How To Fix Eclipse Not Starting on Ubuntu 18.04

If you’re an Ubuntu 18.04 user and you’re having trouble getting Eclipse to start, this article will guide you through some potential solutions. The problem often manifests in an error message stating that the Eclipse platform cannot find the required class “org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter”. This can be due to a variety of reasons including a missing or incompatible Java version, or issues with the Eclipse installation or dependencies.

Checking Your Java Version

First and foremost, ensure that you have the correct version of Java installed. Eclipse requires a specific version of Java to run, and having an incompatible version can prevent it from starting. You can check your currently installed version by opening a terminal and running the following command:

java -version

This command will display the version of Java currently installed on your system. If the version is not compatible with Eclipse, you may need to install a compatible version, such as Java 8 or OpenJDK 8.

To install Java 8, you can use the following command:

sudo apt install openjdk-8-jdk

In this command, sudo allows you to run commands with administrative privileges, while apt install is used to install a package. openjdk-8-jdk is the package name for OpenJDK 8.

Updating Eclipse

If you have an older version of Eclipse installed, it might be causing the issue. You can download the latest version from the Eclipse website.

Installing Eclipse from Snap

If the version available in the Ubuntu Software Center is outdated or causing issues, you can try installing Eclipse using the Snap package manager. Snap is a software deployment and package management system developed by Canonical. To install Eclipse via Snap, run the following command:

sudo snap install --classic eclipse

In this command, sudo allows you to run commands with administrative privileges, snap install is used to install a Snap package, --classic allows the Snap to have the same level of access to the system as traditionally packaged applications, and eclipse is the name of the Snap package.

Using the Eclipse Installer

Instead of using the Ubuntu Software Center, you can download the Eclipse Installer from the Eclipse website. This installer provides a more reliable installation process.

Checking for Multiple Versions

If there are multiple versions of Eclipse installed on your system, it might cause conflicts. Check your Ubuntu Software Center or package manager to see if there are multiple versions installed. Try selecting the newer version or the one with the correct language.

Manual Installation

If none of the above solutions work, you can try downloading the .tar.gz package of Eclipse from the Eclipse website and manually installing it. Extract the package to a convenient location and create a symlink to the executable in your ~/bin directory.

Remember, some users have reported issues with the Snap version of Eclipse, including compatibility problems and outdated versions. Therefore, it may be safer to install Eclipse using one of the other methods mentioned above.

In conclusion, there are several potential solutions if you’re having trouble getting Eclipse to start on Ubuntu 18.04. By checking your Java version, updating Eclipse, installing from Snap, using the Eclipse Installer, checking for multiple versions, or manually installing, you should be able to resolve the issue.