Is Java Still Free?

© Copyright Azul Systems 2019
@speakjava
Is Java Still Free?
Simon Ritter
Deputy CTO, Azul Systems
1

More than just another Java release
The last major Java release

OpenJDK
 OpenJDK project hosts the source code for the reference
implementation of the Java SE specification
– As defined by the relevant JSR under the JCP
 To use Java, you need a binary distribution
– Can be built straight from OpenJDK
– Does not have to be (IBM J9, Azul Zing)
– Must pass the TCK to be compliant
5

Moving Java Forward Faster

OpenJDK: New Release Model
 A new version of the JDK will be released every six months
– March and September
– Started last year with JDK 10 and JDK 11
– Continuing this year with JDK 12 and JDK 13
 OpenJDK development will be more agile
– Previous target was a release every two years
 Features will be included only when ready
– Targeted for a release when feature complete
7

Long Term Support Releases
 Long term support for all releases is not practical
– One Long Term Support (LTS) release every three years
– For the Oracle JDK
 JDK 8 was classified as an LTS release
 Last JDK 8 public update last month for commercial users
 Non-commercial users get updates until December 2020
 JDK 11 is an LTS release
 JDK 9 and JDK 10 are feature releases
 Updated only until next release
8

Oracle JDK Binaries
 Traditional Oracle branded binary (java.oracle.com)
– Oracle Binary Code License (FoU restrictions)
 New OpenJDK binary (jdk.java.net)
– GPLv2 with CPE license (no restrictions)
– Security and bug fix updates only for six months
 Only until next JDK release
 Two scheduled updates
9

Converged Binaries
Oracle JDK
OpenJDK
Java SE
JDK 10 and earlier
Java SE
OpenJDK
& Oracle JDK
JDK 11 and later

Converged Binaries (JDK 11)
 Some closed-source parts of the JDK will be open-sourced
– Flight recorder
– Mission control
– Others
 Other closed-source parts will be removed
– Browser Plugin
– Java Web Start
– JavaFX
11

JDK 9 Onwards And Compatibility
12
"Clean applications that just depend on java.se
should just work" - Oracle

JDK 9: The Clean Up Starts
 JDK 9 was a significant change for Java
– Deprecated APIs were removed for the first time
 Six methods and one class
 JDK 10 removed 1 package, 6 classes, 9 methods and 1 field
– Redundant features eliminated
 jhat tool, JVM TI hprof agent
 Numerous deprecated GC options removed
 More features will be removed in the future
 CMS GC, Nashorn and Pack200 all deprecated. Others?
13

JDK 11: Modules Removed
– The java.se.ee aggregator-module has been removed
 java.corba
 java.transaction
 java.activation
 java.xml.bind
 java.xml.ws
 java.xml.ws.annotation
14

Command Line -XX Flags
 Big changes
 JDK 9
– Removed 187, added 123
 JDK 10
 JDK 11
15
chriswhocodes.com/hotspot_option_differences.html

Compatibility Not Guaranteed
 New versions of Java may include breaking changes
– Anything for removal will be deprecated first
– Minimum of one release warning
 Could be only six months
16

Understanding Oracle Updates
 Oracle provides two versions of an update
 CPU = Critical Patch Update
– Odd-numbered updates
– Security fixes only
 PSU = Patch Set Update
– Even-numbered updates
– Security fixes plus bug fixes
17
CPU
PSU

Java Updates
 Oracle JDK binary has LTS versions (JDK 11, 17, etc.)
– Oracle OpenJDK does not
 Oracle JDK 11 was released under a different license
– Free for development and testing
– Requires a Java SE subscription for use in production
 Oracle OpenJDK binaries only updated for six months
 JDK 8 can be used indefinitely for free
– But without any further security patches and bug fixes
18

OpenJDK Updates
 Oracle will only upstream changes to current project
– This is currently JDK 12 (JDK 11 updates have finished)
 Oracle have resigned the lead of both OpenJDK 8 and 11
– Andrew Haley of Red Hat has taken over this
– He is also project lead of OpenJDK 7
– Azul are project lead of OpenJDK 6
 OpenJDK versions will only contain updates if someone
backports them from the current release
– This will become increasingly hard for older versions
19

Java Binaries

JDK Binaries
 Oracle JDK
 Oracle OpenJDK JDK
 Red Hat (RHEL and Windows)
 Linux distro packages
 Bellsoft Liberica
 AdoptOpenJDK
 Amazon Corretto
21

Zulu Java
 Azul’s binary distribution of OpenJDK
– Passes all TCK tests
 JDK 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 available
 Wide platform support:
– Intel 64-bit Windows, Mac, Linux
– Intel 32-bit Windows and Linux
– ARM 32 and 64-bit
– PowerPC
22
www.azul.com/downloads/zulu

Zulu Extended Support
 Backporting of bug fixes and security patches from
supported OpenJDK release
 Zulu 8 supported until March 2026
 LTS releases have 9 years active + 2 years passive support
 Medium Term Support releases
– Two interim releases between LTS releases (9, 13, 15...)
– Bridge to LTS releases
– Supported until 18 months after next LTS release
23

Azul Zulu Extended (Passive)
Commercial Support
2020 2021
8(LTS)
19
18
17(LTS)
16
15
14
13
12
11(LTS)
10
9
7(LTS)
2017 2018
Oracle Publicly available binaries
(unsupported)
14
13
12
11(LTS)
10
9
8(LTS)
7(LTS)
Oracle Commercial
Support
Oracle Extended
Commercial Support
Azul Zulu
Community Builds
20222019
Azul Zulu Production
Commercial Support
2023 2024
19
18
17(LTS)
16
15
Azul Zulu MTS
Support
Bridge to next LTS
Azul Zulu LTS Support
8 years active
JavaSEVersionJava SE Lifecycle: 5+ Years

Adding New Features To Java
 Traditionally, Java developed through JCP
– Java Specification Requests (JSR)
– JSR has Expert Group
 Develops specification
– JSR delivers
 Specification
 Reference Implementation
 TCK

Adding New features To Java
 JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs)
– More open way to develop the JDK
 Initially used for later updates (u20 and u40) of JDK 8
– Any committer in OpenJDK can submit a JEP
– Intended to provide a roadmap for feature development
 At least three years into the future
– Features
 Two or more weeks of engineering effort
 Significant change to JDK or OpenJDK infrastructure
 High demand from users

JEPs: Detailed Process

Java Platform Module System (JPMS)
 Hybrid development
– JSR 376 (Started November, 2014)
– JEP 220: Modular runtime images
– JEP 260: Encapsulate most internal APIs
– JEP 261: Module system
30

jlink: The Java Linker (JEP 282)
$ jlink --module-path $JDKMODS:$MYMODS
--addmods com.azul.zapp –-output myimage
$ myimage/bin/java –-list-modules
java.base@9
java.logging@9
java.sql@9
java.xml@9
com.azul.zapp@1.0
com.azul.zoop@1.0
com.azul.zeta@1.0
myimage
…confbin
jlink
lib

Spin-Wait Hints (JEP 285)
 Proposed by Azul
– We rock!
 A new method for Thread class
– onSpinWait()
 Enables the x86 PAUSE instruction to be used from Java
code
– If available
– Ignored otherwise
– Improved performance for things like Disruptor
32

Local Variable Type Inference (JEP 286)
 Java gets var
33
var userList = new ArrayList<String>(); // infers ArrayList<String>
var stream = list.stream(); // infers Stream<String>
for (var name : userList) { // infers String
...
}
for (var i; i < 10; i++) { // infers int
...
}

var: Reserved Type (Not Keyword)
var var = new ValueAddedReseller();
public class var {
public var(String x) {
...
}
}
public class Var {
public Var(String x) {
...
}
}

Application Class Data Sharing (JEP 310)
 When the JVM starts it loads application classes
– Builds internal data structures
 This must be repeated whenever the application restarts
 Application Class Data sharing changes this
– Start application
– Write internal data structures to file
– Restart application with saved file
– Map into memory and eliminate class loading overhead
– Multiple JVMs for app, one memory mapped file

Selected JDK 10 JEPs
 307: Parallel Full GC for G1
 317: Experimental Java-based JIT compiler, Graal
 316: Heap allocation on alternative devices (Intel)
 304: Garbage Collector Interface (Red Hat)
36

JDK 11
 17 JEPs
 3 from outside Oracle
– JEP 318: Epsilon garbage collector (Red Hat)
– JEP 315: Improve Aarch64 intrinsics (Red Hat)
– JEP 331: Low overhead heap profiling (Google)
37

327: Unicode 10 Support
 8,518 new characters (seriously)
– Bitcoin symbol
– Nishu
– Soyombo, Zanabazar Square
 The long awaited (?) Colbert emoji
38

Other JDK 11 JEPs
 181: Nest-based Access Control
 309: Dynamic Class-file constants
 321: HTTP client
 330: Launch single file source code
 333: ZGC: Experimental low-latency collector
39

What Will Be in JDK 12?

JEP 325: Switch Expressions (Preview)
41
int numLetters;
switch (day) {
case MONDAY:
case FRIDAY:
case SUNDAY:
numLetters = 6;
break;
case TUESDAY:
numLetters = 7;
break;
case THURSDAY:
case SATURDAY:
numLetters = 8;
break;
case WEDNESDAY:
numLetters = 9;
break;
default:
throw new IllegalStateException("Huh?: " + day); };

JEP 325: Switch Expressions
int numLetters = switch (day) {
case MONDAY, FRIDAY, SUNDAY -> 6;
case TUESDAY -> 7;
case THURSDAY, SATURDAY -> 8;
case WEDNESDAY -> 9;
default -> throw new IllegalStateException("Huh?: " + day);
};

Other JDK 12 JEPs
 189: Shenandoah GC (Experimental)
 G1 GC updates
– 344: Abortable mixed collections
– 346: Return unused committed memory
 334: JVM constant API
 230: Microbenchmark suite
 341: Default CDS archive

Longer Term JDK Futures

Project Amber
 Simplifying Java language syntax
 JEP 302: Lambda leftovers
– Single underscore for unused parameters
 JEP 326: Raw string literals
– Use single backquote
– `c:Userssimon`
– ```A string with a `` in it```
45

JEP 305: Pattern Matching
 Type test and switch statement support to start
46
String formatted;
switch (obj) {
case Integer i: formatted = String.format("int %d", i); break;
case Byte b: formatted = String.format("byte %d", b); break;
case Long l: formatted = String.format("long %d", l); break;
case Double d: formatted = String.format("double %f", d);
break;
case String s: formatted = String.format("String %s", s); break
default: formatted = obj.toString();
}

Summary

Java Is Still Free
 Free as in beer
– Several options for free and commercially supported JDK
– Evaluate what you need and which ones fit
 Free as in speech
– OpenJDK and JEPs enable more contributions
– Not just Oracle
 Keeping Java popular and relevant
48

@speakjava
Thank You!
Simon Ritter
Deputy CTO, Azul Systems
49

Is Java Still Free?

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