi.arch to <architecture>.
-clean (OSGi)
Wipe clean any cached data used by the OSGi framework and eclipse runtime. This will clean the
caches used to store bundle dependency resolution and eclipse extension registry data. Using this
option will force eclipse to reinitialize these caches.
This is equivalent to setting the property osgi.clean to "true".
-configuration <location> (Main)
The configuration location for this run of the platform. The configuration determines what plug-
ins will run as well as various other system settings. See the On-line Help for details (SEE ALSO
below).
This is equivalent to setting the property osgi.configuration.area to <location>.
-console [port] (OSGi)
Enable the OSGi console (if installed). If the [port] value is a suitable integer, it is
interpreted as the port on which the console listens and directs its output to the given port.
Handy for investigating the state of the system.
This is equivalent to setting the property osgi.console to [port] or the empty string if the
default port is to be used (i.e., when the port is not specified).
-consoleLog (Runtime)
Any log output is also sent to Java's System.out (typically back to the command shell if any).
Handy when combined with -debug.
This is equivalent to setting the property eclipse.consoleLog to "true".
-data <location> (OSGi)
The instance data location for this session. Plug-ins use this location to store their data. For
example, the Resources plug-in uses this as the default location for projects (aka the workspace).
See the On-line Help for details (SEE ALSO below).
This is equivalent to setting the property osgi.instance.area to <location>.
-debug [options file] (OSGi)
Put the platform in debug mode. If [options file] is given, it is interpreted as the location of
the .options file. This file indicates what debug points are available for a plug-in and whether
or not they are enabled. If a location is not specified, the platform searches for the .options
file under the install directory.
This is equivalent to setting the property osgi.debug to [options file] or the empty string to
simply enable debug (i.e., if the options file location is not specified).
-dev [entries] (OSGi)
Turn on dev mode. If given, [entries] should be a comma-separated class path entries which are
added to the class path of each plug-in or a URL to a Java properties file containing custom
classpath additions for a set of plug-ins. For each plug-in requiring a customized dev time
classpath the file will contain an entry of the form.
This is equivalent to setting the property osgi.dev to [entries] or the empty string to simply
enable dev mode (i.e., if entries are not specified).
-eclipse.keyring <file path> (Equinox)
Set to override location of the default secure storage.
-eclipse.password <file path> (Equinox)
If specified, the secure storage treats contents of the file as a default password. When not set,
password providers are used to obtain a password.
-feature <feature id> (Runtime)
Set the identifier of the product being run. This controls various branding information and what
application is used.
This is equivalent to setting the property eclipse.product to <feature id>.
-framework <location> (Main)
Set the URL location of the OSGi framework. Useful if the Eclipse install is disjoint. See the On-
line Help for details (SEE ALSO below).
This is equivalent to setting the property osgi.framework to <location>.
-initialize (Main)
Initializes the configuration being run. All runtime related data structures and caches are
refreshed. Any user/plug-in defined configuration data is not purged. No application is run, any
product specifications are ignored and no UI is presented (e.g., the splash screen is not drawn).
-install <location> (Main)
Set the install location of the platform. This option indicates the location of the basic Eclipse
plug-ins and is useful if the Eclipse install is disjoint.
This is equivalent to setting the property osgi.install.area to <location>.
-keyring <location> (Runtime)
The location of the authorization database on disk. This argument has to be used together with the
-password argument.
--launcher.library <location> (Executable)
The location of the eclipse executable's companion shared library. If not specified the executable
looks in the plugins directory for the appropriate org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.[platform]
fragment with the highest version and uses the shared library named eclipse_* inside.
--launcher.ini <location> (Executable)
The location of the product .ini file to use. If not specified the executable will look for a file
beside the launcher with the same name and the extension .ini. (ie., /usr/bin/eclipse looks for
eclipse.ini, /opt/product looks for product.ini).
--launcher.suppressErrors (Executable)
If specified the executable will not display any error or message dialogs. This is useful if the
executable is being used in an unattended situation.
--launcher.XXMaxPermSize <value> (Executable)
If specified, and the executable detects that the VM being used is a Sun VM, then the launcher
will automatically add the -XX:MaxPermSize=<value> vm argument. The executable is not capable of
detecting Sun VMs on all platforms.
-name <string>
The name to be displayed in task bar item when the application starts up. When not set, the name
is the name of the executable.
-nl <locale> (OSGi)
The name of the locale on which Eclipse platform will run. NL values should follow the standard
Java locale naming conventions.
This is equivalent to setting the property osgi.nl to <locale>.
-noExit (OSGi)
Disable automatic termination of the VM after the eclipse application has ended. This is useful
for examining the OSGi framework after the eclipse application has ended.
This is equivalent to setting the property osgi.noShutdown to "true".
-noLazyRegistryCacheLoading (Runtime)
Deactivate the platform's plug-in registry cache loading optimization. By default, configuration
elements are loaded from the registry cache (when available) only on demand, reducing memory
footprint. This option forces the registry cache to be fully loaded at startup.
This is equivalent to setting the property eclipse.noLazyRegistryCacheLoading to "true".
-noRegistryCache (Runtime)
The internal extension registry cache will neither be read nor written.
This is equivalent to setting the property eclipse.noRegistryCache to "true".
-noSplash (Executable, Main)
Controls whether or not the splash screen is shown.
-os <operating system> (OSGi)
The operating system value. The value should be one of the Eclipse processor architecture names
known to Eclipse (e.g., x86, sparc, ...).
This is equivalent to setting the property osgi.os to <operating system>.
-password <password> (Runtime)
The password for the authorization database.
-pluginCustomization <location> (Runtime)
The file system location of a properties file containing default settings for plug-in preferences.
These default settings override default settings specified in the primary feature. Relative paths
are interpreted relative to the current working directory for eclipse itself.
This is equivalent to setting the property eclipse.pluginCustomization to <location>
-product <id> (OSGi)
The identifier of the product being run. This controls various branding information and what
application is used.
This is equivalent to setting the property eclipse.product to <id>.
-showSplash <bitmap> (Executable, Main)
Specifies the bitmap to use in the splash screen. If specified, the launcher may be able to show
the splash screen before starting the Java VM. If not specified, Main will find the bitmap using
the osgi.splashLocation and osgi.splashPath properties.
-startup <location> (Executable)
The location of jar used to startup eclipse. The jar referred to should have the Main-Class
attribute set to org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main. If this parameter is not set, the executable
will look in the plugins directory for the org.eclipse.equinox.launcher bundle with the highest
version.
-user <location> (OSGi)
Set the location of the user area. The user area contains data (e.g., preferences) specific to the
OS user and independent of any Eclipse install, configuration or instance. See the On-line Help
for details (SEE ALSO below).
This is equivalent to setting the property osgi.user.area to <location>.
-vm <path to java vm> (Executable, Main)
When passed to the Eclipse executable, this option is used to locate the Java VM to use to run
Eclipse. It should be the full file system path to an appropriate: Java jre/bin directory, Java
Executable, Java shared library (libjvm.so), or a Java VM Execution Environment description file.
If not specified, the Eclipse executable uses a search algorithm to locate a suitable VM. In any
event, the executable then passes the path to the actual VM used to Java Main using the -vm
argument. Java Main then stores this value in eclipse.vm.
-vmargs [vmargs*] (Executable, Main)
when passed to the Eclipse, this option is used to customize the operation of the Java VM to use
to run Eclipse. If specified, this option must come at the end of the command line. Even if not
specified on the executable command line, the executable will automatically add the relevant
arguments (including the class being launched) to the command line passed into Java using the
-vmargs argument. Java Main then stores this value in eclipse.vmargs.
-ws <window system> (OSGi)
Set the window system value. The value should be one of the Eclipse window system names known to
Eclipse (e.g., win32, motif, ...).
This is equivalent to setting the property osgi.ws to <window system>.
SEE ALSO
java(1), ecj(1). Eclipse On-line Help ⟨http://help.eclipse.org/⟩ Platform Plug-in Developer Guide > Reference > Other reference information > Runtime Options.
FILES
The system wide config.ini file is /etc/eclipse.ini. User level Configuration file is
$HOME/.eclipse/org.eclipse.platform_<version>_<id>/configuration/config.ini.
AUTHORS
The Eclipse Project was originally created by IBM in November 2001 and supported by a consortium of
software vendors. The Eclipse Foundation was created in January 2004 as an independent not-for-profit
corporation to act as the steward of the Eclipse community.
This manual page was semi-automatically transformed from the Runtime Options HTML help using pandoc and
docbook2x-man by Pablo Duboue <pablo.duboue@gmail.com>.
21 February 2018 eclipse(1)