Other Software modeling / UML tooling

jbo@

Developer
I'm currently migrating from Windows to FreeBSD as my main desktop.
For both professional & personal projects, I use a lot of modeling tools to model software, hardware & systems. Namely, I use EnterpriseArchitect and StarUML a lot.

EnterpriseArchitect is apparently able to run on Linux with Wine (didn't try it myself). StarUML provides native Linux binaries (DEP and RPM packages are available).
While I will certainly try to run EnterpriseArchitect on FreeBSD with Wine and installing StarUML from the RPM using the compatibility layer (any experiences on how well that works in practice?), I was wondering whether anybody could point me towards software modelling / UML tools that run somewhat natively on FreeBSD.

To clarify: I'm not looking for a simple chart drawing solution but instead a proper modeling solution supporting at least UML 2 and SysML.
 
You can run Wine also on FreeBSD, so you have a good chance to make EnterpriseArchitect run, just give it a try.

There is also a Linux compatibility layer that allows you to install Debian packages on FreeBSD, so you just need to test that: https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/linuxemu/

Be warned that these compatibility layers do not guarantee that your programs will run (correctly, or at all). You need to test it.

For UML I myself use Umlet, but it's much simpler than those enterprise packages.
Also, Eclipse Modeling can be used but the long-term maintenance of Eclipse is a nightmare.
 
I'm currently migrating from Windows to FreeBSD as my main desktop.
For both professional & personal projects, I use a lot of modeling tools to model software, hardware & systems. Namely, I use EnterpriseArchitect and StarUML a lot.
I am also in my professional work an everyday user of this software. Naturally I have been looking for an open source alternative, but not found. I think this is too specific with small market share and complex functionality.

Played with devel/umbrello on FreeBSD, but this is just a toy. Not even able to import XMI produced ny Sparx EA.
 
I like graphics/dia, it's a good replacement for Visio. I often use it to make network diagrams. Doesn't do modeling though as far as I know, it's just for drawing.
 
I've contacted the folks over at StarUML in the meantime and they are unfortunately as of today not interested in spending any efforts in bringing the software natively to FreeBSD. I've offered to help & take over but that didn't seem to change their opinion (which I can fully understand).

For UML I myself use Umlet, but it's much simpler than those enterprise packages.
Yep, I'm familiar with Umlet. It's unfortunately just capable of drawing diagrams - no models.

Also, Eclipse Modeling can be used but the long-term maintenance of Eclipse is a nightmare.
I fully agree. Wouldn't want to touch Eclipse with somebody else's stick.

I am also in my professional work an everyday user of this software. Naturally I have been looking for an open source alternative, but not found. I think this is too specific with small market share and complex functionality.
Wanna start working on something together? I once started building a Qt widgets library for drawing diagrams with this goal in mind. Far from perfect, but might be a good start: https://github.com/simulton/qschematic
Obviously that would be just helpful for drawing the diagrams themselves. The real work would be in the modeling efforts.
 
I've contacted the folks over at StarUML in the meantime and they are unfortunately as of today not interested in spending any efforts in bringing the software natively to FreeBSD. I've offered to help & take over but that didn't seem to change their opinion (which I can fully understand).
They do support Linux I see (they have Debian debs and RedHat rpms available). You could try to run that on the Linux compatibility layer, that might work. No guarantees but it's something to try.

Chapter 10. Linux® Binary Compatibility
 
...or perhaps use Wine?
In some cases that might actually work better. But it really depends on the state of their Linux implementation. A long time ago I ran an Arma 2 gameserver, there was a Linux binary available but that often just crashed, running the Windows version on Wine worked a lot better and rarely crashed. But YMMV as they say.
 
Wanna start working on something together? I once started building a Qt widgets library for drawing diagrams with this goal in mind. Far from perfect, but might be a good start: https://github.com/simulton/qschematic
Obviously that would be just helpful for drawing the diagrams themselves. The real work would be in the modeling efforts.
One strong point of Sparx tools is that they support OSLC AM for integration. Haven't seen many OS tools for OSLC AM. That enables real time integration with the model.
 
I am also a big fan of graphics/dia. It only sees quite minor development these days which is a good thing because it stays on Gtk+2 and remains bloat free ;)

Otherwise, for much larger scale things, I recommend Wine and Rational Rose. A little scrappy but I don't think anything is (or ever will be) better than that for software architecture. In particular, get the 2006 IBM era versions before Rational Software Architect (Eclipse based) came onto the scene and slowed everyone down.
 
At work, we've used PlantUML a few times. Mostly because it's much easier for us to just describe the structure of a model (as text) than it is to do anything graphical ourselves :cool:
 
I appreciate you guys taking the time to respond to this topic. However, most of the proposed solutions are not a proper modeling solution:

To clarify: I'm not looking for a simple chart drawing solution but instead a proper modeling solution supporting at least UML 2 and SysML.
 
PlantUML supports UML2. No idea about SysML. And of course, if you're talking about an XML representation of the UML model, I think that isn't supported either… 🤷‍♂️
 
PlantUML supports UML2. No idea about SysML. And of course, if you're talking about an XML representation of the UML model, I think that isn't supported either… 🤷‍♂️
Solutions like PlantUML, dia and so on are merely capable of creating diagrams. They do not implement the necessary tooling for model based approaches.
Proper modeling tools such as StarUML or EnterpriseArchitect allow to define models. Diagrams are then generated from these models. If you change "something" in the model, all diagrams will be updated accordingly to represent these changes.
 
Uhm, you know that PlantUML input is the description of a model? It just isn't for example XMI. Still, it describes the model. In UML, the only representation of model elements that's specified is how they appear in a diagram.

But yep, I deduce you're looking for a tool to work with XMI, cause that's the "de facto" UML representation for interchange between tools.
 
Workable Solution Needed.

Anyone else want to take up this thread and find a workable solution?

I had Sparx Enterprise Architect working on Devuan/Wine.

I moved from Devuan Linux to FreeBSD about a year ago.

Currently trying to get Sparx Enterprise Architect working with FreeBSD.

I need to do some testing.

Here are my current possible solutions:

1. FreeBSD/Wine -> Not likely, messed around with FreeBSD/Wine and had nothing but problems. Not sure why. Had Wine working on Devuan running either 32 or 64 bit apps.
2. Devuan/Wine -> Setup as before, use Devuan/Wine as an application server of sorts, accessed from FreeBSD using RDP (or something similar.)
3. Window 10 (GULP, this one's admitting defeat) -> Setup Windoz 10, use as an application server of sorts, accessed from FreeBSD using RDP (or something similar.)


Anyone else interested in finding a a solution?
.
 
Workable Solution Needed.

Anyone else want to take up this thread and find a workable solution?

I had Sparx Enterprise Architect working on Devuan/Wine.

I moved from Devuan Linux to FreeBSD about a year ago.

Currently trying to get Sparx Enterprise Architect working with FreeBSD.

I need to do some testing.

Here are my current possible solutions:

1. FreeBSD/Wine -> Not likely, messed around with FreeBSD/Wine and had nothing but problems. Not sure why. Had Wine working on Devuan running either 32 or 64 bit apps.
2. Devuan/Wine -> Setup as before, use Devuan/Wine as an application server of sorts, accessed from FreeBSD using RDP (or something similar.)
3. Window 10 (GULP, this one's admitting defeat) -> Setup Windoz 10, use as an application server of sorts, accessed from FreeBSD using RDP (or something similar.)


Anyone else interested in finding a a solution?
.
Did you read the rest of the thread? lots of good options for FreeBSD-based software for UML modeling. One good way to test is to set up Sparx Enterprise Architect where it works, and then see if it accepts files generated by the UML modelers mentioned in this thread. Just use an NFS or Samba share to store the files.
 
Did you read the rest of the thread? lots of good options for FreeBSD-based software for UML modeling. One good way to test is to set up Sparx Enterprise Architect where it works, and then see if it accepts files generated by the UML modelers mentioned in this thread. Just use an NFS or Samba share to store the files.

As stated elsewhere, most of those mentioned do not qualify as a modelling tool comparable to Sparx Enterprise Architect.

So apparently there are almost no available options.
.
 
It is odd that Wine on FreeBSD is so much worse than on Linux. You'd think they would be mostly equivalent. Do you have an specific error messages?
 
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