This software tool facilitates wrapping of jar files in shell scripts. It is a utility that streamlines the process to create scripts that can run Java applications from command line interfaces.
Jnix is a command line utility, which means that you will need to create a Launch4J configuration file either by hand or through the use of the Launch4J gui. Once that's taken care of, creating a wrapper or launcher for your jar file is easy. Simply open a terminal and go to the jnix installation directory, then type:
java -jar JnixBuild.jar "path to launch4j configuration file"
If for some reason Java is not in your path, you can provide the full path to Java or type:
sh ./jnix.sh -jar JnixBuild.jar "path to launch4j configuration file"
and Jnix will find a suitable version of Java for you.
Before running your output shell script, there are a few requirements to keep in mind. Specifically, Bash version 2 or later must be available, along with the commands dirname, readlink, and which. Additionally, we highly recommend having both the locate and find commands installed; on some systems, they may be required to find an appropriate Java installation. Finally, depending on your Launch4J configuration options, you may need to use commands like xterm, x-terminal-emulator, kdialog, zenity, xmessage, xdg-open, grep, awk, free, and/or nice.
While most Launch4J options are supported, there are a few that currently aren't, including the Splash screen, custom icon and custom process name, single application instance, and version/application information. Fortunately, these limitations are relatively minor, and for most users, Jnix offers everything you could want in a wrapping utility.
In conclusion, Jnix is an outstanding tool that is incredibly useful for anyone looking to wrap their jar files for deployment on Linux or Unix. Provided under the terms and conditions of the BSD license, it's easy to use, highly customizable, and offers all the features you need to get the job done. Try it today and take your jar file deployment to the next level!
Version 1.0: N/A