Running Knopflerfish
Customizing startup
The default installation starts the Knopflerfish OSGi Desktop and a set of useful bundles, but if you don't want this - just remove lines as:
-istart desktop/desktop.jar
from the init.xargs file.
The init.xargs file in the current directory is read for options when no options are given on the command line and the framework is started for the first time. Restarting the framework reads the restart.xargs file as default. Restart from xargs.init can be forced by removing the fwdir directory.
To get help on the framework options, start the framework with the help option.
java -jar framework.jar -help
This typically prints this help screen (depending on version):
Usage: java [properties] org.knopflerfish.framework.Main [-init] [options]
or java [properties] -jar framework.jar [-init] [options]
Options:
-exit Exit the JVM process
-help Print this text and exit
-readme Print a longer startup readme and exit
-version Print version and exit
-xargs file Load more command line arguments from file
-init Start an empty platform
-install URL Install a bundle
-istart URL Install and start bundle
-launch [id] Launch framework (Default), id = bundle id BootManager
-sleep SEC Sleep a while before next command
-shutdown Shutdown framework
-start ID Start bundle
-stop ID Stop bundle
-uninstall ID Uninstall a bundle
-update ID Update a bundle
-initlevel N Set initial start level for installed bundles
-startlevel N Set start level of Start Level service
The default directory used for storing bundle data is "fwdir".
See -readme option for details on startup, fwdir and .xargs files.
Knopflerfish System Properties
Properties:
org.osgi.framework.dir
Where we store persistent data.
On systems not supporting a current working directory,
as Pocket PC, this path should be set to an explicit
full path.
Default: {defaultInstDir}/fwdir
org.knopflerfish.gosg.jars
Base URL for relative install commands
Default: file:jars/*
org.osgi.framework.system.packages
List of packages exported from system classloader,
other than java.* and org.osgi.framework
org.osgi.framework.system.packages.file
File containing list of packages exported from system
classloader,
other than java.* and org.osgi.framework
org.knopflerfish.framework.debug.classloader
Print debug information from classloader
Default: false
org.knopflerfish.framework.debug.errors
Print all FrameworkEvents of type ERROR
Default: false
org.knopflerfish.framework.debug.packages
Print debug information about packages
Default: false
org.knopflerfish.framework.debug.startlevel
Print debug information about startlevel service
Default: false
org.knopflerfish.framework.debug.url
Print debug information about URL services
Default: false
org.knopflerfish.framework.debug.ldap
Print debug information about LDAP filters
Default: false
org.knopflerfish.framework.ldap.nocache
Disable LDAP caching for simple filters. LDAP caching
speeds up framework filters considerably, but uses
more memory.
Default: false
org.knopflerfish.framework.bundlestorage
Storage implementation for bundles
[file, memory]
Default: file
org.knopflerfish.framework.bundlestorage.file.reference
When using file bundle storage, file: URLs can optionally
be referenced only, not copied to the persistent area.
If set to true, file: URLs are referenced only.
Note: Individual bundles can be reference installed
by using URLs of the syntax:
reference:file:
This works even if the global reference flag
is not enabled.
Default: false
org.knopflerfish.framework.bundlestorage.file.unpack
When using file bundle storage, bundle jars can be unpacked
or copied as-is. Unpacking leads to faster restart and class loading
but takes longer for initial startup.
If set to true, unpack bundle jars.
Default: true
org.knopflerfish.framework.system.export.all_13
Make system classloader export all standard JVM 1.3
packages as javax.swing.*
Default: false
org.knopflerfish.framework.system.export.all_14
Make system classloader export all standard JVM 1.4
packages as javax.swing.*
Default: false
org.knopflerfish.framework.system.export.all_15
Make system classloader export all standard JVM 1.5
packages as javax.swing.*
Default: false
org.knopflerfish.verbosity
Framework verbosity level. 0 means few messages
Default: 0
org.knopflerfish.startlevel.use
Use the Start Level service.
Default: true
org.knopflerfish.startlevel.level
level of start level service if used.
Default: 1
org.knopflerfish.startlevel.initlevel
Initial start level of bundles if start level
service if used.
Default: 1
java.security.manager
Class name of security manager. If set to empty string, uses
"java.lang.SecurityManager". If unset, do not use any security
manager.
Default: unset
java.security.policy
Security policy file. Used by the security manager.
Default: unset
org.knopflerfish.framework.version.fuzzy
If set to true, consider package version numbers
"x.y.0" = "x.y"
otherwise consider
"x.y.0" > "x.y"
Default: true
org.knopflerfish.framework.restart.allow
If set to "true", allow restart of framework by calling
getBundle(0).update()
If "false", exit framework with exit code = 2. This can be useful
when a wrapper script is better at restarting cleanly than the JVM
itself.
Default: true
org.knopflerfish.framework.exitonshutdown
If set to "true", call System.exit() when framework shutdown
is complete.
If "false", don't do anything after shutdown.
Must be set to "true" if one wants to use KF2 features such as
extension bundles.
Default: true
org.knopflerfish.osgi.setcontextclassloader
If set to "true", set the bundle startup thread's context class
loader to the bundle's class loader. This is useful for checking
if an external lib will work better with a wrapped startup. It
doesn't set the context classloader for event callbacks.
Note that setting the context classloader is not mandated
by OSGi, and might introduce dependencies on the KF framework,
so this flag should only be enabled for testing purposes.
Default: false
org.knopflerfish.permissions.initialdefault
Initial default set of permission for PermissionAdmin service.
Format for permission is same as used by
org.osgi.service.permissionadmin.PermissionInfo, i.e,
(type) or
(type "name") or
(type "name" "actions")
More than on permission can be set by separating items by ";"
An empty set can be specified by using the empty string as value.
Default: "(java.security.AllPermission)"
org.knopflerfish.osgi.registerserviceurlhandler
Flag for installing OSGi service based URL handlers.
Since the URL handler can only be installed once, there
might be cased where some external entity (not OSGi)
sets this. In this case, the OSGi handler can be disabled
by setting
org.knopflerfish.osgi.registerserviceurlhandler=false
Default: true (use OSGi service handlers)
org.knopflerfish.osgi.registerbundleurlhandler
Flag for publicly exporting the bundle: special URL
handler. If this is enabled, all bundles can create
bundle: URLs for access it's own or other bundle's resources.
The OSGi service based URL handlers (see above) _must_
be active for publicly exporting bundle: URLs
Default: false (don't export bundle: URLs publicly)
org.knopflerfish.framework.usingwrapperscript
If set to "true", KF will assume that it has been
started with the "kf2" shell script, and that it will be
restarted if KF exits with exit code = 200. Required to be
able to use new KF2 features such as extension bundles.
This flag is set to "true" by the "kf2" shell script.
Default: false
Knopflerfish framework.jar startup
This is a startup guide for the KF OSGi framework. Note that startup of the
framework is not specified by OSGi, and system integrators often need to
create a wrapper script for FW startup.
The KF Main startup class is primarily intended to be used in scenarios
where current working directory is same as the one containing framework.jar,
the framework storage directory and configuration files. In these cases
java -jar framework.jar
...is often enough.
Other uses are possible, but require options and possibly some tweaking
of the default startup files.
Initial start vs restart
========================
Two cases of framework startup should be noted:
1. Initial, bootstrap, startup
An initial startup must contains enough options
to install bundles allowing further management, using
-install options. If no bundles are installed, an empty
framework will be started but nothing can be done with it..
2. Restart of previously initialized framework.
Any OSGi framework can remember its state from previous startup.
In this case, startup options should only contains system properties
and a -launch option for restarting the bundles, but not any
-install options.
NB! Since these two different cases probably will use separate startup
files, care must be taken so system properties a set correctly in
both files, when so required.
It is up to a system integrator to decide when to use initial startup
or restart. The Main KF class can help somewhat in doing this (see below)
but might not be enough. In those cases, wrapper scripts, or modifications
to Main.java are recommended.
Starting the framework
======================
The framework can be started using the startup wrapper class
org.knopflerfish.framework.Main
This class is also set a Main-Class in framework.jar's manifest, meaning
framework.jar can be started using
java -jar framework.jar [options]
The Main class supports a number of options, which can be displayed
using
java -jar framework.jar -help
Options can also be specified using the -xargs option, which specifies
a .xargs text file containing lines of new options. Typically all options
are specified in .xargs files. Combining .xargs files and command line
options is possible but not recommended. .xargs files can also use recursive
.xargs files.
When the framework is started, it uses a file system directory for
storing the state of all installed bundles, "fwdir". The default
directory used for this is
fwdir
in the current directory. The "fwdir" directory can also be set specifically
using the org.osgi.framework.dir system property. Note that moving "fwdir"
also changes the location for searching for default .xargs files.
If no options are specified, or a single "-init" option is present,
an implicit
-xargs "default"
is added to the options. "default" means that the default .xargs (see
below) is selected.
Default selection of .xargs
===========================
If _no_ args are supplied, or a name of "default" is given as -xargs
argument, a default .xargs file will be searched for, by the following
algorithm:
1. If there exists a previous "fwdir" AND previous options
does not contain "-init", use
restart.xargs
...in the same dir as "fwdir".
2. If no fwdir exist, OR options contain an "-init",
try the first file matching:
a) init_[osname].xargs
b) init.xargs
c) remote-init.xargs
...in the same dir as "fwdir"
[osname] is the unified OS name as specified in Alias.java
(see below). Case is important if the file system
is case sensitive.
OS aliases:
OS2
QNX
Windows95
Windows98
WindowsNT
WindowsCE
Windows2000
WindowsXP

