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Where to Start

New to OSGi?

If you are developer that is new to OSGi and want to start by writing code then OSGi enRoute is the place for you.

OSGi enRoute

OSGi enRoute is a project that provides a quick start for developers new to OSGi. Offering simple steps for you to get results fast it allows you to see how easy it can be to create stand-alone OSGi applications. The objective of enRoute is to give you a solid understanding of the basics of OSGi and provide an onramp for you to build modern, modular, maintainable software applications and systems.

enRoute is based on the OSGi R7 specifications and Reference Implementations and offers an opinionated approach to OSGi focusing on Declarative Services (DS) and a Maven based tool chain.

Until recently OSGi examples and tools exposed too much infrastructure to new developers and this made OSGi hard to get started with. In addition there are way too many outdated and sometimes incorrect OSGi tutorials available online. Please don’t use these. OSGi enRoute is the goto place to get stated.

An Experienced OSGi Developer?

If you are an experienced OSGi developer wanting to use more advanced or specific features or capabilities or find out about new upcoming specifications then enRoute is probably not for you.

  • If you have questions about OSGi technology there is an OSGi users list you can use. This list is closely watched and contributed to by many of the OSGi experts and OSGi community so its a great place to get involved.
  • The OSGi specifications are open and freely available for your review.
  • The technical work of specification development is done by the OSGi Specification Project. Please consider getting involved with the project.
  • Bnd/Bndtools is a really useful tool to familiarize yourself with if you already have some OSGi experience. Bnd/Bndtools includes Eclipse, Maven, and Gradle plugins. Bnd is the engine behind a number of popular software development tools that support OSGi. Bndtools is also worth exploring as a plugin to Eclipse that makes working with OSGi much easier.
  • Try out some of the different OSGi framework implementations. There are a number of commercial and open source options. The open source options include Apache Felix, Eclipse Concierge, Eclipse Equinox, Knopflerfish.
  • You can find out more by following the OSGi Blog or OSGi Twitter account, or by joining the OSGi LinkedIn Group.

Other Useful Information

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