The Knopflerfish OSGi framework is available under a BSD style license.
All OSGi source files are copyright by OSGi, see separate copyright file. OSGi source files are individually marked as such.
Some individual bundles (SOAP, Jini, x10) which use external libraries
may use different licenses. In these cases, the bundles contain the appropiate license file(s).
You can download either a complete installation, a binary installation or just the core framework.
knopflerfish_fullbin_osgi_$(VERSION).jar (approx 2.5 MB) |
Full binary framework and bundles. No source or docs. Self-extracting. |
knopflerfish_osgi_$(VERSION).jar (approx 7 MB) |
Complete framework, including source code, docs and this web site. Self-extracting. |
knopflerfish_bin_osgi_$(VERSION).jar (approx 2 MB) |
Core binary framework and some bundles. No source or docs. Self-extracting. |
knopflerfish_osgi_tiny_$(VERSION).zip (approx 200 kb) |
Remotely loading framework, no source, no docs, just framework.jar and config files for loading all bundles from the web. |
knopflerfish_opt_$(VERSION).jar (approx 6.5 MB, including Apache Axis SOAP libraries) |
A set of optional bundles, including SOAP support for any OSGi service. See SOAP readme for details. Also includes support for OSGi Metatype data and a desktop UI for CM. This download should be installed on top of a previous installation. Self-extracting. |
The 1.3.1 release of Knopflerfish OSGi is mainly a maintenance release, containing fixes to framework startup and better support for CM. Also notably is support for uncopied references to file: bundles.
Nightly builds from the latest source are also available.
> cd knopflerfish.org/osgi > java -jar framework.jar
You need at at least Java 1.2.2 to install the framework.
The Knopflerfish OSGi framework should be installed by simply running the distribution jar file, either by double-clicking on the distribution file, or by the command:> java -jar knopflerfish_osgi_<version>.jarThis will open an installation wizard for selection installation directory. Follow the on-screen instructions.
If you don't need the wizard, installation can also be done in batch mode, by entering the command:
> java -jar knopflerfish_osgi_<version>.jar -batch...or by simply unpacking the jar file manually. (WinZip is also capable of unpacking .jar files)
The framework can then be started either by double-clicking on the framework.jar executable jar file in the knopflerfish.org/osgi directory, or by entering the commands
> cd knopflerfish.org/osgi > java -jar framework.jar
-istart desktop/desktop.jarfrom 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 -helpThis 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. Properties: org.osgi.framework.dir Where we store persistent data. 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 persistant area. If set to true, file: URLs are referenced only. 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.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.osgi.r3.testcompliant If set to "true", make sure that all test in the OSGi R3 test suite pass, even if the tests are buggy and break the spec itself. This affects some very special (due to bugs in the test) handling of filters and conflict between the spec concerning CM and the actual tests. Bundles knowning abouth these conflicts should check the testcompliant flag and act appropiately. Default: false. Default is a Good Thing since it means follow the spec, not the buggy tests. 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.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. 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 currect 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