Change Eclipse default update repository list

Question

I am trying to deploy a version of Eclipse and would like control over the default repository list. See my earlier question.

In my other question, I learned that this is stored in the user's home directory under ".eclipse\org.eclipse.platform_3.7.0_525061626\p2\org.eclipse.equinox.p2.engine\profileRegistry\epp.package.cpp.profile\.data\.settings\org.eclipse.equinox.p2.metadata.repository.prefs".

I would rather not deploy this file to a user specific location because there might already be one from another Eclipse installation and there could be more than one user account.

Is there any way that I can avoid the user profile?

I did find an equivelent file under the main Eclipse folder "eclipse\p2\org.eclipse.equinox.p2.engine\profileRegistry\epp.package.cpp.profile\.data\.settings\org.eclipse.equinox.p2.metadata.repository.prefs" but changing this didn't make any difference.

Thanks, Alan

Answer 1

The way that I ended up doing this was to create a lightweight plugin that starts when Eclipse loads. This then programatically adds the update site as detailed here: https://stackoverflow.com/a/7384954/101642

Answer 2

You can use p2 touchpoints and the p2 director to install your feature to customize the version of eclipse you are trying to deploy.

See p2.inf for an example of touchpoint configuration instructions that add p2 repositories to the default install. This one is part of an sdk.product generation. If you are starting with an eclipse that already has a product, your touchpoint instructions would have to remove the repositories that were already included and then add your own.

instructions.configure=\
addRepository(type:0,location:http${#58}//download.eclipse.org/eclipse/updates/3.8,name:The Eclipse Project Updates);\
addRepository(type:1,location:http${#58}//download.eclipse.org/eclipse/updates/3.8,name:The Eclipse Project Updates);\
addRepository(type:0,location:http${#58}//download.eclipse.org/releases/juno,name:Juno);\
addRepository(type:1,location:http${#58}//download.eclipse.org/releases/juno,name:Juno);