This guide provides step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring IBM MQ Explorer on macOS using the Eclipse IDE.

1. Install Eclipse IDE

You have two options for installing the Eclipse IDE:

2. Install IBM MQ Explorer in Eclipse IDE

  1. Launch Eclipse. From the main menu, navigate to Help > Eclipse Marketplace.

    Eclipse IDE with the Help menu open, highlighting the Eclipse Marketplace option.

  2. In the Eclipse Marketplace window, search for “mq explorer” and click Install for “IBM MQ Explorer Version 9.4.1 9” (or the highest version available).

    The Eclipse Marketplace window showing search results for ‘mq explorer’ with the Install button for IBM MQ Explorer highlighted.

  3. Accept the license agreement to proceed.

    The ‘Review Licenses’ dialog where the ‘I accept the terms of the license agreement’ radio button is selected.

  4. The installation progress will be displayed.

    The bottom-right corner of the Eclipse IDE showing an ‘Installing Software’ progress bar.

  5. A window will appear asking you to trust the content authorities. Click Select All and then Trust Selected.

    The ‘Trust Authorities’ security dialog listing certificates to trust, with the ‘Select All’ and ‘Trust Selected’ buttons available.

  6. A second window for trusting artifacts will appear. Repeat the previous step by clicking Select All and then Trust Selected.

    The ‘Trust Artifacts’ security dialog for unsigned content, showing options to trust the content.

  7. Once the installation is complete, you will be prompted to restart the Eclipse IDE. Click Restart Now.

    The ‘Software Updates’ dialog box prompting the user to restart the IDE, with the ‘Restart Now’ button highlighted.

3. Open the IBM MQ Explorer Perspective

  1. From the main menu, go to Window > Perspective > Open Perspective > Other….

    Eclipse main menu showing the navigation path: Window > Perspective > Open Perspective > Other….

  2. Select MQ Explorer from the list and click Open.

    The ‘Open Perspective’ dialog with ‘MQ Explorer’ highlighted from the list of choices.

  3. The MQ Explorer perspective is now active. You can access it directly from Window > Perspective > Open Perspective > MQ Explorer.

    Eclipse main menu showing that ‘MQ Explorer’ is now a direct option under the ‘Open Perspective’ submenu.

  4. Click the Hide icon on the Welcome screen to close it.

    The Eclipse ‘Welcome’ screen with the ‘Hide’ button in its top-right corner highlighted.

  5. You are now in the IBM MQ Explorer environment. ✅

    The main IBM MQ Explorer interface within Eclipse, showing the Navigator panel on the left and the ‘Welcome’ content panel on the right.

4. Import MQ Queues (from XML)

  1. In the MQ Explorer Navigator, right-click on IBM MQ and select Import MQ Explorer Settings….

    A right-click context menu on the ‘IBM MQ’ item in the Navigator panel, with the ‘Import MQ Explorer Settings…’ option highlighted.

  2. Select MQ Explorer Settings and click Next.

    The ‘Import’ wizard dialog with the ‘MQ Explorer Settings’ option selected under the ‘MQ Explorer’ category.

  3. Browse to and select the XML file containing your MQ queue configurations.

    The ‘Import MQ Explorer Settings’ dialog showing a file path to an XML file selected for import.

  4. A list of Gateways for accessing the MQ queues will be displayed.

    The MQ Explorer Navigator panel populated with an expanded list of Queue Managers after a successful import.

Conclusion

You now have IBM MQ Explorer fully configured on your macOS system. This powerful tool allows you to manage IBM MQ queue managers, queues, and messages through an intuitive graphical interface. Whether you’re developing applications that interact with IBM MQ or managing existing queue infrastructure, MQ Explorer provides the visibility and control you need.

Tip: Eclipse will automatically reopen the MQ Explorer perspective on startup if it was the last one you used.