Eclipse 2020-09: org/omg/CORBA/UserException when trying to run WebSphere AS 8.5 Servers using Plugin

Today trying to solve an error on Eclipse startup, I have found a solution that said to reinstall the new version. So I have installed the new version, with which I opened my previous Workspace.

The actual version is: Eclipse IDE for Enterprise Java Developers

> Version: 2020-09 (4.17.0)
Build id: 20200910-1200

Now I have a bad situation in the environment in which I work:
Previously I had many Websphere application Servers v8.5.5 already configured through the IBM WebSphere Application Server V8.5x Developer Tools plugin.

The Server runtime I used, was based on Java java_1.7.1_64, that is located in the Websphere AppServer folder.

I reinstalled the plugin to recover its typical functionality, which acts as an interface to the WAS server (start, publish, status) but it seems to be no longer compatible with the current version of Eclipse, so I am no longer able to start the WAS servers from Eclipse.

At the Workbech startup I get the following popup with error:

> An attempt was made to Use a Websphere Application Server specific function, which is only supported on JRE 6.0, 7.0, or 8.0

And when I try to interact with the server I receive the folliwing error:

> An internal error occurred during: "Starting Server G2".
org/omg/CORBA/UserException

If I double click on the server, to open its configuration page, the IDE opens an empty, grey, page with only the X to close it.

If I try to create a new Server with WAS Runtime, when I click on New > Server, I get this error:

> An error has occurred. See error log for more details.
org/omg/CORBA/UserException

The same errors appears if I try to select WebSphere Application Server v8.5 as type of server.

eclipse.ini:

-startup
plugins/org.eclipse.equinox.launcher_1.5.800.v20200727-1323.jar
--launcher.library
C:\Users\USER\.p2\pool\plugins\org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.win32.win32.x86_64_1.1.1300.v20200819-0940
-product
org.eclipse.epp.package.jee.product
-showsplash
C:\Users\USER\.p2\pool\plugins\org.eclipse.epp.package.common_4.17.0.20200910-1200
--launcher.defaultAction
openFile
--launcher.appendVmargs
-vm
C:/Users/USER/.p2/pool/plugins/org.eclipse.justj.openjdk.hotspot.jre.full.win32.x86_64_14.0.2.v20200815-0932/jre/bin
-vmargs
-Dosgi.requiredJavaVersion=11
-Dosgi.instance.area.default=@user.home/eclipse-workspace
-XX:+UseG1GC
-XX:+UseStringDeduplication
--add-modules=ALL-SYSTEM
-Dosgi.requiredJavaVersion=11
-Dosgi.dataAreaRequiresExplicitInit=true
-Xms256m
-Xmx2048m
--add-modules=ALL-SYSTEM
-Declipse.p2.max.threads=10
-Doomph.update.url=http://download.eclipse.org/oomph/updates/milestone/latest
-Doomph.redirection.index.redirection=index:/->http://git.eclipse.org/c/oomph/org.eclipse.oomph.git/plain/setups/

Things I have tried:

• Recover the previous eclipse version but I can't, I still have the installation folder, but I probably changed something in the eclipse.ini and if I start it now it always launches me the new updated Eclipse instance, it seems as if it has been added or overwritten something in the .p2 folder due to the installation of the new version that I did.

• I tried to install older versions of Eclipse, but the was plugin doesn't seem to work with those either.

• I still have all the WAS Profiles configured, Is there an alternative, or a workaround, to continue working on them even without the eclipse plugin? I am quite ignorant on the subject. In the end I just have to start / restart the server, add EARs quickly, do the publish, understand the status of the server; operations for which I have always used the interface.

Thanks in advance to all those who will help me find a solution.

I had the same problem with Eclipse 2020-12 version. The difference is that minimal Java version is now 11 so you cannot use Ibm Java SDK that comes bundled with Websphere to run Eclipse.

Eclipse still throws:

An attempt was made to use a Websphere Application Server specific function, which is only supported on JRE 6.0, 7.0 or 8.0.

but you can ignore it. Installing and debugging applications works.

Here are the steps I made:

• download Eclipse JEE 2020-12 zip
• extract installation on filesystem
• download removed JAXB artfacts and put them in dropins folder
  • javax.xml
  • javax.activation
  • javax.xml.bind
• download corba implementation jar, glassfish-corba-orb and also, put in dropins folder
• install Websphere Developer Tools for Websphere 8.5 eclipse plugin and point it to local Websphere installation

I have found a workaround in order to continue to work with Eclipse and IBM WebSphere Application Server V8.5x Developer Tools plugin.

I have installed a previous version of Eclipse with an empty workspace

Steps:

• Download Eclipse J2ee 2019-09-R as Zip file (Eclipse Photon works too)
• Extract in a folder in you file system
• edit eclipse.ini file adding -vm
C:/Users/USER/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/java/bin on the first line. (It's Java 1.8 located in WebSphere folder)
• Start Eclipse using an empty workspace
• Download IBM WebSphere Application Server V8.5x Developer Tools plugin via Help > Install new software. (url: http://public.dhe.ibm.com/ibmdl/export/pub/software/websphere/wasdev/updates/wdt/2020-09_comp/
  )
• now I'm able to create an use new WAS Servers with my old Profiles without any of the previous error.

I found another way to solve:

In addition to

1. Download Eclipse as Zip file
2. Extract in a folder in you file system
3. edit eclipse.ini file adding -vm Path/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/java/bin on the first
   line. (It's Java 1.8 located in WebSphere folder)

Access the link below and install the compatible version in your eclipse, this link lists several versions:

http://public.dhe.ibm.com/ibmdl/export/pub/software/websphere/wasdev/updates/wdt/

Example:

If your version of eclipse is photon get the link below for installation:

http://public.dhe.ibm.com/ibmdl/export/pub/software/websphere/wasdev/updates/wdt/photon/