What it is
Freeplane is free and open source software to support thinking, sharing information and getting things done at work, in school and at home. The core of the software consists of functions for mind mapping, also called concept mapping or information mapping, and tools for using mapped information. Freeplane runs very well on OS/2 or eComStation with the current version of Java. Freeplane has its origin in problems with the popular open source mind mapping program Freemind.

System requirements
  • Minimum JRE: 1.6.0 Build 27 GA5 (2013-02-17)

Freeplane on an eComStation machine with Open JDK

Installing Freeplane
Download the zip file freeplane_bin-1.3.15.zip. Open in FC/2 the zip file and you will see the directory "freeplane-1.3.15". Copy the directory as "freeplane" to an appropriate place on your hard drive. Next go to the directory and delete the files freeplane.bat, freeplane.exe, freeplane.sh, freeplaneConsole.exe and freeplaneIcons.dll. In this way all strange excutable files can't do harm. Version 1.5.xx needs Java version 1.7 due to some changes with features not found in Java 1.6.

The used cmd file
The latest stable version runs well in Open JDK, however starting up the package needs some attention. I have a freeplane.cmd created with the following contents;
@echo off
set CLASSPATH=
set BEGINLIBPATH=[drive: java]\JAVA160ga5\bin
set path=[drive: java]\JAVA160ga5\bin
[drive: freeplane]
CD [drive: freeplane]\freeplane
javaw -Xmx640m -Duser.home=[drive: freeplane]\freeplane -Dorg.freeplane.userfpdir=.\Freeplane -jar
freeplanelauncher.jar %1 2>freeplanebugs.txt
I had to break up the line "javaw...", in the commandfile they are one line, mind the space between "-jar" and "freeplanelauncher.jar". I use 2 separate partitions, one for Java and one for Freeplane itself with the files created by this program. The references used in the cmd file;

  • [drive: java] = station with Java
  • [drive: freeplane] = station with Freeplane

should be replaced with real drive letters. Save the file and rename it to freeplane.cmd. This file is copied to the freeplane directory. Furthermore, different paths?, adjust according to your needs. Create a new program object. Specify the path and file name: "[drive: freeplane]\freeplane\freeplane.cmd". In the tabpage Session check the boxes "OS/2 window", "Running as an icon" and "Close Window to end program". In the tabpage General you can enter the name "Freeplane".

Parameters / options explained
  • The specification "-Xmx640m" comes from own experience. The official given "-Xmx512m" seems not enough in OS/2-eCS. With this value I got "hs_err_pidxxx.log" files. The "-Xmx640m" indicates the maximum limit.
  • The statement "-Duser.home=[drive: freeplane]\freeplane" will ensure that Freeplane will save all necessary files in own directory instead of saving them in the home directory.
  • The statement "-Dorg.freeplane.userfpdir=.\Freeplane" will ensure that Freeplane will save all backup files in own directory instead of saving them in the temp directory.
  • The addition "2>freeplanebugs.txt" ensures that errors are saved in the file "freeplanebugs.txt". The 2 in "2>" is not a typo! The file "freeplanebugs.txt" will never be zero bytes, also some startup log is saved. So far no bugs.

Download
In the file the command file, all drive letters are set to C:, and an OS/2 Freeplane icon: FreeplaneOS2

revision August 3, 2016