Desktop vs community ? / plugins install

I'm struggling with a new neo4j install in windows 10 which raises several questions :

  • when you install neo4j desktop is neo4j community automatically installed ? like this is the actual DB manager used and desktop is just an interface ? in that case how do I run the console to access functionalities like BD backups that are not accessible from desktop UI (if I got it right)
  • or should I also install neo4j community to get access to such functionality ? in that case does that mean I will have several instances of n4j on the machine? will they not interfere which eachother ?
  • in a desktop install what is the $NEO4J_HOME folder where the plugin subfolder is ? I tried c:\users\VG.noe4jDesktop\neo4jDatabases\database-[uid]\installation-[v]\plugins but putting a jar there (namely neospatial-0.26.2) does not seem to work : I can not see the plugin, neither in the desktop general list of pluggins, neither in the databse pluggins list...

I believe when you install desktop locally, what you end up with is an enterprise edition for neo4j. Accessing different folders for plug ins etc. can be a bit tricky but you should be able to get there through the open folder button, which should take you directly to the location of your local install, in addition you can use the open terminal button to interact with the instance via the command line:
Go here first and click on manage

Then you can access the local folder and command line

thks @MuddyBootsCode it does look like neo4j desktop runs the Enterprise edition (that's what it says in one of your screen capture!) but I'm confused because I thought Enterprise edition was not a free licence, when desktop is ... :thinking:

now in anycase, running a terminal as you said got me the console I was looking for. need to know that the default directory it is opened in does not have access to commands : you need to got to bin directory

still struggling with install of spatial plugin that does not show in the list of plugins, even when I put the .jar in the db plugins directory. is there a command line to install the plugin ?

The desktop provides you with the enterprise version but it's not always running, just when the desktop version is. You should be able to use that path to the plugin directory to copy the spatial library plug in .tar file in. I'm not sure how terminal savvy you are but, you can copy that file from the downloads directory directly into the plugin file via your terminal. That's the easiest way I can think of.

I copied a .jar in the plugin directory but it does not show in the lists of plugin Am I supposed to find a .tar ?

customs plugin do not show up in desktop install list but it actually works

I believe that's correct because it's not available as a simple plugin it does not appear on the desktop list of installed add ons but glad you got it installed.