Creation of Hello World RISC-V xPack Project hangs

[mvm-mike]

The process of creating Hello World RISC-V QEMU xPack C/C++ Project hangs indefinitely after displaying "xpm init --template...." dialog.

Environment:

• Debian 12 x86-64 with XFCE desktop
• Eclipse IDE for Embedded C/C++ Developers unpacked from version 2024-12-R-linux-gtk-x86_64 archive without modifications
• npm 9.2.0 (from Debian repo)
• xpm 0.20.8
• Prerequisite xPacks: see xpm-list.txt

The last message in Eclipse console log is !MESSAGE > /bin/bash -i -c xpm init --template @micro-os-plus/hello-world-qemu-template@1.4.1 --property target=riscv-rv32imac --property language=cpp --property buildGenerator=cmake. If started from shell, the listed xpm init command completes in seconds.

The new project's directory is created, but contains only common Eclipse-related files:

$ ls -la ~/eclipse-workspace/hello/
total 40
drwxr-xr-x 3 mvm mvm  4096 Mar 10 22:51 .
drwxr-xr-x 4 mvm mvm  4096 Mar 10 22:51 ..
-rw-r--r-- 1 mvm mvm 21558 Mar 10 22:51 .cproject
-rw-r--r-- 1 mvm mvm   806 Mar 10 22:51 .project
drwxr-xr-x 2 mvm mvm  4096 Mar 10 22:51 .settings

I've set up a clean VM to reproduce the issue and would be happy to provide any additional details.

[mvm-mike]

After playing a bit with the workbench UI I've finished with Progress tab visible:

Hope the visible messages are helpful.

[ilg-ul]

I did a first test on macOS and the project was created successfully. Probably the issue is specific to Linux; more tests are needed.

[ilg-ul]

I did a second test on a Raspberry Pi5; the project was created successfully, the xpm install satisfied all dependencies, the build passed and I was able to run step-by-step in a debug session with QEMU.

So the issue is either specific to x64 Linux or to your distribution.

[TommyMurphyTM1234]

I've been able to reproduce this on Zorin OS 17.2 Core (a x86_64 Ubuntu derivative distro).

[ilg-ul]

I did another test on a fresh Ubuntu 24 LTS, with Eclipse 2024-12, and the project was created as expected. So it is not specific to x64.

Please note that at the first run the xpm install step takes a few minutes, since it must download the large toolchain.

[TommyMurphyTM1234]

I did another test on a fresh Ubuntu 24 LTS, with Eclipse 2024-12, and the project was created as expected. So it is not specific to x64.

Are you definitely using the specific versions of the xPacks mentioned in the original post and not, say, the latest versions? Just in case it makes any difference?

Please note that at the first run the xpm install step takes a few minutes, since it must download the large toolchain.

I left my test running for a few hours and it remained "stuck".

In case it matters I installed all of the xPacks using xpm install ... --global.

[ilg-ul]

specific versions of the xPacks

The Ubuntu 24 machine is freshly installed, with xpm 0.20.8 and npm 11.2.0.

The xpm init command explicitly refers to the template, and xpm install downloads the versions mentioned in the generated package.json.

If xpm init --template ... hangs, I guess there is a problem downloading the template, problem that does not occur when running manually in a terminal. One such common problem is the proxy configuration.

I left my test running for a few hours and it remained "stuck".

It is not very clear in your comment, did it hang during init or install? If you run the init command by hand, does it work?

[TommyMurphyTM1234]

It is not very clear in your comment, did it hang during init or install?

I reproduced the problem as described here using the Eclipse IDE:

• Creation of Hello World RISC-V xPack Project hangs #626 (comment)

It's stuck on this:

If you run the init command by hand, does it work?

You mean this command?

xpm init --template @micro-os-plus/hello-world-qemu-template@1.4.1 --property target=riscv-rv32imac --property language=cpp --property buildGenerator=cmake

That completes successfully when run from the terminal command line.

One such common problem is the proxy configuration.

I don't have any proxy configuration and all other internet/connected activity works fine.

[mvm-mike]

I've thought about network issues and performed the following to rule them out:

• install everything (including xpm install'ing --global for all of the eleven required xPacks)
• disable networking on the VM
• (network disabled) manually run xpm init+xpm install to set up a test helloworld project, completes successfully within seconds
• (network disabled) attempt to create Hello world in Eclipse - no luck, hangs indefinitely.

[ilg-ul]

The successful second manual run with network disabled confirms that xpm keeps a cache.

So the problem is not caused by xpm hanging during download.

It remains to be seen why Eclipse hangs when invoking xpm. Do you see the xpm init process running?

If not, it means Eclipse is not able to create the xpm process. If yes, it would be useful to enable a kernel trace on that process, perhaps we can identify why it hangs.

[TommyMurphyTM1234]

When Eclipse is stuck on xpm init ... I see this in htop:

[ilg-ul]

/bin/bash -i -c xpm init ... means Eclipse created the bash process.

xpm is a node script that starts with #!/usr/bin/env node, which means to run the script via node.

Do you also see the node process?

[TommyMurphyTM1234]

Do you also see the node process?

No.

ps -ax | grep -i node
   2512 ?        Ss     0:00 fusermount3 -o rw,nosuid,nodev,fsname=portal,auto_unmount,subtype=portal -- /run/user/1000/doc
   6648 pts/0    S+     0:00 grep --color=auto -i node

[mvm-mike]

huh, that's weird! When Eclipse hangs process list lists the bash process but not xpm started by that bash:

$ ps ax | grep xpm
   2055 ?        Sl     0:02 geany /home/mvm/Downloads/xpm-list.txt
   2829 pts/1    T      0:00 /bin/bash -i -c xpm init --template @micro-os-plus/hello-world-qemu-template@1.4.1 --property target=riscv-rv32imac --property language=cpp --property buildGenerator=cmake
   2842 pts/2    S+     0:00 grep xpm

Wait, shouldn't the command given to bash -c be quoted? And I believe -i means 'interactive', why should background-run command be interactive?

PS If started manually, xpm install is listed as 'xpm' in process list.

[ilg-ul]

shouldn't the command given to bash -c be quoted?

It is, but the quotes are not shown.

Background processes are started via org.eclipse.cdt.utils.spawner.ProcessFactory, not by the plug-ins.