Multi-user Installations

Each instance of Eclipse creates and writes to a configuration folder. If multiple instances of Eclipse with C/C++test are running in parallel, data corruption may occur. Eclipse provides a number of strategies for initializing the Eclipse configuration area in order to support multi-user installations.

The shared configuration described below is the recommended installation scenario implementing a multi-user installation of C/C++test. Refer to the Eclipse documentation for additional information.

Shared Configuration (Recommended)

In this scenario, users share not only an install area but also a master configuration area. The system administrator initializes the master configuration (typically under the install location) and ensures the whole install and configuration areas are read-only to users.

By default, when users run Eclipse from the shared install location, Eclipse automatically creates a local configuration area for each user in the following location: <HOME>/.eclipse/<VERSION>. If the master configuration area has been fully initialized, the user-specific configuration areas do not contain any relevant data.

Shared Installation

In this scenario, a single install area is shared by many users with read-only permissions, and each user has their own local configuration area (see Creating the User-specific Configuration Area). The 'configuration' directory under the install area only contains the config.ini file shipped with C/C++test (it is not initialized).

Creating a User-specific Configuration Area

There are two ways to create a user-specific Eclipse configuration area for C/C++test, depending on whether the users should be enabled to install new components into the shared C/C++test instance.

In the following scenario, the system administrator initializes the master configuration area and modifies the config.ini file. This creates a user-specific configuration area and prevents the user from installing new components into C/C++test:

1. The administrator installs C/C++test.

2. The administrator launches C/C++test to initialize the master configuration area.

3. The administrator adds the following entry to <PARASOFT_TEST_INSTALL_DIR>/configuration/config.ini:

   [email protected]/<.eclipse_config_area>

4. The administrator modifies the following entry in <PARASOFT_TEST_INSTALL_DIR>/configuration/config.ini:

   eclipse.p2.data.area=<PARASOFT_TEST_INSTALL_DIR>/p2

5. The user launches C/C++test as normal.

In the following scenario, the system administrator modifies the config.ini file and the user initializes the user-specific configuration area. This enables the user to install new components into C/C++test:

1. The administrator installs C/C++test.

2. The administrator adds the following entry to <PARASOFT_TEST_INSTALL_DIR>/configuration/config.ini:

   [email protected]/<.eclipse_config_area>/configuration

3. The user launches C/C++test with the -initialize switch (ensure it is spelled correctly as no warnings are displayed to report an error) to initialize the new user-specific Eclipse configuration area:

   cpptest -initialize

   The above command line does not launch C/C++test.
      

4. The user launches C/C++test as normal.