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How to avoid crashing the JVM on Linux with GTK3 [message #1353143]

Tue, 13 May 2014 19:58

Kris De Volder

Messages: 5
Registered: August 2012

Junior Member

Short version of my question:

How can I detect that Eclipse is running GTK3?

I need this 'check' to be able to avoid opening EFX widgetry because they will immediately crash the JVM.

Actually... it would be nicer if efx runtime itself performed this check and throws some kind of exception we can recover from instead of crashing the JVM.

Longer version with some background (no need to read if you don't want to Smile

In Spring Tool Suite we have a 'dashboard' component that uses JavaFX webview to render. Unfortunately when trying to use this on Eclipse 4.4 M7 it immediately crashes the JVM [1].

I assume this is because Eclipse 4.4 now uses GTK3 by default [2] and Efclipse/JavaFX is not compatible (can't remember where I got that information, but I gather it is true).

The problem can be avoided by setting environment variable SWT_GTK3=0 before launching the product. However this solution is not acceptable, we really want to use the JavaFX implementation if we can, and detect when we are in an incompatible environment to open a fallback implementation instead.

Kris

[1] = https : //issuetracker.springsource.com/browse/STS-3829
[2] = https : //bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=420182

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Re: How to avoid crashing the JVM on Linux with GTK3 [message #1353368 is a reply to message #1353143]

Tue, 13 May 2014 22:13

Thomas Schindl

Messages: 6651
Registered: July 2009

Senior Member

Hi,

Right JavaFX is linked against GTK 2.x and it won't change anytime soon
if I get the JavaFX people right.

We are talking about the SWT-Embedding right? I guess we could check SWT
and which GTK version it uses but how would you detect that then - by
trying to load a JavaFX class but get a ClassNotFoundException?

Please file a bug!

IMHO the main advantage of GTK3 is that the embedded SWT webkit is not
crashing - something you fixed by embedding JavaFX ;-) SWT-GTK3 is not
really working here at our company - so we are ALL running with
SWT_GTK3=0 :-(

Tom

On 13.05.14 21:58, Kris De Volder wrote:
> Short version of my question:
>
> How can I detect that Eclipse is running GTK3?
> I need this 'check' to be able to avoid opening EFX widgetry because
> they will immediately crash the JVM.
>
> Actually... it would be nicer if efx runtime itself performed this check
> and throws some kind of exception we can recover from instead of
> crashing the JVM.
>
> Longer version with some background (no need to read if you don't want
> to :)
>
> In Spring Tool Suite we have a 'dashboard' component that uses JavaFX
> webview to render. Unfortunately when trying to use this on Eclipse 4.4
> M7 it immediately crashes the JVM [1].
>
> I assume this is because Eclipse 4.4 now uses GTK3 by default [2] and
> Efclipse/JavaFX is not compatible (can't remember where I got that
> information, but I gather it is true).
>
> The problem can be avoided by setting environment variable SWT_GTK3=0
> before launching the product. However this solution is not acceptable,
> we really want to use the JavaFX implementation if we can, and detect
> when we are in an incompatible environment to open a fallback
> implementation instead.
>
> Kris
>
> [1] = https : //issuetracker.springsource.com/browse/STS-3829
> [2] = https : //bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=420182

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Re: How to avoid crashing the JVM on Linux with GTK3 [message #1353479 is a reply to message #1353368]

Tue, 13 May 2014 23:18

Kris De Volder

Messages: 5
Registered: August 2012

Junior Member

> We are talking about the SWT-Embedding right?

Yes, an eclipse plugin using JavaFX to create a Eclipse View.

> I guess we could check SWT
> and which GTK version it uses but how would you detect that then

I was hoping you would know. That was my question Smile

>- by trying to load a JavaFX class but get a ClassNotFoundException?

I don't think that will work because that seems to cause a JVM crash, not a CNFE.
You would need to find a way to determine which native libraries are loaded and check this *before* doing anything with JavaFX.

> Please file a bug!

Alright, will file a bug asking for a 'nice exception' instead of 'nasty crash' in unsupported environment. I'll try to come up with a simple test program that causes the crash.

> IMHO the main advantage of GTK3 is that the embedded SWT webkit is not
crashing - something you fixed by embedding JavaFX Wink

SWT-GTK3 is not
really working here at our company - so we are ALL running with
SWT_GTK3=0 Sad

Yes, and this is realy ironic. If the SWT browser widget works (GTK3) we don't really need JavaFX anymore in theory. However... if we want to work in different environments we need some way for our code to 'test the waters' without crashing the JVM in the process.

Kris

On 13.05.14 21:58, Kris De Volder wrote:
> Short version of my question:
>
> How can I detect that Eclipse is running GTK3?
> I need this 'check' to be able to avoid opening EFX widgetry because
> they will immediately crash the JVM.
>
> Actually... it would be nicer if efx runtime itself performed this check
> and throws some kind of exception we can recover from instead of
> crashing the JVM.
>
> Longer version with some background (no need to read if you don't want
> to Smile

>
> In Spring Tool Suite we have a 'dashboard' component that uses JavaFX
> webview to render. Unfortunately when trying to use this on Eclipse 4.4
> M7 it immediately crashes the JVM [1].
>
> I assume this is because Eclipse 4.4 now uses GTK3 by default [2] and
> Efclipse/JavaFX is not compatible (can't remember where I got that
> information, but I gather it is true).
>
> The problem can be avoided by setting environment variable SWT_GTK3=0
> before launching the product. However this solution is not acceptable,
> we really want to use the JavaFX implementation if we can, and detect
> when we are in an incompatible environment to open a fallback
> implementation instead.
>
> Kris
>
> [1] = https : //issuetracker.springsource.com/browse/STS-3829
> [2] = https : //bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=420182[/quote]

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Re: How to avoid crashing the JVM on Linux with GTK3 [message #1354300 is a reply to message #1353479]

Wed, 14 May 2014 07:39

Thomas Schindl

Messages: 6651
Registered: July 2009

Senior Member

Hi,

On 14.05.14 01:18, Kris De Volder wrote:
>> We are talking about the SWT-Embedding right?
>
> Yes, an eclipse plugin using JavaFX to create a Eclipse View.
>
>> I guess we could check SWT
>> and which GTK version it uses but how would you detect that then
>
> I was hoping you would know. That was my question :)
>
>> - by trying to load a JavaFX class but get a ClassNotFoundException?
>
> I don't think that will work because that seems to cause a JVM crash,
> not a CNFE.
> You would need to find a way to determine which native libraries are
> loaded and check this *before* doing anything with JavaFX.

What I meant was that in case I detect we are on SWT & GTK3 and you try
to e.g. load FXCanvas I won't return you the class but throw an CNFE.

I don't think it would be correct to throw an CNFE for any JavaFX class
because e.g. the the stuff that does not need an UI - e.g.
JavaFX-Properties are still fine.

>
>> Please file a bug!
>
> Alright, will file a bug asking for a 'nice exception' instead of 'nasty
> crash' in unsupported environment. I'll try to come up with a simple
> test program that causes the crash.
>

I don't think I need a sample application (I don't currently have a
Linux-System anyways).

Tom

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