STS Crashes with Build Automatically

[adamrodger]

I have a Groovy/Grails project that I'm developing in STS. Unfortunately, when "Build Automatically" is enabled, the build gets most of the way to being complete and then STS hard crashes.

When "Build Automatically" is switched off then STS is perfectly stable.

I'm running STS 2.7.0 on Ubuntu 11.04 with Sun JDK6, but it also used to crash with STS 2.6.

I've looked up the error log message and it's always the same thing:

!ENTRY org.eclipse.ui.navigator 4 2 2011-07-12 09:36:21.821
!MESSAGE Problems occurred when invoking code from plug-in: "org.eclipse.ui.navigator".
!STACK 0
java.lang.NullPointerException
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.model.internal.common.AbstractMergedModelProvider.getLastModificationTimeOfDDFile(AbstractMergedModelProvider.java:235)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.model.internal.common.AbstractMergedModelProvider.hasToReloadModel(AbstractMergedModelProvider.java:229)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.model.internal.common.AbstractMergedModelProvider.loadProviders(AbstractMergedModelProvider.java:256)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.model.internal.common.AbstractMergedModelProvider.access$2(AbstractMergedModelProvider.java:255)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.model.internal.common.AbstractMergedModelProvider$LoadModelsWorkspaceRunnable.run(AbstractMergedModelProvider.java:278)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.resources.Workspace.run(Workspace.java:1975)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.model.internal.common.AbstractMergedModelProvider.loadModel(AbstractMergedModelProvider.java:249)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.model.internal.common.AbstractMergedModelProvider.getMergedModel(AbstractMergedModelProvider.java:219)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.model.internal.common.AbstractMergedModelProvider.getModelObject(AbstractMergedModelProvider.java:139)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.ui.internal.navigator.Web25ContentProvider.getNewContentProviderInstance(Web25ContentProvider.java:69)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.ui.internal.navigator.JEE5ContentProvider.getCachedContentProvider(JEE5ContentProvider.java:92)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.ui.internal.navigator.Web25ContentProvider.getChildren(Web25ContentProvider.java:35)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.navigator.extensions.SafeDelegateTreeContentProvider.getChildren(SafeDelegateTreeContentProvider.java:96)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.navigator.NavigatorContentServiceContentProvider$1.run(NavigatorContentServiceContentProvider.java:150)
	at org.eclipse.core.runtime.SafeRunner.run(SafeRunner.java:42)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.navigator.NavigatorContentServiceContentProvider.internalGetChildren(NavigatorContentServiceContentProvider.java:137)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.navigator.NavigatorContentServiceContentProvider.getChildren(NavigatorContentServiceContentProvider.java:117)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.ui.internal.navigator.JEE5ContentProvider$1.run(JEE5ContentProvider.java:126)
	at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.RunnableLock.run(RunnableLock.java:35)
	at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Synchronizer.runAsyncMessages(Synchronizer.java:134)
	at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.runAsyncMessages(Display.java:3515)
	at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.readAndDispatch(Display.java:3164)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.dialogs.EventLoopProgressMonitor.runEventLoop(EventLoopProgressMonitor.java:123)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.dialogs.EventLoopProgressMonitor.isCanceled(EventLoopProgressMonitor.java:97)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.jobs.ThreadJob.isCanceled(ThreadJob.java:146)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.jobs.ThreadJob.waitForRun(ThreadJob.java:235)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.jobs.ThreadJob.joinRun(ThreadJob.java:199)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.jobs.ImplicitJobs.begin(ImplicitJobs.java:92)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.jobs.JobManager.beginRule(JobManager.java:286)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.resources.WorkManager.checkIn(WorkManager.java:117)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.resources.Workspace.prepareOperation(Workspace.java:1914)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.resources.Workspace.run(Workspace.java:1970)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.model.internal.common.AbstractMergedModelProvider.loadModel(AbstractMergedModelProvider.java:249)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.model.internal.common.AbstractMergedModelProvider.getMergedModel(AbstractMergedModelProvider.java:219)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.model.internal.common.AbstractMergedModelProvider.getModelObject(AbstractMergedModelProvider.java:139)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.ui.internal.navigator.Web25ContentProvider.getNewContentProviderInstance(Web25ContentProvider.java:69)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.ui.internal.navigator.JEE5ContentProvider.getCachedContentProvider(JEE5ContentProvider.java:92)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.ui.internal.navigator.Web25ContentProvider.getChildren(Web25ContentProvider.java:35)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.navigator.extensions.SafeDelegateTreeContentProvider.getChildren(SafeDelegateTreeContentProvider.java:96)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.navigator.NavigatorContentServiceContentProvider$1.run(NavigatorContentServiceContentProvider.java:150)
	at org.eclipse.core.runtime.SafeRunner.run(SafeRunner.java:42)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.navigator.NavigatorContentServiceContentProvider.internalGetChildren(NavigatorContentServiceContentProvider.java:137)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.navigator.NavigatorContentServiceContentProvider.getChildren(NavigatorContentServiceContentProvider.java:117)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.ui.internal.navigator.JEE5ContentProvider$1.run(JEE5ContentProvider.java:126)
	at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.RunnableLock.run(RunnableLock.java:35)
	at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Synchronizer.runAsyncMessages(Synchronizer.java:134)
	at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.runAsyncMessages(Display.java:3515)
	at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.readAndDispatch(Display.java:3164)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.dialogs.EventLoopProgressMonitor.runEventLoop(EventLoopProgressMonitor.java:123)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.dialogs.EventLoopProgressMonitor.isCanceled(EventLoopProgressMonitor.java:97)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.jobs.ThreadJob.isCanceled(ThreadJob.java:146)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.jobs.ThreadJob.waitForRun(ThreadJob.java:235)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.jobs.ThreadJob.joinRun(ThreadJob.java:199)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.jobs.ImplicitJobs.begin(ImplicitJobs.java:92)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.jobs.JobManager.beginRule(JobManager.java:286)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.resources.WorkManager.checkIn(WorkManager.java:117)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.resources.Workspace.prepareOperation(Workspace.java:1914)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.resources.Workspace.run(Workspace.java:1970)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.model.internal.common.AbstractMergedModelProvider.loadModel(AbstractMergedModelProvider.java:249)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.model.internal.common.AbstractMergedModelProvider.getMergedModel(AbstractMergedModelProvider.java:219)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.model.internal.common.AbstractMergedModelProvider.getModelObject(AbstractMergedModelProvider.java:139)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.ui.internal.navigator.Web25ContentProvider.getNewContentProviderInstance(Web25ContentProvider.java:69)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.ui.internal.navigator.JEE5ContentProvider.getCachedContentProvider(JEE5ContentProvider.java:92)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.ui.internal.navigator.Web25ContentProvider.getChildren(Web25ContentProvider.java:35)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.navigator.extensions.SafeDelegateTreeContentProvider.getChildren(SafeDelegateTreeContentProvider.java:96)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.navigator.NavigatorContentServiceContentProvider$1.run(NavigatorContentServiceContentProvider.java:150)
	at org.eclipse.core.runtime.SafeRunner.run(SafeRunner.java:42)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.navigator.NavigatorContentServiceContentProvider.internalGetChildren(NavigatorContentServiceContentProvider.java:137)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.navigator.NavigatorContentServiceContentProvider.getChildren(NavigatorContentServiceContentProvider.java:117)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.ui.internal.navigator.JEE5ContentProvider$1.run(JEE5ContentProvider.java:126)
	at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.RunnableLock.run(RunnableLock.java:35)
	at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Synchronizer.runAsyncMessages(Synchronizer.java:134)
	at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.runAsyncMessages(Display.java:3515)
	at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.readAndDispatch(Display.java:3164)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.dialogs.EventLoopProgressMonitor.runEventLoop(EventLoopProgressMonitor.java:123)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.dialogs.EventLoopProgressMonitor.isCanceled(EventLoopProgressMonitor.java:97)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.jobs.ThreadJob.isCanceled(ThreadJob.java:146)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.jobs.ThreadJob.waitForRun(ThreadJob.java:235)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.jobs.ThreadJob.joinRun(ThreadJob.java:199)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.jobs.ImplicitJobs.begin(ImplicitJobs.java:92)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.jobs.JobManager.beginRule(JobManager.java:286)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.resources.WorkManager.checkIn(WorkManager.java:117)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.resources.Workspace.prepareOperation(Workspace.java:1914)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.resources.Workspace.run(Workspace.java:1970)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.model.internal.common.AbstractMergedModelProvider.loadModel(AbstractMergedModelProvider.java:249)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.model.internal.common.AbstractMergedModelProvider.getMergedModel(AbstractMergedModelProvider.java:219)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.model.internal.common.AbstractMergedModelProvider.getModelObject(AbstractMergedModelProvider.java:139)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.ui.internal.navigator.Web25ContentProvider.getNewContentProviderInstance(Web25ContentProvider.java:69)
	at org.eclipse.jst.jee.ui.internal.navigator.JEE5ContentProvider.getCachedContentProvider(JEE5ContentProvider.java:92)
	at [...]

[Andrew Eisenberg]

Hi Adam,

Just from this stack trace, it is hard to see what is going on. So, presumably, with this project closed, everything works fine even with auto build turned on?

Can you do a few things to help out:

1. The best thing if possible is to send me this grails project so I can try to reproduce your problem locally. This will probably be the easiest way of fixing. If you send me the project privately, I will not share any proprietary code.
2. Have you tried a full clean build of the workspace?
3. Try restarting your workspace with the -clean option from the command line (this cleans configuration area)
4. Try closing and re-opening all projects in your workspace
5. Try deleting the project from the workspace (but don't check the box to delete contents as well), then immediately import it back into the workspace.
6. Can you attach the full stack trace of the problem? What you have above cuts out at the end and it's difficult to see what operation initially caused the problem.
7. If you have any tools to create memory dumps (like yourkit), can you use it to create a snapshot of your memory footprint of STS?

Let me know if any of this works.