Eclipse RCP java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter

Question

I use Eclipse 4.3.0 to develop plugins/RCP. While trying to do RCP product following Plug-in development 101, Part 2: Introducing rich-client applications http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/os-eclipse-plugindev2/ by Chris Aniszczyk 2008, I got error below when clicking Launch an Eclipse application from .product Overview Tab.

!SESSION Wed Jan 15 13:06:51 CST 2014 ------------------------------------------
!ENTRY org.eclipse.equinox.launcher 4 0 2014-01-15 13:06:51.085
!MESSAGE Exception launching the Eclipse Platform:
!STACK
java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter
    at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java:366)
    at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java:355)
    at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
    at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(URLClassLoader.java:354)
    at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:424)
    at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:357)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.invokeFramework(Main.java:633)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.basicRun(Main.java:591)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.run(Main.java:1450)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.main(Main.java:1426)

More info

Notes: there were no rcp.product option in Use existing product (I consider it was definite mistake in tutorial)

plugin.xml content

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?eclipse version="3.4"?>
<plugin>

   <extension
         id="application"
         point="org.eclipse.core.runtime.applications">
      <application>
         <run
               class="rcp4.Application">
         </run>
      </application>
   </extension>
   <extension
         point="org.eclipse.ui.perspectives">
      <perspective
            name="Perspective"
            class="rcp4.Perspective"
            id="rcp4.perspective">
      </perspective>
   </extension>
   <extension
         point="org.eclipse.ui.views">
      <view
            name="View"
            class="rcp4.View"
            id="rcp4.view">
      </view>
   </extension>
   <extension
         point="org.eclipse.ui.perspectiveExtensions">
      <perspectiveExtension
            targetID="*">
         <view
               standalone="true"
               minimized="false"
               relative="org.eclipse.ui.editorss"
               relationship="left"
               id="rcp4.view">
         </view>
      </perspectiveExtension>
   </extension>
   <extension
         point="org.eclipse.ui.menus">
      <menuContribution
            locationURI="menu:org.eclipse.ui.main.menu">
         <menu
               label="File">
            <command
                  commandId="org.eclipse.ui.file.exit"
                  label="Exit">
            </command>
         </menu>
      </menuContribution>
   </extension>
   <extension
         id="product"
         point="org.eclipse.core.runtime.products">
      <product
            application="rcp4.application"
            name="RCP4 Product Name">
         <property
               name="appName"
               value="RCP4 Product Name">
         </property>
      </product>
   </extension>

</plugin>

rcp.product content

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?pde version="3.5"?>

<product name="RCP4 Product Name" uid="id" id="rcp4.product" application="rcp4.application" version="0.4.0" useFeatures="false" includeLaunchers="true">

   <configIni use="default">
   </configIni>

   <launcherArgs>
      <vmArgsMac>-XstartOnFirstThread -Dorg.eclipse.swt.internal.carbon.smallFonts</vmArgsMac>
   </launcherArgs>

   <plugins>
   </plugins>


</product>

Answer 1

If you are using a .product file you must add all the plugin or feature dependencies on the Dependencies tab. Your rcp.product file currently has no dependencies so nothing will be found! There is an Add Required button on the tab which should add everything required.

Note: That tutorial looks like it is using an older version of the product file which had dependencies on the Configuration tab.

Update: To get the correct dependencies first add your own plugin, then press Add Required which will add a lot of additional plugins. For a very similar plugin (with a different name) on Eclipse 4.3.1 I get:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?pde version="3.5"?>

<product application="TestRCPView.application" useFeatures="false" includeLaunchers="true">

   <configIni use="default">
   </configIni>

   <launcherArgs>
      <vmArgsMac>-XstartOnFirstThread -Dorg.eclipse.swt.internal.carbon.smallFonts</vmArgsMac>
   </launcherArgs>

   <plugins>
      <plugin id="TestRCPView"/>
      <plugin id="com.ibm.icu"/>
      <plugin id="javax.annotation"/>
      <plugin id="javax.inject"/>
      <plugin id="javax.xml"/>
      <plugin id="org.apache.batik.css"/>
      <plugin id="org.apache.batik.util"/>
      <plugin id="org.apache.batik.util.gui"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.core.commands"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.core.contenttype"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.core.databinding"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.core.databinding.observable"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.core.databinding.property"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.core.expressions"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.core.jobs"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.core.runtime"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.core.runtime.compatibility.registry" fragment="true"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.e4.core.commands"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.e4.core.contexts"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.e4.core.di"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.e4.core.di.extensions"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.e4.core.services"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.e4.ui.bindings"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.e4.ui.css.core"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.e4.ui.css.swt"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.e4.ui.css.swt.theme"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.e4.ui.di"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.e4.ui.model.workbench"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.e4.ui.services"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.e4.ui.widgets"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.e4.ui.workbench"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.e4.ui.workbench.addons.swt"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.e4.ui.workbench.renderers.swt"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.e4.ui.workbench.renderers.swt.cocoa" fragment="true"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.e4.ui.workbench.swt"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.e4.ui.workbench3"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.emf.common"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.emf.ecore"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.emf.ecore.change"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.emf.ecore.xmi"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.equinox.app"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.equinox.common"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.equinox.ds"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.equinox.event"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.equinox.preferences"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.equinox.registry"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.equinox.util"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.help"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.jface"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.jface.databinding"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.osgi"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.osgi.services"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.swt"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.swt.cocoa.macosx.x86_64" fragment="true"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.ui"/>
      <plugin id="org.eclipse.ui.workbench"/>
      <plugin id="org.w3c.css.sac"/>
      <plugin id="org.w3c.dom.smil"/>
      <plugin id="org.w3c.dom.svg"/>
   </plugins>

</product>

Answer 2

apt autoremove eclipse* --purge
apt autoremove libosgi* --purge

If you have, then remove this bloatware too:

apt autoremove libmaven* --purge
apt autoremove libsisu* --purge

And then install back:

apt install eclipse-cdt

You will get C++ indexer as well.