Issues with Apache ServiceMix and javax.transaction - apache-karaf

Question

I am having an issue with Apache ServiceMix (7.0.0.M1). I start up a fresh service mix (clean) and simply install the transaction feature:
karaf#root>feature:install transaction
This puts the Aries Transaction Blueprint into a GracePeriod:
224 | GracePeriod | 80 | 1.1.1 | Apache Aries Transaction Blueprint
225 | GracePeriod | 80 | 2.1.0 | Apache Aries Transaction Blueprint
This keeps my apps I install later that require the javax transaction api from starting. Is there a workaround for this issue? I had the same issues when just using karaf 4.0.3 and trying to instal camel and transaction.
Below you'll find a listing of all bundles (the basic service mix + those added by installing the transaction feature above). Notice the failure due to the GracePeriod timeout.
karaf#root>list
START LEVEL 100 , List Threshold: 50
ID | State | Lvl | Version | Name
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10 | Active | 50 | 5.13.0 | activemq-karaf
11 | Active | 50 | 2.6.3 | Jackson-annotations
12 | Active | 50 | 2.6.3 | Jackson-core
13 | Active | 50 | 2.6.3 | jackson-databind
23 | Active | 50 | 3.1.4 | activeio-core
24 | Active | 50 | 5.13.0 | activemq-camel
25 | Active | 50 | 5.13.0 | activemq-osgi
40 | Active | 50 | 2.16.2 | camel-blueprint
41 | Active | 50 | 2.16.2 | camel-catalog
42 | Active | 80 | 2.16.2 | camel-commands-core
43 | Active | 50 | 2.16.2 | camel-core
44 | Active | 50 | 2.16.2 | camel-cxf
45 | Active | 50 | 2.16.2 | camel-cxf-transport
46 | Active | 50 | 2.16.2 | camel-jms
47 | Active | 50 | 2.16.2 | camel-spring
48 | Active | 50 | 2.16.2 | camel-xstream
49 | Active | 80 | 2.16.2 | camel-karaf-commands
51 | Active | 50 | 3.2.2 | Apache Commons Collections
53 | Active | 50 | 3.3.0 | Commons Net
54 | Active | 50 | 1.6.0 | Commons Pool
55 | Active | 50 | 2.4.2 | Apache Commons Pool
93 | Active | 50 | 2.0.0 | geronimo-j2ee-connector_1.5_spec
94 | Active | 50 | 1.0.1 | geronimo-j2ee-management_1.1_spec
99 | Active | 50 | 3.4.6 | ZooKeeper Bundle
129 | Active | 80 | 2.0.9 | Apache MINA Core
132 | Active | 50 | 7.0.0.M1 | Apache ServiceMix :: ActiveMQ :: Camel
133 | Active | 50 | 7.0.0.M1 | Apache ServiceMix :: ActiveMQ :: Service
136 | Active | 50 | 1.6.1.5 | Apache ServiceMix :: Bundles :: dom4j
138 | Active | 50 | 1.9.2.1 | Apache ServiceMix :: Bundles :: jasypt
142 | Active | 50 | 1.1.0.4 | Apache ServiceMix :: Bundles :: jdom
143 | Active | 50 | 2.3.0.2 | Apache ServiceMix :: Bundles :: kxml2
156 | Active | 50 | 1.7.0.6 | Apache ServiceMix :: Bundles :: velocity
160 | Active | 50 | 1.1.4.c | Apache ServiceMix :: Bundles :: xpp3
161 | Active | 50 | 1.4.8.1 | Apache ServiceMix :: Bundles :: xstream
172 | Active | 50 | 3.18.0 | Apache XBean :: Spring
201 | Active | 50 | 0.6.4 | JAXB2 Basics - Runtime
214 | Active | 50 | 2.11.0.v20140415-163722-cac6383e66 | Scala Standard Library
221 | Active | 80 | 1.2.0 | CDI APIs
222 | Active | 80 | 1.2 | javax.interceptor API
223 | Active | 80 | 1.2 | javax.transaction API
224 | Failure | 80 | 1.1.1 | Apache Aries Transaction Blueprint
225 | Failure | 80 | 2.1.0 | Apache Aries Transaction Blueprint
226 | Active | 80 | 1.3.0 | Apache Aries Transaction Manager
227 | Active | 80 | 1.0.2 | Apache Felix Coordinator Service
228 | Active | 80 | 1.0.0.2 | Apache ServiceMix :: Bundles :: javax.inject
I have cross posted to the apache mailing lists as well.

Answer 1

The problem is that the spring-tx feature installs the jta 1.1 spec bundle. The aries transaction bundles require the new jta 1.2 spec though. So they do not find the TransactionManager which is bound to the wrong spec version.
This is caused by an error in the karaf spring-tx feature. The feature should depend on the jta 1.1 spec with dependency=true. This allows the karaf resolver to choose a different bundle providing suitable capabilities.
I have documented this issue in KARAF-4358. The issues is solved on master and the 4.0.x branch. So it will be delivered in karaf 4.0.5. You can fix you karaf distro by editing the feature file in the system dir in the same way I did.