Getting started with osgi

Remarks#

OSGi is a dynamic module system specification for the JVM. It has specifications with different versions and audiences. There are multiple implementations too:

Eclipse from its version 3 is based on OSGi. NetBeans is also capable to handle OSGi modules since 6.9. Liferay portal also started to use OSGi as its modularization foundation since its version 7.

Versions#

Version	Release date
SGR1	2000-05-01
SPR2	2001-10-01
SR3	2003-03-01
SR4	2005-11-01
SR4.1	2007-05-01
SR4.2 Core	2009-09-01
SR4.2 Compedium	2009-09-01
SR4.2 Enterprise	2010-03-01
SR4.3 Core	2011-04-01
SR4.3 Compedium	2012-05-01
SR4.3 Residental	2012-05-01
SR5 Core	2012-06-01
SR5 Enterprise	2012-06-01
SR6 Core	2014-06-01
SR6 Compendium	2014-06-01
SR6 Enterprise	2015-08-01
SR6 Residental	2015-08-01

Note: https://www.osgi.org/developer/specifications/ does not mention exact dates, so used first day of the month in the table.

Downloading and Using Equinox

Download and extract the OSGi starter kit for your platform from Equinox download page for Neon release.

Start the framework from the rt/plugins folder with the following command (or your platform’s rt executable from the rt folder):

rt/plugins$ java -jar org.eclipse.equinox.launcher_1.3.200.v20160318-1642.jar -console
osgi>

In the OSGi console prompt, you can manage the bundles, for example:

osgi>ss
"Framework is launched."

id      State       Bundle
0       ACTIVE      org.eclipse.osgi_3.11.0.v20160603-1336
                    Fragments=1
1       RESOLVED    org.eclipse.osgi.compatibility.state_1.0.200.v20160504-1419
                    Master=0
2       RESOLVED    org.apache.commons.codec_1.6.0.v201305230611
3       RESOLVED    org.apache.commons.logging_1.1.1.v201101211721
4       ACTIVE      org.apache.felix.gogo.command_0.10.0.v201209301215
5       ACTIVE      org.apache.felix.gogo.runtime_0.10.0.v201209301036
6       ACTIVE      org.apache.felix.gogo.shell_0.10.0.v201212101605
7       RESOLVED    org.apache.httpcomponents.httpclient_4.3.6.v201511171540
8       RESOLVED    org.apache.httpcomponents.httpcore_4.3.3.v201411290715
9       STARTING    org.eclipse.core.jobs_3.8.0.v20160509-0411
10      STARTING    org.eclipse.ecf_3.8.0.v20160405-1820
                    Fragments=17
11      STARTING    org.eclipse.ecf.filetransfer_5.0.0.v20160405-1820
12      STARTING    org.eclipse.ecf.identity_3.7.0.v20160405-1820
13      STARTING    org.eclipse.ecf.provider.filetransfer_3.2.200.v20160405-1820
                    Fragments=16
14      STARTING    org.eclipse.ecf.provider.filetransfer.httpclient4_1.1.100.v20160405-1820
                    Fragments=15
15      RESOLVED    org.eclipse.ecf.provider.filetransfer.httpclient4.ssl_1.1.0.v20160405-1820
                    Master=14
16      RESOLVED    org.eclipse.ecf.provider.filetransfer.ssl_1.0.0.v20160405-1820
                    Master=13
17      RESOLVED    org.eclipse.ecf.ssl_1.2.0.v20160405-1820
                    Master=10
18      STARTING    org.eclipse.equinox.app_1.3.400.v20150715-1528
19      ACTIVE      org.eclipse.equinox.common_3.8.0.v20160509-1230
20      STARTING    org.eclipse.equinox.concurrent_1.1.0.v20130327-1442
21      ACTIVE      org.eclipse.equinox.console_1.1.200.v20150929-1405
22      RESOLVED    org.eclipse.equinox.ds_1.4.400.v20160226-2036
23      STARTING    org.eclipse.equinox.frameworkadmin_2.0.300.v20160504-1450
24      ACTIVE      org.eclipse.equinox.frameworkadmin.equinox_1.0.700.v20160102-2223
25      RESOLVED    org.eclipse.equinox.launcher_1.3.200.v20160318-1642
                    Fragments=26
26      RESOLVED    org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.win32.win32.x86_64_1.1.400.v20160518-1444
                    Master=25
27      STARTING    org.eclipse.equinox.p2.artifact.repository_1.1.500.v20160419-0834
28      ACTIVE      org.eclipse.equinox.p2.console_1.0.500.v20160504-1450
29      ACTIVE      org.eclipse.equinox.p2.core_2.4.100.v20160419-0834
30      STARTING    org.eclipse.equinox.p2.director_2.3.300.v20160504-1450
31      STARTING    org.eclipse.equinox.p2.engine_2.4.100.v20160419-0834
32      STARTING    org.eclipse.equinox.p2.garbagecollector_1.0.300.v20160504-1450
33      RESOLVED    org.eclipse.equinox.p2.jarprocessor_1.0.500.v20160504-1450
34      ACTIVE      org.eclipse.equinox.p2.metadata_2.3.100.v20160427-2220
35      STARTING    org.eclipse.equinox.p2.metadata.repository_1.2.300.v20160419-0834
36      STARTING    org.eclipse.equinox.p2.operations_2.4.200.v20160504-1450
37      ACTIVE      org.eclipse.equinox.p2.repository_2.3.200.v20160421-0324
38      STARTING    org.eclipse.equinox.p2.touchpoint.eclipse_2.1.400.v20160419-0834
39      STARTING    org.eclipse.equinox.p2.touchpoint.natives_1.2.100.v20160419-0834
40      STARTING    org.eclipse.equinox.p2.transport.ecf_1.1.200.v20160606-1311
41      STARTING    org.eclipse.equinox.preferences_3.6.0.v20160120-1756
42      ACTIVE      org.eclipse.equinox.registry_3.6.100.v20160223-2218
43      STARTING    org.eclipse.equinox.security_1.2.200.v20150715-1528
                    Fragments=44
44      RESOLVED    org.eclipse.equinox.security.win32.x86_64_1.0.100.v20130327-1442
                    Master=43
45      STARTING    org.eclipse.equinox.simpleconfigurator_1.1.200.v20160504-1450
46      ACTIVE      org.eclipse.equinox.simpleconfigurator.manipulator_2.0.200.v20160504-1450
47      STARTING    org.eclipse.equinox.util_1.0.500.v20130404-1337
48      RESOLVED    org.eclipse.osgi.services_3.5.100.v20160504-1419
49      RESOLVED    org.sat4j.core_2.3.5.v201308161310
50      RESOLVED    org.sat4j.pb_2.3.5.v201404071733
51      RESOLVED    org.tukaani.xz_1.3.0.v201308270617

Using Apache Felix

Download the Apache Felix Framework Distribution and extract it into a directory:

$ tar xf org.apache.felix.main.distribution-5.4.0.tar.gz
$ cd felix-framework-5.4.0

And then start the framework with the following command:

$ java -jar bin/felix.jar
____________________________
Welcome to Apache Felix Gogo
    
g!

By default, Felix uses Apache Felix Gogo as its interactive shell. The default command prompt, g!, is shown above.

The Gogo shell provides some simple builtin commands to interact with both the Gogo runtime environment, as well as with the OSGi framework itself. Type the help command at the g! prompt to see a list of builtin commands.

One example is the lb (short for list bundles) command which outputs a listing of the OSGi bundles that are currently installed in the framework:

g! lb
START LEVEL 1
   ID|State      |Level|Name
    0|Active     |    0|System Bundle (5.4.0)|5.4.0
    1|Active     |    1|Apache Felix Bundle Repository (2.0.6)|2.0.6
    2|Active     |    1|Apache Felix Gogo Command (0.16.0)|0.16.0
    3|Active     |    1|Apache Felix Gogo Runtime (0.16.2)|0.16.2
    4|Active     |    1|Apache Felix Gogo Shell (0.10.0)|0.10.0