Remote Debug Jira Plugin

[Graeme Mitchell]

I'm trying to figure out to how to debug a plugin on a remote jira installation. I don't want to create a local jira instance to debug in, because my plugin returns data from custom database tables in the Jira database of the remote instance.

Can anyone point me in the direction of a guide, or perhaps even provide one, for remote debugging?

[Timothy · Accepted solution]

Start that remote JIRA with catalina.bat jpda start. The default debug port should be 8000. You can then point eclipse to that port.

[Graeme Mitchell]

As with above answer, I'm running jira as a windows service. When I stop the service and try to run catalina.bat jpda start in the bin directory, it looks like it executes and doesn't do a lot. I get the Jira logo, my jira version, a few directory paths, then it takes me back to the command line. It feels way too quick to be bringing Jira online tbh. I think this maybe because it's running as a service and not started up in a command prompt.

[Graeme Mitchell]

I wanted to enhance on Timothy's answer for windows service based installations:-

1. You have to ensure that you stop your windows JIRA service first.  
2. Open command prompt
3. Browse to wherever your JIRA instance is installed.  In my case this is "C:\Program Files\Atlassian\JIRA\bin\"
4. type "catalina.bat jpda start".  This will start JIRA in debug mode on port 8000 by default
5. Ensure that you have port 8000 open on whatever firewall is in the way between your client and server
6. Attach to the process using port 8000 in your development IDE

[Harry Parker]

Where I work, IT creates a clone of our JIRA database every night and serves it through a 2nd test server. That way we can test using our customized JIRA schemas. The test database gets overwritten every night, so no matter how bad your bug, no long term harm will be done.

The technique referenced by Vinay may work well for you, and be easier to implement.

[Vinay]

Hello,

Maybe this guide will help.

https://developer.atlassian.com/display/DOCS/Creating+a+Remote+Debug+Target

The only thing which you will need to change will be hostname of remote server instead of localhost. Also dont forget to start server in debug mode.

For tomcat you can specify

JPDA

option while startup.

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3835612/remote-debugging-tomcat-with-eclipse

[Graeme Mitchell]

How is this possible on a windows server when Jira is specified to start up under the context of a wndows service?