Linux executable fails using javafx-maven-plugin - linux

Question

I have a multimodule maven project with JavaFX up and running. I can create an jar file containing all classes that is executable through a maven assembly, so I know the packaged bundle works.
For conveniance I want to create a native bundle/executable using the javafx-maven-plugin
<profile>
<id>build-installer</id>
<properties>
<native.output.dir>${project.build.directory}/jfx/native/${project.build.finalName}</native.output.dir>
<native.output.dir.app>${native.output.dir}/app</native.output.dir.app>
<native.output.dir.security>${native.output.dir}/runtime/jre/lib/security</native.output.dir.security>
<native.app.jar>${native.output.dir.app}/${project.build.finalName}-jfx.jar</native.app.jar>
</properties>
<dependencies>
<dependency>
<groupId>ch.sahits.game</groupId>
<artifactId>OpenPatricianDisplay</artifactId>
<version>${project.version}</version>
</dependency>
</dependencies>
<build>
<plugins>
<plugin>
<groupId>com.zenjava</groupId>
<artifactId>javafx-maven-plugin</artifactId>
<version>8.1.2</version>
<configuration>
<mainClass>ch.sahits.game.OpenPatrician</mainClass>
<verbose>true</verbose>
</configuration>
<executions>
<execution>
<phase>package</phase>
<goals>
<goal>native</goal>
</goals>
</execution>
</executions>
</plugin>
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-antrun-plugin</artifactId>
<version>1.7</version>
<executions>
<execution>
<id>create zip archive</id>
<phase>install</phase>
<goals>
<goal>run</goal>
</goals>
<configuration>
<target>
<echo>Creating self-contained zip</echo>
<zip destfile="${project.build.directory}/OpenPatrician-${project.version}.zip" basedir="${native.output.dir}" />
</target>
</configuration>
</execution>
</executions>
</plugin>
</plugins>
</build>
</profile>
This works fine on Windows, creates an exe file that can be run. However executing the same thing on Linux, Maven runs through but the executable fails to start properly with these two messages:
OpenPatricianDisplay-0.5.0-SNAPSHOT No main class specified
OpenPatricianDisplay-0.5.0-SNAPSHOT Failed to launch JVM
Taking a look at the cfg files of the Windows and Linux bundle shows that they are different. When replacing the Linux one with the one from Windows a different errors is created. So I do not think the fact that they are different is the cause.
Creating a single module JavaFX demo app with the plugin on Linux works. To figure out if it is the Maven plugin or the underlying packager, I tried the following the Ant examples. The Hello World example works fine (chapter 10.4.1) however when trying the example with external jar files (chapter 10.4.3) even the build fails:
BUILD FAILED
/home/andi/eclipse/intellij/jdk1.8.0_60/demo/javafx_samples/src/Ensemble8/build.xml:34: You must specify at least one fileset to be packed.
The build.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<project name="Ensemble8 JavaFX Demo Application" default="default" basedir="."
xmlns:fx="javafx:com.sun.javafx.tools.ant">
<property name="JAVA_HOME" value="/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-oracle"/>
<path id="CLASSPATH">
<pathelement location="lib/lucene-core-3.2.0.jar"/>
<pathelement location="lib/lucene-grouping-3.2.0.jar"/>
<pathelement path="classes"/>
</path>
<property name="build.src.dir" value="src"/>
<property name="build.classes.dir" value="classes"/>
<property name="build.dist.dir" value="dist"/>
<target name="default" depends="clean,compile">
<taskdef resource="com/sun/javafx/tools/ant/antlib.xml"
uri="javafx:com.sun.javafx.tools.ant"
classpath="${JAVA_HOME}/lib/ant-javafx.jar"/>
<fx:application id="ensemble8"
name="Ensemble8"
mainClass="ensemble.EnsembleApp"/>
<fx:resources id="appRes">
<fx:fileset dir="${build.dist.dir}" includes="ensemble8.jar"/>
<fx:fileset dir="lib"/>
<fx:fileset dir="${build.classes.dir}"/>
</fx:resources>
<fx:jar destfile="${build.dist.dir}/ensemble8.jar">
<fx:application refid="ensemble8"/>
<fx:resources refid="appRes"/>
</fx:jar>
<fx:deploy outdir="." embedJNLP="true"
outfile="ensemble8"
nativeBundles="all">
<fx:application refId="ensemble8"/>
<fx:resources refid="appRes"/>
<fx:info title="Ensemble8 JavaFX Demo Application"
vendor="Oracle Corporation"/>
</fx:deploy>
</target>
<target name="clean">
<mkdir dir="${build.classes.dir}"/>
<mkdir dir="${build.dist.dir}"/>
<delete>
<fileset dir="${build.classes.dir}" includes="**/*"/>
<fileset dir="${build.dist.dir}" includes="**/*"/>
</delete>
</target>
<target name="compile" depends="clean">
<javac includeantruntime="false"
srcdir="${build.src.dir}"
destdir="${build.classes.dir}"
fork="yes"
executable="${JAVA_HOME}/bin/javac"
source="1.8"
debug="on"
classpathref="CLASSPATH">
</javac>
<!-- Copy resources to build.classes.dir -->
<copy todir="${build.classes.dir}">
<fileset dir="src/app/resources"/>
<fileset dir="src/generated/resources"/>
<fileset dir="src/samples/resources"/>
</copy>
</target>
</project>
So it looks the examples are not up to date with Java 1.8.0_60. The only difference to the build.xml from the example is the path to the JAVA_HOME.
Does anyone have an idea on:
a) how to approach the issue with the ant build to prove/disprove that the packager is the problem or
b) even better have some insights into what might be the problem when running the maven plugin.
Environment:
Linux Mint 17.2 KDE
JDK 1.8.0_60
Ant 1.9.3
Maven 3.0.5
javafx-maven-plugin 8.1.4

Answer 1

This is at least a partial answer to the issue with the build for ant. As it turns out the documentation is outdated, but I figured it out when taking a look at the Ant task definition.
The <fx:jar> elements requires some more children for it to work:
<fx:application id="ensemble8"
name="Ensemble8"
mainClass="ensemble.EnsembleApp"/>
<fx:resources id="appRes">
<fx:fileset dir="${build.dist.dir}" includes="ensemble8.jar"/>
<fx:fileset dir="lib"/>
<fx:fileset dir="${build.classes.dir}"/>
</fx:resources>
<fx:jar destfile="${build.dist.dir}/ensemble8.jar">
<fx:application refid="ensemble8"/>
<fx:resources refid="appRes"/>
<fx:fileset dir="${build.classes.dir}"/>
<!-- Customize jar manifest (optional) -->
<manifest>
<attribute name="Implementation-Vendor" value="Samples Team"/>
<attribute name="Implementation-Version" value="1.0"/>
<attribute name="Main-Class" value="ensemble.EnsembleApp" />
</manifest>
</fx:jar>
Especially the <manifest> and the <fx:fileset>. With that in place I can create the demo application as native bundle that is executable.
EDIT: The original issue with the javafx-maven-plugin turns out to be a problem in the packager itself and the lookup of the configuration file. Updating to version 8.1.5 and adding <bundler>linux.app</bundler> in the <configuration> is a workaround until the issue is fixed in the JDK.-