Unfortunately the version of Eclipse in the Ubuntu repositories is old, almost three years to be precise; even though the latest version is 3.4.2, Jaunty Jackalope gives you — like earlier releases — 3.2. This is quite hindering because most new plugins, like the Google Plugin for Eclipse — which I wanted to try — require at least 3.3.
There was a session at Karmic’s UDS — Tuesday 17.10 in room 7 — about including Eclipse 3.4/5, but the mentioned action points are rather passive. Taking into account the fact that Eclipse is very hard to package properly, the decision was made that if Debian would drop Eclipse, Ubuntu would drop Eclipse too. The QA team was contacted to see how complaints from users about an obsolete version could be handled. The policy is to encourage community members to ix the problems.
It’s a shame that they didn’t decide to package it themselves. Eclipse is a good and often-used IDE and I think it should be included in the repositories. We don’t have to use Debian for all packages, do we?
Fortunately there is a PPA that offers 3.4, maintained by the Eclipse Team. The PPA can be found at https://launchpad.net/~eclipse-team/+archive/ppa. Unfortunately — there we go again — the amd64 build for jaunty failed. It’s still possible to get it working. Here’s how:
Using the PPA, no ‘Software Updates’ can be installed
People using 32bit can just use the provided PPA without any problems. If you are a 64bit user you’ll have to an earlier, successful build: in this case intrepid. Everything will work just fine.
So, for 32bit use this:
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/eclipse-team/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
and for 64bit use this:
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/eclipse-team/ppa/ubuntu intrepid main
Add this line to source.list with an text-editor or use System->Administration->Software Sources.
Now add the PPA’s key to your keyring using:
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 5126890CDCC7AFE0
Run the usual command: sudo apt-get update and you can install Eclipse like you usually install programs. However, the Software Updates functionality won’t work.
Using the eclipse.org download, with plugins
You thought this would be the easy way? I’ll have to disappoint you. When I tried to use the official download I ran into some problems that could only be solved by installing the latest — 3.4 — version of Eclipse. So, yes, you’ll have to go to the previous part and follow those instructions too. Install Eclipse and go to Eclipse.org and download the latest version of Eclipse, pick your flavour.
In the archive you’ll find a compiled Eclipse, which can be executed right away. The plugin/Software Updates functionality works.
However, you will have to use Sun’s distribution of Java. Install sun-java6-bin and make it default by executing the command sudo update-java-alternatives -s java-6-sun.
UPDATE: Good news! Ubuntu 10.04 ‘Lucid Lynx’ has got Eclipse 3.5 in the repositories, you can now just install it from the package manager.
Welcome on my site, I'm Sense Hofstede! Some of you might know me as sense or sehof. I used to be known as qense as well.
As tricky as possible would have been a better headline
Why is sun-java6 necessary for the Eclipse from official site? It works fine for me with openjdk 6 (64-bit). The same is with Eclipse 3.5 and the same was with Eclipse 3.3.
I always “install” via official Eclipse download and just an unpack it. I find it easier than via repository and can have multiple versions with different plugins installed – depending on what I want to do. For exmaple one version for Python, the other for Java/Groovy with Maven and OpenArchitectureWare, the third one to test the latest milestone version.
It is a similar story for NetBeans but I don’t use NetBeans so much yet.
Weird, I could only get it to work with the official Java. Maybe I was out of luck, configuring the default Java has always been a bit of a mess.
Oh, what a joy for me as I’m using Mandriva
Latest eclipse pakcage is shipped and many plugins are available :
[admin@info1 ~]$ urpmq –list -r | grep ^eclipse
eclipse-anyedit-2.1.1-1mdv2009.1
eclipse-cdt-5.0.1-0.6.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-cdt-mylyn-5.0.1-0.6.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-cdt-sdk-5.0.1-0.6.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-changelog-2.6.6-0.1.0mdv2009.1
eclipse-checkstyle-4.3.2-0.0.5mdv2009.0
eclipse-cle-0.1.6-0.0.2mdv2009.0
eclipse-cmakeed-1.1.2-0.1.0mdv2009.1
eclipse-demos-0.0.1-0.2.1mdv2009.0
eclipse-ecj-3.4.2-0.2.0mdv2010.0
eclipse-egit-0.4.0-0.1.0mdv2009.1
eclipse-emf-2.4.2-1mdv2009.1
eclipse-emf-examples-2.4.2-1mdv2009.1
eclipse-emf-sdk-2.4.2-1mdv2009.1
eclipse-emf-sdo-2.4.2-1mdv2009.1
eclipse-emf-sdo-sdk-2.4.2-1mdv2009.1
eclipse-emf-xsd-2.4.2-1mdv2009.1
eclipse-emf-xsd-sdk-2.4.2-1mdv2009.1
eclipse-epic-0.6.31-0.1.0mdv2009.1
eclipse-findbugs-1.3.4.20080506-1.1.10mdv2009.0
eclipse-gef-3.4.2-0.1.0mdv2009.1
eclipse-gef-examples-3.4.2-0.1.0mdv2009.1
eclipse-gef-sdk-3.4.2-0.1.0mdv2009.1
eclipse-jdt-3.4.2-0.2.0mdv2010.0
eclipse-moreunit-1.2.0-1mdv2009.1
eclipse-mylyn-3.0.3-0.4.0mdv2009.1
eclipse-mylyn-java-3.0.3-0.4.0mdv2009.1
eclipse-mylyn-pde-3.0.3-0.4.0mdv2009.1
eclipse-mylyn-trac-3.0.3-0.4.0mdv2009.1
eclipse-mylyn-webtasks-3.0.3-0.4.0mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-ar-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-bg-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-cs-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-da-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-de-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-el-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-es-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-fi-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-fr-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-he-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-hu-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-it-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-ja-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-ko-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-nl-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-no-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-pl-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-pt-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-pt_BR-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-ro-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-ru-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-sv-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-tr-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-uk-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-zh-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-nlspackager-zh_TW-0.2.0-0.5.20080807snap.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-pde-3.4.2-0.2.0mdv2010.0
eclipse-photran-4.0.0-4.b4.3.1mdv2009.0
eclipse-photran-xlf-4.0.0-4.b4.3.1mdv2009.0
eclipse-phpeclipse-1.2.1-0.2.0mdv2009.1
eclipse-platform-3.4.2-0.2.0mdv2010.0
eclipse-plugin-sysdeo-tomcat-3.1.0-1mdv2009.0
eclipse-pydev-1.4.4-0.0.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-pydev-mylyn-1.4.4-0.0.1mdv2009.1
eclipse-quickrex-3.5.0-0.8.2mdv2009.0
eclipse-rcp-3.4.2-0.2.0mdv2010.0
eclipse-rpm-editor-0.4.2-0.1.0mdv2009.1
eclipse-rpmstubby-0.1.1-1mdv2009.1
eclipse-sdk-nls-ar-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-sdk-nls-cs-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-sdk-nls-da-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-sdk-nls-de-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-sdk-nls-el-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-sdk-nls-es-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-sdk-nls-fi-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-sdk-nls-fr-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-sdk-nls-hu-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-sdk-nls-it-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-sdk-nls-iw-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-sdk-nls-ja-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-sdk-nls-ko-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-sdk-nls-nl-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-sdk-nls-no-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-sdk-nls-pl-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-sdk-nls-pt-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-sdk-nls-ru-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-sdk-nls-sv-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-sdk-nls-tr-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-sdk-nls-zh-3.2.1-3.1mdv2008.0
eclipse-setools-3.3.2.4-0.1.1mdv2009.0
eclipse-shelled-1.0.4-1mdv2009.1
eclipse-slide-1.3.11-0.1.0mdv2009.1
eclipse-subclipse-1.4.7-0.3.0mdv2009.1
eclipse-subclipse-graph-1.4.7-0.3.0mdv2009.1
eclipse-swt-3.4.2-0.2.0mdv2010.0
eclipse-systemtapgui-1.0-1mdv2009.1
Couldn’t ubuntu just grab Mandriva packages ?
I commented on the relevant Ubuntu bug:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/eclipse/+bug/123064
Let’s hope efforts can be shared between Ubuntu and Mandriva
Could you explain your last section a little more, about fixing the plugins/Software Updates functionality after doing this 3.2 to 3.4 upgrade? Thanks!
It doesn’t matter. Worked for me. After doing the terminal steps, with Synaptic one clic on pydev and the following it’s magic xD.
Ahh, I only need python, so it’s enough for me
I would rather use this PPA. Always has the latest packages and seems the integrate better with Ubuntu!
https://edge.launchpad.net/~yogarine/+archive/eclipse
In case it helps anyone, I wrote a guide on installing Eclipse on Ubuntu: http://johnpaulett.com/2009/06/26/install-eclipse-galileo-3-5-on-ubuntu-jaunty-9-04/
FYI, eclipse 3.5.1 is in Ubuntu 9.10 (karmic), too.
I have simply used standalone Aptana installs, as they have proven to be the most painless way to get latest Eclipse running on Linux.
http://www.aptana.com
Eclipse 3.5 is available in Karmic and runs without problems!
As already pointed out, 3.5 is in the Karmic repos, so this is just another backporting issue.
I created this post in June 2009, when it wasn’t. Unfortunately it showed up on the planet after I had added an update to notice people Eclipse 3.5 is now available from the Lucid repositories.
I was unaware that it was also in the Karmic repositories, thanks for telling!