The Knopflerfish Desktop

The Knopflerfish OSGi Desktop displays a graphical overview of the OSGi framework. Most common operations as install, start, stop and update can be performed on bundles using the desktop. Additionally, bundle and service detail information is shown, and an experimental "Save deploy archive" is included.

Additionally, the HTTP console or the Telnet console bundle can always be used for remote control. Both are available in the KF bundle repository.

The desktop can be customized using plugin services, see SwingBundleDisplayer for details.

The Desktop bundle can be found in

  knopflerfish/osgi/bundles/desktop

When started, it creates a window with four main areas:

Toolbar

The top toolbar provides quick access to common operations as start/stop/update bundles.

Bundle view

The center bundle view area display all installed bundles and their states. By clicking on bundles in this are, detail information is displayed in the Bundle detail area Four different views a supported internally (new can be installed):

• Icons - each bundle is displayed as an icon.
• Details - each bundle is displayed as a table row.
• Spin - each bundle is displayed in a really cool graphics view.
• Time line - each bundle event is displayed in a zoomable time line view.

Bundle detail area

The rightmost bundle detail area shows detailed information on selected bundles such as:

• manifest
• bundle closure
• imported/exported services
• imported/exported packages
• bundle logs.
  

New detail pages can be installed run-time using plug-ins.

Framework console

The bottom console area allows interaction with the text console. This console acts exactly as the consoltty bundle, but does not require a shell or DOS window to run.

Icon view

To view the installed bundles as icons, select

View -> Large Icons

	Bundle which has a BundleActivator
	Active bundle
	"Library" bundle which has no BundleActivator

Bundles can be selected by clicking.

Detail list view

To view the installed bundles as a detailed list, select

View -> Details

Bundles can be selected by clicking.

Detail spin view

To view the installed bundles as graphics, select

View -> Spin

Dependencies between bundles and services are shown as connecting lines. Not how the console bundle depends on three other bundles in the image above.

Bundles can be selected by clicking.

Detail spin view

To view the installed bundles as a time line, select

View -> Time line

Each bundle has a horizontal line, with bundle events marked for each bundle

Bundles can be selected by clicking.