Make Eclipse run fast on Ubuntu 12.04

One thing which can be extremely annoying for developers is Eclipse. It can be a giant mess to run, and it doesn’t run well straight off the bat for users of Ubuntu 12.04. I share some of my tips to make it work really well for you.

Tip #1: Use the Oracle Java VM 7. It’s amazing how much different this is compared with Version 6 of either the official, or OpenJDK versions.

How to easily do this: Follow the easy instructions on this website: http://www.duinsoft.nl/packages.php?t=en All you need is to add a source, and run a few commands to automatically install it. You may also need to set the correct version which can be done with sudo update-alternatives --config java and selecting the correct version. (Note: You can’t install the Development Kit through this, however Eclipse uses it’s own compiler)

Tip #2: Use your own set-up of Eclipse. Basically, download the package from the Eclipse website and pop it somewhere like /opt/eclipse (which is what I’ve done). Also, remember to add a short script for a launcher like so:

export LIBOVERLAY_SCROLLBAR=0
/opt/eclipse/eclipse

As Java doesn’t support the neat Unity overlayer scrollbars, you have to turn them off for that app only. Then you can use the “Main Menu” app (you may have to install) if you want it working from the launcher.

Tip #3: Give it more memory. Open /eclipse.ini and find -Xmx and change the number to an amount you wish to give. For example, 1GB = 1024m.

-Xms is the starting size but -Xmx is the maximum Java will allow, so it’s best to have a nice starting size to prevent growth groans.

And, combining these tips make it work fairly well on my laptop which has 2GB of RAM (in total) and a 1.5Ghz dual-core processor.

If you’ve managed to find any tips to make Eclipse move that little bit quicker, do tell us in the comments!




Via: LandOfDroid