What version should I be using?

[mark109]

I am new to JBoss, but plenty of experience in other J2EE servers (WebLogic, WebSphere, etc).

What is the best stable version to be using (application is mostly 2.1 EJBs, JMS)? I have installed 5.1.0-GA but have run into so many problems I am thinking maybe there is a better version available? In days of effort I cannot yet get a clean deployment of a 5-module EAR - null pointer exceptions, unexplained resource exceptions, XML parsing errors without so much as a line number to go on, and now a class-not-found exception for class name 'null'.  Really?

It is a bit fustrating. I know every platform has its anomolies (yes, it took a week to get WebLogic running this too), but the amount of null-pointers and such basic failures make it difficult to make progress. Should I be using a 4.X version?

[wdfink]

I think if you haven't experience with JBoss it doesn't matter which version you use.

But start with JBoss 5.1 is better because you start direct with the newer structure.

I migrate from 4.x to 5.1 without big problems.

A good way to beginn is to download the JB5.1 unpack and start it, this is easy.

You might start with a simple application (or a part of you app).

Most of the configuration (e.g. database) is described in the community wiki pages.

Also you can ask here ;-) and find help.

So if you have problems try to describe it with stacktrace, config files e.t.c.

and you will get answers here.

And BTW welcome to JBoss community

[mark109]

I will try a single module at a time and see if I can make progress that way.

Here is an example of the kind of robustness and error handling that seem to be missing in 5.1.0-GA: Just for fun I installed 4.2.3-GA and dropped in my resource files and EAR just as I was attempting to deploy them in 5.1.0. The 4.2.3 deployer clearly identified a problem in my XML descriptors:

org.jboss.deployment.DeploymentException: Error in jboss.xml for Bean AffinityGroupBean: resource-ref AffinityGroup found in jboss.xml but not in ejb-jar.xml

OK, I know exactly what is wrong.  Same EAR dropped into 5.1.0 gets:

java.lang.NullPointerException
    at org.jboss.ejb.Container.setupEnvironment(Container.java:1325)
    at org.jboss.ejb.Container.startService(Container.java:901)
    at org.jboss.ejb.SessionContainer.startService(SessionContainer.java:396)

A search shows this is a known bug in 5.1.0-GA with no obvious workaround or even what causes it (I think this happens whenever there is a resource ref in jboss.xml that does not appear in the ejb-jar.xml, just as the 4.2.3 code shows). I was having to comment out large blocks of jboss.xml until the null ptr goes away, then start adding parts back to narrow down the problem resource.  Ugh.

So I am thinking of getting the appliation deployed in 4.2.3 first where the deployment system seems to be more robust, then maybe try to take that to 5.1.0.

[wdfink]

I think your right. I have some also some issues (in EJB2.1) where the error messages are a bit difuse.

But with EJB3 JBoss5 is better as 4.x, I suppose that the main development is EJB3 ;-)