Apache Felix

Apache Felix

Screenshot Demonstration of the Apache Felix Shell GUI
Developer(s)	Apache Software Foundation
Stable release	5.4.0 / October 2015
Development status	Active
Written in	Java
Operating system	Cross-platform
Size	1.20 MB (archived)
Type	OSGi Service Platform
License	Apache 2.0 Licence
Website	http://felix.apache.org/

Apache Felix is an open source implementation of the OSGi Release 5 core framework specification.^[1] The initial codebase was donated from the Oscar project at ObjectWeb.^[2] The developers worked on Felix for a full year and have made various improvements while retaining the original footprint and performance. On June 21, 2007, the project graduated from incubation as a top level project and is considered the smallest size software at Apache Software Foundation.

Running Felix

To run Apache Felix OSGi, you need to download the felix-framework-4.x.x.tar.gz or felix-framework-4.x.x.zip compressed file from the site. Once you have extracted the Felix framework distribution, from the command line in the extracted directory type the following:

java -jar bin/felix.jar

After bundles are installed and running, typing a command like help from the console will display all available commands, which are:

• bundlelevel <level> <id> ... | <id> - set or get bundle start level.
• cd [<base-URL>] - change or display base URL.
• find <bundle-name> - display bundles matching substring.
• headers [<id> ...] - display bundle header properties.
• help - display impl commands.
• inspect - inspect dependency information (e.g., packages, service, etc.).
• install <URL> [<URL> ...] - install bundle(s).
• log [<max>] [error|warn|info|debug] - list recent log entries.
• obr help - OSGi bundle repository.
• ps [-l | -s | -u] - list installed bundles.
• refresh [<id> ...] - refresh packages.
• resolve [<id> ...] - attempt to resolve the specified bundles.
• shutdown - shutdown framework.
• start <id> [<id> <URL> ...] - start bundle(s).
• startlevel [<level>] - get or set framework start level.
• stop <id> [<id> ...] - stop bundle(s).
• sysprop [-r] [<key>] [<value>] - Display, set, modify and remove system properties.
• uninstall <id> [<id> ...] - uninstall bundle(s).
• update <id> [<URL>] - update bundle.
• version - display version of framework.

Version history

Felix Framework Distribution

Version	OSGi spec support	Release date
5.2.0	R6	September 25, 2015
5.0.1	R6	June 21, 2015
5.0.0	R4	April 24, 2015
4.6.1	R4	March 08, 2015

Projects Using Felix

The projects listed below highlight the adoption of Apache Felix:

• ServiceMix 4 ^[3] - An open source ESB with an OSGi core. It also includes JBI support.
• Apache Sling - OSGi-based applications layer for JCR content repositories.
• EasyBeans - open source EJB 3 container.
• GlassFish (v3) - application server for Java EE.
• iDempiere - OSGi-based, open-source ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system.
• JOnAS 5 - open source Java EE 5 application server.
• Project Fuji in Open ESB v3 - Light weight and modular ESB core runtime.
• Jitsi (formerly known as SIP Communicator) - open source Java VoIP and multi-protocol instant messenger.
• modulefusion - open source collection for Java enterprise applications.
• NetBeans - The free MultiLanguage IDE.
• SOA Software - API Gateway application from Akana (formerly SOA Software).
• Spring Roo - RAD tool for Java-based enterprise applications
• Opencast Matterhorn - Open Source software to produce, manage and distribute academic audio and video content, especially lecture recordings.
• JIRA - JIRA supports plug-ins as OSGi bundles.

See also

• OSGi Alliance
• Apache ACE, a software distribution framework based on OSGi that allows user to centrally manage and distribute software components
• Apache Aries, a Blueprint Container implementations and extensions of application-focused specifications defined by OSGi Enterprise Expert Group
• Knopflerfish
• Equinox
• Concierge OSGi

References

1. "OSGi Alliance Certified Products". OSGi Alliance Site. Archived from the original on 25 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
2. Project Oscar hosted at ObjectWeb
3. Home page for the Apache ServiceMix 4 Archived September 14, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.

External links

• Official website
• Apache Felix Downloads Site
• Oscar project website
• Oscar Bundle Repository
• Dynamic deployment with Apache Felix by Marcel Offermans at fosdem 2009
  • Marcel Offermans's presentation
• Feathercast podcast about Felix released
• DynamicJava, website provides pragmatic for developing Dynamic Java Applications.
• Bartlett, Neil (2009-01-10). "OSGi In Practice" (PDF) (DRAFT ed.). p. 229.