Comment 5 for bug 539256

FYI, the "normal" eclipse version (i.e., the one you can download from the eclipse web site and simply copy in a local repository) accepts to install plug-ins even when you do not install PDE in the first place. I do have an eclipse install on my debian box (I think it's 3.5) with JDT, CDT, Hibernate tools, some web tools, etc., all of these installed from the "install plug-in" GUI in eclipse, without having ever installed PDT. My original eclipse download was eclipse platform, without further plug-ins. I like to start from a minimal install and only install the plug-ins I need to avoid having options I do not use in the GUI menus.

If ubuntu's package do not accept this behavior it should IMHO be considered a bug, and not be solved simply be rephrasing the description of what purpose the PDE package serves. To put it otherwise, the PDE package should not be necessary to install plug-ins from the eclipse GUI.

Sorry if I misunderstood something.