Changing default plugin installation directory in Eclipse 3.5.2

Question

With the new Eclipse 3.5.2 Update manager, I am not able to find, how do I specify installation directory for my plugins. I use it, so that I can manage multiple installatio

Answer 1

You can use an external dropins folder, with the setting (in your eclipse.ini):

-Dorg.eclipse.equinox.p2.reconciler.dropins.directory=C:/jv/eclipse/mydropins

Now, the trick is:
If you install a new plugin through Eclipse itself, it will install it directly in its own plugins/features internal directories.
It is up to you to move those jars in a similar directory structure in your external dropins directory.
So this is not an exact solution for your problem, but at least that allows you to isolate those plugins in a shared external directory which will be read by different Eclipse installation on each Eclipse session startup.