Comment 26 for bug 549904

Well, just couldn't leave it alone, like a scab. Finally figured out what was going on, so have it solved. For me, as suggested in previous posts on this thread, it was NOT that I wasn't using the java-6-openjdk. Turned out it was file permissions issues.

When I first installed, I installed to /usr/lib/eclipse {which is arguably the "right and best" location for an application}. But eclipse is peculiar in that its constantly checking & updating itself and its plugins. When first invoking a plugin (and help contents is that, like almost everything eclipse), its going to download and install packages specific to its invocation. If it can't because of file permissions issues, then it blows up with a java error stack.

My remedy was to make my user owner of all files in both my eclipse root (/usr/lib/eclipse/eclipse) and my workspace root (/home/java). To things right, however, I had to invoke eclipse as system root as follows:
    sudo /usr/lib/eclipse/eclipse /home/java
I then do whatever I was doing before, but now with system root privelege, and presto, checks happen, packages are downloaded, plugins are installed, configurations are made, whatever. I then close eclipse and do a:
   sudo chown -cR owner:group directory-root (for both my eclipse root and workspace root)
I then invoke eclipse as a user (its bad practice to be running as system owner).

Seems to work for me for the moment. There may be a better remedy. Regards.