Eclipse History view blank

Question

After updating to Eclipse 4.5 Mars the History view always remains blank, no matter if I drag a file from the Eclipse Navigator or select Team >> Show History from the context menu. I'm using both Git and CVS - the problem is the same.

I found this entry in the .log file:

!ENTRY org.eclipse.ui 4 0 2015-07-03 10:09:28.308
!MESSAGE Unhandled event loop exception
!STACK 0
java.lang.NullPointerException
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.busyShowView(WorkbenchPage.java:1270)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage$12.run(WorkbenchPage.java:4211)
    at org.eclipse.swt.custom.BusyIndicator.showWhile(BusyIndicator.java:70)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.showView(WorkbenchPage.java:4207)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.showView(WorkbenchPage.java:4187)
    at org.eclipse.team.ui.TeamUI.showHistoryFor(TeamUI.java:107)
    at org.eclipse.team.internal.ccvs.ui.actions.ShowResourceInHistoryAction$1.run(ShowResourceInHistoryAction.java:35)
    at org.eclipse.team.internal.ccvs.ui.repo.RepositoryManager.run(RepositoryManager.java:765)
    at org.eclipse.team.internal.ccvs.ui.actions.CVSAction$2.run(CVSAction.java:361)
    at org.eclipse.team.internal.ccvs.ui.actions.CVSAction$3.run(CVSAction.java:370)
    at org.eclipse.swt.custom.BusyIndicator.showWhile(BusyIndicator.java:70)
    at org.eclipse.team.internal.ccvs.ui.actions.CVSAction.run(CVSAction.java:367)
    at org.eclipse.team.internal.ccvs.ui.actions.ShowResourceInHistoryAction.execute(ShowResourceInHistoryAction.java:31)
    at org.eclipse.team.internal.ccvs.ui.actions.CVSAction.run(CVSAction.java:117)
    at org.eclipse.team.internal.ui.actions.TeamAction.runWithEvent(TeamAction.java:549)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.PluginAction.runWithEvent(PluginAction.java:237)
    at org.eclipse.jface.action.ActionContributionItem.handleWidgetSelection(ActionContributionItem.java:595)
    at org.eclipse.jface.action.ActionContributionItem.access$2(ActionContributionItem.java:511)
    at org.eclipse.jface.action.ActionContributionItem$5.handleEvent(ActionContributionItem.java:420)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.EventTable.sendEvent(EventTable.java:84)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.sendEvent(Display.java:4362)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Widget.sendEvent(Widget.java:1113)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.runDeferredEvents(Display.java:4180)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.readAndDispatch(Display.java:3769)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine$4.run(PartRenderingEngine.java:1127)
    at org.eclipse.core.databinding.observable.Realm.runWithDefault(Realm.java:337)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine.run(PartRenderingEngine.java:1018)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.E4Workbench.createAndRunUI(E4Workbench.java:156)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench$5.run(Workbench.java:654)
    at org.eclipse.core.databinding.observable.Realm.runWithDefault(Realm.java:337)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.createAndRunWorkbench(Workbench.java:598)
    at org.eclipse.ui.PlatformUI.createAndRunWorkbench(PlatformUI.java:150)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.ide.application.IDEApplication.start(IDEApplication.java:139)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.app.EclipseAppHandle.run(EclipseAppHandle.java:196)
    at org.eclipse.core.runtime.internal.adaptor.EclipseAppLauncher.runApplication(EclipseAppLauncher.java:134)
    at org.eclipse.core.runtime.internal.adaptor.EclipseAppLauncher.start(EclipseAppLauncher.java:104)
    at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(EclipseStarter.java:380)
    at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(EclipseStarter.java:235)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Unknown Source)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.invokeFramework(Main.java:669)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.basicRun(Main.java:608)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.run(Main.java:1515)

Answer 1

It appears to be a bug in Eclipse. These bug reports reference it:

• https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=467714
• https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=471782

The second one had a way to reset your perspectives to get it working again vs adding the history view manually. It worked for me with Mars.1

(comment from neil mordecai)

1. Close all perspectives. (Window > Perspective > Close All Perspective)
2. Restart eclipse (shows only default JavaEE perspective) - add Java if you like...
3. Using Package Explorer, select file and VIA SpeedBar (rh-mouse-button-select) use Team > Show History.

Once opened in this way the History remains synchronised indefinitely.