"Deactivate plugin" often silently fails
- Dominant language
- Java
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Description
### Apache NetBeans version
Apache NetBeans 27
### What happened
I want to use Netbeans' UI to disable plugins I don't use. What happens is that some plugins are indeed disabled, but others are unaffected and are still loaded at startup. The action clearly failed, but no error is visible.
This behavior was present in older releases. IIRC, at least Netbeans 22.
The plugins that Netbeans fail to disable are not required in any way: for previous installs, I've sometimes deleted their code files, and Netbeans still ran flawlessly. Unfortunately, identifying the files of a plugin is hard work with my basic java knowledge.
### Language / Project Type / NetBeans Component
_No response_
### How to reproduce
In a fresh instance of Apache 27. From the menu: Tools > Plugins. Tab "Installed". Select plugin groups "Java SE" and "Service Registry". Click "Deactivate" at the bottom. Accept to restart. Go back to the plugin list: the "Service Registry" group is still active. In detailed view, many "Java SE" plugins are still active.
Another example: in detailed view, requesting for the "ANTLR Grammar Editor support" to be disabled warns that is will disable "Java" and "Java Debugger" (which is insane for a plugin described as "Support for editing files"). Accept that the 3 plugins are to be disabled, restart: nothing was disabled.
### Did this work correctly in an earlier version?
No / Don't know
### Operating System
Linux
### JDK
24 (embedded in the deb package)
### Apache NetBeans packaging
FoAN provided installer
### Anything else
_No response_
### Are you willing to submit a pull request?
No
Contributor guide
Research direction
Start by reproducing the deactivation steps in Tools > Plugins on a fresh Apache NetBeans 27 instance, including the Java SE, Service Registry, and ANTLR Grammar Editor support examples. Trace the plugin deactivation and restart behavior; done means selected plugins stay disabled after restart and failures are surfaced rather than occurring silently.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- java
- Domain
- devtools
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 38/100