RMC 7.5.0.1 on Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid - fix the embedded browser

The past days endeavor for sure worth this post. Rational Method Composer was the "must have" software to run on my current dual-boot configuration.

I could not open any element, the backward Eclipse keep throwing errors like:

org.eclipse.swt.SWTError: No more handles (java.lang.UnsatisfiedLinkError: no swt-mozilla-gtk-3349 or swt-mozilla-gtk in swt.library.path, java.library.path or the jar file)
at org.eclipse.swt.SWT.error(SWT.java:3589)
......

I've obviously searched for the error on the net. Seems that the embedded browser xulrunner does not get along with the Eclipse what-ever-the-version which RMC is currently using.

I've tried several trial-and-error solutions:
- set the environment variable with the command "export MOZILLA_FIVE_HOME=/usr/lib/xulrunner-1.9.2.3/", would actually crash the entire RMC Eclipse, with bad bad coredumps :)
- reboot the damn thing after adding more environment variables in the .profile of the current user.
- read the forums and try not to waste precious time mocking with a pretty controllable Eclipse environment on Windows :)

The big thing which fixed it:
1. Make sure you install the xulrunner package using Synaptic. My version is 1.9.2
2. edit the eclipse.ini of the RMC software. In my environment, the command was:

sudo gedit /opt/ibm/rmc75/eclipse.ini

Add the following line:

-Dorg.eclipse.swt.browser.XULRunnerPath=/usr/lib/xulrunner-1.9.2.3


Final note: if you reached this point, you must already know that RMC is by default started as a product with a command such as:
/opt/ibm/rmc75/rmc/rmc
Near the executable you have a rmc.ini file which supports the same fix as above.

Running Method Composer within the Eclipse environment allows me to use multiple workspaces, but this is another story.

Ubuntu conversion. First impressions.

I'm on the road of becoming another linux convert. For the moment I'm on dual boot with Ubuntu 10.4 Lucid and the old (3 years old) XP partition. So far so good, I'm expecting some glitches but hopefully none of them blocking.

I managed to configure the Notes 8.5 client with the embedded Sametime to use the data folder mounted on the XP partition, so from the business communication point of view I'm set. Small issues with the fonts of the Notes client, due to fonts not being the same.

However, huge improvements for the Notes client into the Linux world.

I also have a handful of useful Windows apps which I'm using on a daily basis (Xmind, Keepass, you know, free stuff) which just works on Ubuntu, and several others which can have replacements. For instance, having the customer's SSH hosts handy can be accomplished with a little package called sshmenu. Similar to putty clones on Windows, of which I think I've tested about 10 of them :)

Today was the first day 95% working under Ubuntu. This was a good day.