Java update path? (For those that still need it)

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Just wondering.

Some should have noticed that Java 8 is nearing end of free support and Oracle doesn’t provide detached runtime packages for anything later. And, Java is sort of well-known for having security holes occasionally…

And what’s worse, some of us still do need Java. There’s anything from JNLP-launched remote support tools and Java-powered server RAID admin tools, to… well, everything, even if in smallish numbers fortunately.

So, need to have a plan.

One of the other Java companies, Azul, has a provocative ad up even:

For the first time in history

A Java security update (aka "recipe for attack")
will be released by Oracle
without providing free updates for
any current production version
[free updates for java 12, no free updates for 8 or 11]

(Java 12 isn’t “production” yet. Java 11 is a “long term support version”, but…)

Now, I *have* found a place to get Java 11 JREs for Windows x64… AdoptOpenJDK. https://adoptopenjdk.net/migration.html … it’s just that they don’t have everything (at least yet) – Java Web Start for one is missing as of now, and installers…

https://github.com/AdoptOpenJDK/openjdk11-binaries/releases/download/jdk-11.0.2%2B9/OpenJDK11U-jre_x64_windows_hotspot_11.0.2_9.zip , https://github.com/AdoptOpenJDK/openjdk11-binaries/releases/download/jdk-11.0.2%2B9_openj9-0.12.1/OpenJDK11U-jre_x64_windows_openj9_11.0.2_9_openj9-0.12.1_openj9-0.12.1.zip

But, I suppose that’d still be easier than just building our own… hm, the OpenJ9 license is a bit weird in places, too…

Anyone else having to deal with this?

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And what’s worse, some of us still do need Java. There’s anything from JNLP-launched remote support tools and Java-powered server RAID admin tools, to… well, everything,

mn–,

you need to provide a list of specific applications here that still depend on Java. what are these “JNLP-launched remote support tools” you are talking about? who makes them? list the manufacturers that make them and provide links to their web sites if possible

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Well, let’s see.

There’s a few very commonly used desktop tools that run on Java. For example:

DavMail, bridge from standard IMAP, CalDAV and such to EWS for using Microsoft Exchange servers. http://davmail.sourceforge.net/
GanttProject, project management. https://sourceforge.net/projects/ganttproject/

Though, by numbers, most of the different cases out there are old equipment that’s still in use. Some though are even current.

Small business routers, Cisco and others
RAID arrays, external, various – HP (pre HP/HPE split) MSA2000 for one model
RAID arrays, server internal, various – last seen on a Fujitsu server
…

Remote support tools – SolarWinds N-Central at least does the thing where it creates a tunnel from the admin desktop to end-user LAN for direct web/RDP/ssh/telnet access to various kinds of equipment, and that tunnel is started through a .jnlp launcher. Sort of a lighter alternative to a full VPN to site LAN, very nice for remote printer admin and such.

And then there’s all the VNC integration out there.

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So, anyway. I’m experimenting with IcedTea-Web and the AdoptOpenJDK 11 hotspot JRE, but would appreciate if anyone else has anything to say on this?

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Well. Apparently most others just don’t need Java any more… which is probably a good thing…

I’ll just note that Azul has gotten a fresh patched version out, AdoptOpenJDK hasn’t yet.

https://www.azul.com/downloads/zulu-community/ has a Java 8u232 JRE downloadable as of now.

(Wonder what percentage of Java CPU cycles these days are just Minecraft… side effect, I get to chase Java problems at home too. The kids managed to run into a weird one just yesterday, trying to start a shared world with specific Minecraft mods, and…)

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