Eclipse hangs while opening a parsing a file with GWT Designer

[Carlos Silva]

Installed GWT SDK and GWT Designer (Full package).

Trying to parse a file (.java) with GWT Designer results in a hang on the message "Initializing GWT Development Mode"
According to bug 7232 on the GWT Project page [1] this is due libwebkitgtk-1 bundled in Ubuntu 12.04.

[1] http://code.google.com/p/google-web-toolkit/issues/detail?id=7232

1)
r3pek@trinity:~$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS
Release: 12.04
2)
r3pek@trinity:~$ apt-cache policy eclipse
eclipse:
  Installed: 3.7.2-1
  Candidate: 3.7.2-1
  Version table:
 *** 3.7.2-1 0
        500 http://pt.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/universe amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

3) Open the Designer Mode
4) It hangs

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: eclipse 3.7.2-1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-24.37-generic 3.2.14
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-24-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu7
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri May 11 00:00:48 2012
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release amd64 (20111012)
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: eclipse
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-04-26 (14 days ago)

[Carlos Silva (r3pek)]

This can probably be a bug on the libwebkit-1 library itself as it looks like in comment #16 [1]

http://code.google.com/p/google-web-toolkit/issues/detail?id=7232#c16

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Dirk Schuster (dirk-schuster)]

Hi Carlos,

there are two workarounds described at:

http://www.elgali.net/2012/05/14/gwt-designer-eclipse-plugin-in-ubuntu-12-04/

Both workarounds are using older libs.
Does one of these help you in getting the design mode working?

Dirk

[Carlos Silva (r3pek)]

Hi Dirk,

I was aware of those workarounds. The first one just uninstalls all java/eclipse related packages when I try to remove libwebkitgtk. The second one gives this error when changing to "Design View":
"GWT Designer uses the SWT Browser widget to render the GWT UI. SWT Browser requires a compatible xulrunner version installed: it should be 1.9.1.x or 1.9.2.x version and meet the current environment architecture. See http://www.eclipse.org/swt/faq.php#whatisbrowser and related topics for more information."

So, even with those, I can't open Design View. Still, that really wasn't a fix, just a workaround so the bug would still be valid :)

[Dirk Schuster (dirk-schuster)]

Hi Carlos,

> Still, that really wasn't a fix, just a workaround so the bug would still be valid :)

Yes, that's why I already called it workaround and confirmed your bug report. ;-)

> So, even with those, I can't open Design View.

To narrow it down (and as an side effect create an environment you are able to work with as long as the bug isn't fixed): Is it possible to use the Design View if you try these steps?

- purge the eclipse package

- make sure firefox is still installed

- download and install eclipse manually (very easy)
  http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/

- download and install the packages
      http://nl.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/h/hunspell/libhunspell-1.2-0_1.2.14-4_amd64.deb
      http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/universe/x/xulrunner-1.9.2/xulrunner-1.9.2_1.9.2.28+build1+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.11.04.1_amd64.deb

- install the the gwt designer by using the update site

- disable the webkit rendering for the GWT UI as described in the link above

Is it now possible for you to switch to the design mode? I'm able to use the design mode after these steps.

Dirk

[Carlos Silva (r3pek)]

If I purge eclipse I can do the first workaround :)
But I'll try it on a clean eclipse install anyway, just to be sure. Later today...

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.