When launching the Concierge .jar from command line, it takes an .xargs file as single argument. This file is used to configure the framework, set a couple of properties, and install or start some bundles when first launched.
The .xargs file can contain both runtime properties for configuring the framework, as well as a set of framework commands.
Properties are declared as -Dkey=value. Before launching, all -D properties are collected and used to create a new framework instance. Within the .xargs file, one can also reference the declared property values by using ${key}.
Next to properties, the .xargs file can also contain framework commands that are executed after the framework is launched. These commands are executed in the order of occurence. Available commands are -install to install a bundle, -start to start a bundle, -istart to install and start a bundle, etc.
Comments are preceded by a hash # sign.
-install <bundle URL> : installs a bundle from a given bundle URL
-start <bundle URL> : starts a bundle that was previously installed from the given bundle URL
-istart <bundle URL> : install and starts a bundle from a given bundle URL
-all <file directory> : install and start all .jar files in a given directory
-initlevel <level> : sets the startlevel that will be used for all next bundles to be installed
-skip : skips the remainder of the .xargs file (handy for debugging)
The Concierge distribution download comes with sample .xargs files. For example, the following .xargs file launches Concierge with some basic Apache Felix bundles providing declarative services, an event admin, configuration admin and metatype:
# xargs sample file to load some Felix bundles
# We will start the bundles in different start levels to show that capability
# uncomment to clean storage first
# -Dorg.osgi.framework.storage.clean=onFirstInit
# use a separate profile
-Dorg.eclipse.concierge.profile=felix
# repos to load bundles from
-Drepo=https://archive.apache.org/dist/felix
# load shell and logservice with start level 1
-initlevel 1
-istart bundles/org.eclipse.concierge.shell-5.0.0.*.jar
-istart ${repo}/org.apache.felix.log-1.0.1.jar
# start DS with start level 2
-initlevel 2
-istart ${repo}/org.apache.felix.scr-1.8.0.jar
# start other services with level 3
# First install (will use current start level 2), then start with level 3
-install ${repo}/org.apache.felix.eventadmin-1.4.2.jar
-install ${repo}/org.apache.felix.metatype-1.0.12.jar
-install ${repo}/org.apache.felix.configadmin-1.8.4.jar
-initlevel 3
-start ${repo}/org.apache.felix.eventadmin-1.4.2.jar
-start ${repo}/org.apache.felix.metatype-1.0.12.jar
-start ${repo}/org.apache.felix.configadmin-1.8.4.jar
# check different start levels in shell with command "startlevel <bundle-id>"
First, some properties are set using the -Dkey=value syntax, and next the bundles to start are declared.
The first two properties have to do with the Concierge storage directory. When Concierge launches, it automatically creates a storage directory to cache all the installed bundles. When launching again, it will first try to restore the previously cached state. If you don't want this behavior, and want to start with a clean environment every time, you can set the org.osgi.framework.storage.clean property to onFirstInit. The org.eclipse.concierge.profile allows you to create a separate storage directory for each profile.
The repo property is declared pointing to the Apache Felix repository, and is used later in the commands as ${repo}.
Finally all bundles are installed and started with the -istart command or using -install and -start command. This can take both a web URL or a file system URL.
If you specify a -initlevel <level> all bundles installed or started later will start with the given start level.