Installing a plain plugin jar in Eclipse 3.5

Since Eclipse 3.5 there seems to be no option to have drop a plugin jar ( not a feature ) in the Eclipse base directory and have it picked up at next startup.

Is there any possiblity to have plain plugins jars installed in Eclipse 3.5?

Since the advent of p2, you should be using the dropins directory instead.

> To be completely clear create "plugins" under "/dropins" > and make sure to restart eclipse with the "-clean" option.

Simplest way - just put in the Eclipse plugins folder. You can start Eclipse with the -clean option to make sure Eclipse cleans its' plugins cache and sees the new plugin.

In general, it is far more recommended to install plugins using proper update sites.

For Eclipse Mars (I've just verified that) you to do this (assuming that C:\eclipseMarsEE is root folder of your Eclipse):

1. Add plugins folder to C:\eclipseMarsEE\dropins so that it looks like: C:\eclipseMarsEE\dropins\plugins
2. Then add plugin you want to install into that folder: C:\eclipseMarsEE\dropins\plugins\someplugin.jar
3. Start Eclipse with clean option.
4. If you are using shortcut on desktop then just right click on Eclipse icon > Properties and in Target field add: -clean like this: C:\eclipseMarsEE\eclipse.exe -clean

5. Start Eclipse and verify that your plugin works.
6. Remove -clean option from Target field.

go to Help -> Install New Software... -> Add -> Archive.... Done.

in Eclipse 4.4.1

1. copy jar in "C:\eclipse\plugins"
2. edit file "C:\eclipse\configuration\org.eclipse.equinox.simpleconfigurator\bundles.info"
3. add jar info. example: com.soft4soft.resort.jdt,2.4.4,file:plugins\com.soft4soft.resort.jdt_2.4.4.jar,4,false
4. restart Eclipse.

This is how you can go about it:

1. Close Eclipse
2. Download a jar plugin (let's assume its testNG.jar)
3. Copy testNG.jar to a certain folder (say C:\Project\resources\plugins)
4. In your Eclipse installation folder, there is a folder named dropins (could be C:\eclipse\dropins), create a .link file in that folder, (like plugins.link)
5. Open this file with any text editor and enter this one line:
   path=C:/Project/resources/plugins
   
6. Save the file and start Eclipse.

And you are good to go!

Please do not forget to change your backward slashes in your plugins folder path to forward slashes on step 5. I used to forget and it would take my time unnecessarily.