Error: Unable to access jarfile NetRexxF.jar

[billfen]

Tom,

I'm more than busy enough with the NetRexx Eclipse work and my other
projects to take on yet another one.

For the Eclipse NetRexx package, all a user has to do is to click on the
"Install" button and follow the exact same process as with every other
Eclipse add-on.

Why is installing NetRexx under Windows (or Mac OS or Linux) more difficult
than that?  Why is it so complicated for a novice user?  

What is more important TO THE USER - having the installation be as simple
and painless as possible or if there are three installers or one?  

Wouldn't you agree that most users want to install a package by clicking as
few times as possible, not reading or entering anything and having it all
work?

My gripe with this seemingly endless discussion about NetRexx installation
is that the most important aspect of the process (the users viewpoint) is
being ignored instead of being the most important.

The REXX languages have always been sold as being easy to learn, understand
and use.  It seems to me the installation process should be the same.


Original email:
-----------------
From: Tom Maynard [hidden email]
Date: Sat, 31 May 2014 21:00:30 -0500
To: [hidden email], [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Ibm-netrexx] Error: Unable to access jarfile NetRexxF.jar



On 31-May-14 12:49, [hidden email] wrote:
> I truly do not understand the continued resistance to developing web
based, one click installers for each of the three operating systems.
I personally have no resistance, continuing or otherwise, Bill. Please
just jump right in and do it.  That's how I got started, and I'll be
more than happy to quit when someone like you takes over.

Show me what you mean.  How hard could it be?


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[ThSITC]

Kermit, (and/or) all : --                                                           ;-) ;-) ;-)

*************************************************
* To a NOVICE -- NetRexx user --               *
*************************************************

Any and all references shall to the actual Compiler &/ Interpreter, and any variants &/ tools used

(as even jar -Dxxxxxx....) should / shall be *hidden* by simple *commands* (implemented by
.bat, .sh, may be .cmd files), I am thinking!

Please keep in mind, that even for .cmd files (as nrc.cmd) the user must have already installed
either OS/2 *or* ooRexx nowadays, both of that: most likely he does have *not*, thus:

KISS -- Keep it Simple, Stupid   !

As I'm currently going to a turkish festival (coming from the catholic church) I can *not* make
any suggestions this minute ...

Maybe later, this week  (Moon-Day, nowadays spelled: MonDay, in english I think, ... ;-) ;-) -)  )

Anyway, all: Happy Sun-Day, all :-)

Thomas.
=======================================================================
Am 31.05.2014 19:48, schrieb Kermit Kiser:

I am not so sure that "we have done away with the problem of not finding the compiler" is completely true as yet. I will submit a change request shortly that I hope moves us in that direction.

Regarding "-jar", you have me confused. You point out that the guide mentions it ignores classpath (Which I was aware of but I think it should be bold, bright red, double font-size etc, having been bitten numerous times by it!) but then you say that understanding classpath is a "necessary step". Which way are we leading people? Ignore or understand?

My internet searches show that some products (GlassFish, Confluence, etc) depend on the JAVA_HOME environment variable but I don't think Java itself does. Java (and Ant) seem to locate things based on where they are started from. To some degree we can do that with NetRexx as you can see from the change I am submitting today. Either approach can work, but we need some consistency in installer or installation procedures regardless. I have some ideas to improve things but they will take time to implement and test.

-- Kermit

On 5/31/2014 3:52 AM, René Jansen wrote:

I am not sure we can make this easier without risking breaking things in some environments.

The instructions in read.me.first are, I think, very clear. I see your argument against '-jar' but the text actually states that it unsets the classpath.

"

The NetRexx package includes the NetRexx translator -- a Java

application which can be used for compiling, interpreting, or

syntax-checking NetRexx programs.  The procedure for installation is

briefly as follows (full details are given in the NetRexx Quick Start Guide):

  1. Ensure that you have Java installed and running.

     Try the command: 'java -version' to confirm this. 

     Download and install Java from www.java.com if it does not work.

  2. Create a file named hello.nrx in the directory that contains NetRexxF.jar,

     containing the line:

say 'hello, netrexx world!'

  3. In this directory, verify the working of the interpreter with:

java -jar NetRexxF.jar -exec hello

  4. Verify that you can create a .class file using the compiler with:

java -Dnrx.compiler=ecj -jar NetRexxF.jar hello

This should create the file hello.class, to be executed with the command:

java -cp NetRexxF.jar:. hello

(on windows, the colon (:) should be a semicolon (;) ).

The -jar directive tells the JVM to ignore the set classpath and to

start a method that is indicated in the jar metadata. This method is,

for the NetRexxF.jar: 

        java org.netrexx.process.NetRexxC

Now that you have seen that it works, you can use this method of

execution. Please take into account that you will have to add additional entries

to the -jar argument for all but the most trivial applications.

The NetRexx Quick Start Guide explains about more flexible ways of installing and 

using NetRexx, using the NetRexxC.jar library added to the CLASSPATH variable, 

and using the script (batch) files that are included in this distribution.

"

When people have install problems, I would first ask if they have followed these instructions, because, if this does not work, there might be other, more difficult problems, like rt.jar or classes.jar not found, or invalid (bitness comes to mind) java installations; trying to solve these in NetRexx would be of no use.

Of course I am open to suggestions for better phrasing of the instructions, but with providing ecj we have done away with the problem of not finding the compiler; not finding the translator is a simpler problem to solve. The user guide is faily elaborate already on the subject of ways to make it work. We can experiment with a NETREXX_HOME variable but I am not sure how this differs from having to set CLASSPATH correctly; the latter is a Java/OS skill that is needed fairly early on when trying to make any kind of application that goes beyond 'hello world', at least for the JVM world. I certainly would not want to depend on an environment variable; it would limit deployment scenarios in J2EE containers and other environments. Classpath is not rocket science, but grasping it is a necessary step to understand how the JVM finds classes.

best regards,

René.

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[FreeFall]

I receive the same message, but I'm and OS X user.

Things seem to be in the right place:

==> ls /Users/CB1/Dropbox/Programming/NetRexx/NetRexx-3.05GA/lib
GenerateCombinations.nrx NetRexxF.jar
NetRexxC.jar ecj-4.6.3.jar

==> echo "$PATH"
/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/opt/X11/bin:/usr/local/git/bin:/usr/texbin:/Users/CB1/Dropbox/Programming/NetRexx/NetRexx-3.05GA/lib

But:
==> java -jar NetRexxF.jar GenerateCombinations
Error: Unable to access jarfile NetRexxF.jar

I know nothing about unix/bash, so if I need to enter any commands into the terminal, please give precise instructions.   Thanks a bundle.

Connor.

[Jason Martin]

involves your classpath

Not a OS X user but read this :

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1675765/adding-to-the-classpath-on-osx

java -jar NetRexxF.jar will work if you are in directory with NetRexxF.jar

but GenerateCombinations will still need to find a NetRexx runtime after compile.

It is alone in NetRexxR.jar for shipping App with small footprint

It is also found inside NetRexxC.jar and NetRexxF.jar

One of these will need to be in the classpath for compiled app to run by itself

unless you add classpath options each time you run it.

On Tue, Jun 6, 2017 at 12:02 PM, FreeFall <[hidden email]> wrote:

I receive the same message, but I'm and OS X user.

Things seem to be in the right place:

==> ls /Users/CB1/Dropbox/Programming/NetRexx/NetRexx-3.05GA/lib
GenerateCombinations.nrx        NetRexxF.jar
NetRexxC.jar                    ecj-4.6.3.jar

==> echo "$PATH"
/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/opt/X11/bin:/usr/local/git/bin:/usr/texbin:/Users/CB1/Dropbox/Programming/NetRexx/NetRexx-3.05GA/lib

But:
==> java -jar NetRexxF.jar GenerateCombinations
Error: Unable to access jarfile NetRexxF.jar

I know nothing about unix/bash, so if I need to enter any commands into the
terminal, please give precise instructions.   Thanks a bundle.

Connor.



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[alansam]

Java does not search PATH for jar files they typically need to be listed in the CLASSPATH env. variable. 

As your posting indicates that your NetRexx sours is in the same location as the NetRexxF.jar try this:

 cd /Users/CB1/Dropbox/Programming/NetRexx/NetRexx-3.05GA/lib

 java -jar ./NetRexxF.jar GenerateCombinations

On 6 June 2017 at 09:02, FreeFall <[hidden email]> wrote:

I receive the same message, but I'm and OS X user.

Things seem to be in the right place:

==> ls /Users/CB1/Dropbox/Programming/NetRexx/NetRexx-3.05GA/lib
GenerateCombinations.nrx        NetRexxF.jar
NetRexxC.jar                    ecj-4.6.3.jar

==> echo "$PATH"
/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/opt/X11/bin:/usr/local/git/bin:/usr/texbin:/Users/CB1/Dropbox/Programming/NetRexx/NetRexx-3.05GA/lib

But:
==> java -jar NetRexxF.jar GenerateCombinations
Error: Unable to access jarfile NetRexxF.jar

I know nothing about unix/bash, so if I need to enter any commands into the
terminal, please give precise instructions.   Thanks a bundle.

Connor.



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