Eclipse IDE: install set of plugins

Question

I have a set of favorite Eclipse plugins, that I need to install every time I install new Eclipse. I would also like to have a way to install all those plugins in [semi-]automated way for my team Eclipse. Or give them recommended Eclipse plugins list, and let them do two-clicks installation on when-needed basis.

How to install set of plugins (with different update sites) quickly?

UPDATE: There are a lot of ways doing that, and I want to aggregate knowledge. There were at least 2 similar questions on stackoverflow.com with different suggestions. And it was 2-3 years ago.
How does one automate configuration of Eclipse?
Boostrapping new Eclipse machines with all the Plugins

Now the best solution seems to be proposed by Bananeweizen at 2013-3-20 (File -> Export -> Install -> Software Items to file)

Answer 1

As said by Bananeweizen at 2013-3-20

Use (File -> Export -> Install -> Software Items to file) to prepare plugin list file (*.p2f), then

(File -> Import -> Install Software Items from File)

I have assembled Eclipse Node.js IDE this way, see Enide - Eclipse Node.JS IDE

UPDATE: This however ran into bug in Eclipse Kepler

WARNING: Not so good in Kepler: There are 2 bug in Eclipse 4.3 Kepler, that may make "File -> Import \ Install" usage not comfortable.

Please help to get Kepler bugs fixed by voting on these 2 bugs (you should be registered on dev.eclipse.org and logged in).

• Bug 409685 - [Remediation] Eclipse 4.3 Kepler - Installation Remediation fails; no opt-out https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=409685
• Bug 409802 - [import/export] Installation Remediation DOES NOT respect selected item in File-> Import .. -> Install Software Items from File "Import Software Configuration" Dialog https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=409802

Answer 2

Follow these steps.

• Unzip Eclipse into a working directory.
• Install plug-ins, one at a time, testing to make sure a plug-in hasn't corrupted your Eclipse.
• When you've finished installing and testing, zip your working directory into a new Eclipse zip file.
• Distribute your new Eclipse zip file.

Answer 3

if I understand your question right, copying the plugin directory in an other eclipse plugin directory should work.

You can install all your favorite plugins in your own eclipse, then zip your plugin folder under your eclipse installation directory.By unzipping it under any eclipse directory you can instal all your favorite plugins at once.

Answer 4

You can use a dropins directory to maintain plugins for your eclipse distribution.

The Eclipse platform ships with a default watched directory called dropins. The dropins folder is configured to be scanned during startup. Thus the dropins folder can be used much like the plugins directory was used in the past.

With this method every plugin can be maintained separately, and without modifying the original eclipse distribution:

If you have various different components being dropped in, and you want to keep them separate, you can add an additional layer of folders immediately below the dropins folder that contain traditional Eclipse extensions:

 eclipse/
   dropins/
     emf/
       eclipse/
         features/
         plugins/
     gef/
       eclipse/
         features/
         plugins/
     ... etc ...

where emf and gef may represent usual plugin structures.

There is also a way with which everyone in a group can refer to plugins stored in just one shared location.

This is using .link files placed in the dropins directory. The files contain path to the directory where a plugin is located. Look at this link.