2019 Eclipse not working on Acer Chromebook R13, Linux Debian 9 Stretch
 

Hello!

I've been using Linux for a whopping 2 weeks now, just going through the basics trying to set up my laptop to learn Java. I enabled Linux on the laptop and have been using the terminal to do most everything.

The issues have been occurring when I try to install Eclipse. If I do it with the basic 'sudo apt-get install eclipse', it will download fine, and then after extracting it, it will create a shortcut in the 'Linux apps' icon on the Chromebook desktop, and I can open and use it from there.

It seems like that's the 2012 version, so I'd like to get the 2019 version set up in the same way.

So, here's what's been happening:

Downloaded the JDK no problem, both 'java -version' and 'javac -version' report that everything is where it should be.

I'll use 'wget XXXXX.tar.gz' to download Eclipse, I've tried like 4 or 5 different ones that are listed as the 2019 versions. Each time they download fine, and then I'll extract them with 'tar -xvzf XXXXXXX.tar.gz' and they extract fine. I've done it to several different directories with no issue.

When I try to run it, from any different place I install it, I get the same result:

kattmish@penguin:~/workspace/eclipse$ eclipse
bash: eclipse: command not found

I also tried using Nano to create a desktop shortcut, which worked as far as creating an actual icon, but it just sits in limbo opening forever and does nothing when I double click on it.

Any thoughts on why this won't work?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Matt

Just unpacking the tar file is not sufficient for installing Eclipse (or most other software). You will probably have to run an installation program plus possibly other steps.

Eclipse offers installation instructions (at first glance, they do look a bit confusing). Have you tried them?

If the goal is to learn Java, however, I would avoid the hassle and just use the Debian package. Or try Netbeans.

EDIT: If I understand the installation instructions right, you should actually be able to start the program after unpacking the tar file. In this case, your problem is that the directory where the eclipse file resides is not in your execution path. You have to adjust your PATH variable and add that directory.

Thanks berndbausch!!

Yeah, that's what I gathered too. I unpacked it into the home directory, the root directory in the opt folder, and a couple other places too to see if it behaved differently. Same result each time, and it happens whether I type out the execution path in several layers or just navigate to the eclipse folder itself where the eclipse program is located (using cd /folder until I'm there) and then type 'eclipse'. It keeps giving the same 'command not found' result.

So right now, the eclipse executable (I'm assuming that's what the 'eclipse' file is to the left of 'eclipse.ini') is in this directory:

kattmish@penguin:~/eclipse$ ls -a
. .. artifacts.xml configuration dropins eclipse eclipse.ini .eclipseproduct features icon.xpm p2 plugins readme


So then I run this command and get this error:

kattmish@penguin:~/eclipse$ eclipse
bash: eclipse: command not found

What is your PATH set to? If it doesn't include the current directory, Bash doesn't find files in the current directory.
Or, what kind of file is eclipse? It might not be executable.
Note that the problems you are experiencing have nothing to do with Eclipse. They are related to Linux principles: Execution path, execution permission, etc.

you are missing the " ./" before "eclipse"

try this

the "./" tells the terminal to use the directory you are in as part of $PATH