To open "Eclipse" you need to install the legacy Java SE 6 runtime

I just encountered this in another Eclipse-based app on Yosemite and figured out (with help from the references below) how to get the app running without installing the legacy Java SE 6 JRE. Here are the steps in case it helps other devs get Eclipse working.

PRECONDITIONS

$ sw_vers -productVersion 
10.10.1
$ java -version
java version "1.8.0_25"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_25-b17)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.25-b02, mixed mode)

Other configurations might work; this is my environment.

STEPS

  1. Edit the info.plist for the JDK after installing:

    $ sudo nano `/usr/libexec/java_home -V`/../info.plist

  2. Change the following section:

    <key>JVMCapabilities</key>
 <array>
  <string>CommandLine</string>
 </array>

    to 

    <key>JVMCapabilities</key>
 <array>
  <string>JNI</string>
  <string>BundledApp</string>
  <string>WebStart</string>
  <string>Applets</string>
  <string>CommandLine</string>
 </array>

  3. Try to open the app from the command-line (not sure if this is strictly necessary, but what I did)

    You should get an error "(app) can't be opened because it is from an unidentified developer."

  4. Go to System Preferences: Security Settings (General) and you should see the recent app next to a button "Open Anyway" -- click this button to open the app.

This opens Eclipse without requiring the separate download of the legacy Java SE 6 files.

NOTES

When I was solving this on MTGBrowser (below) I also followed advice to change the info.plist of the app by adding the following section to the 'Eclipse' key:

<string>-vm</string><string>/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_25.jdk/Contents/Home/bin/java</string>

However, I'm not sure that's strictly required. In any case, that wasn't sufficient -- I also had to change the JDK info.plist and security as described above for a complete solution.

REFERENCES

  • https://sourceforge.net/p/mtgbrowser/bugs/402/#c78c
  • http://crunchify.com/os-x-mavericks-eclipse-java-issue/
  • http://mac-how-to.wonderhowto.com/how-to/open-third-party-apps-from-unidentified-developers-mac-os-x-0158095/

I ended up relenting and downloading Java 6 from here:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1572?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

Apparently this seems to coexist ok with the latest Java version which I also installed (version 8 update 25) and version 8 shows up as the version I'm running when I verify from

https://www.java.com/en/download/installed.jsp

I'm unclear on the security implications of this though, would have preferred another solution, if anyone finds a better solution than installing 6 please let me know.


I was facing this trouble for hours. I followed every suggestion I could find over numerous forums with no success. I resolved the issue by simply installing 1.8.x JDK instead of the JRE, despite having no intension to develop for Java. I guess eclipse requires this.

Tags:

Eclipse

Osx Yosemite

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