Is Java WebStart Deprecated?

[Donald Smith]

Hi Michael,

No doubt this was true, but the OSes have shifted hard and fast away 
from this model.  The "app store" model is now it.  macOS has been 
ratcheting this down hard for several years now.  MSFT -- even in the 
enterprise market -- has signaled this direction as well.  For sure we 
need to find options to support the legacy, but the future here is limited.

  - Don

On 06/11/2017 5:31 AM, Michael Nascimento wrote:
> Hi Donald,
>
> I've heard this argument before and it seems Oracle is not aware of
> why enterprises use Java WebStart. It has *nothing* to do with a
> central JRE, but actually with distributing and upgrading applications
> automatically without using installers and requiring admin privileges,
> especially in Windows environments. That's at least what I see here in
> Brazil in several companies I've consulted for and what people tell me
> after desktop-related talks.
>
> Saying this could be replaced with a jlink generated image or an
> installer is really ignoring how this is really dealt with by the Java
> community and even why Java was a good pick for those desktop
> applications - a WORA that doesn't require an installer with admin
> rights and auto-upgrade with a differential download protocol is the
> key factor for choosing JWS. And I see no replacement being provided
> by the JDK or even in the roadmap.
>
> Regards,
> Michael<div id="DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2"><br />
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> On Sun, Nov 5, 2017 at 6:40 PM, Donald smith <donald.smith at oracle.com> wrote:
>> The release notes are accurate.
>>
>> As we noted early in September [1]:
>>
>>> As client application development continues to shift from the old “plugin” world to modern deployment, the need for a standalone Java Runtime Environment (JRE) that is installed centrally, separately from Java applications has diminished.  Using the ‘jlink’ tool introduced with JDK 9 will make it even easier for application developers to package and deploy dedicated runtimes rather than relying on a pre-installed system JRE.  Oracle will begin transitioning from the standalone architecture later next year in what will be a multi-year effort.
>>
>>   - Don
>>
>> [1] - https://blogs.oracle.com/java-platform-group/faster-and-easier-use-and-redistribution-of-java-se
>>
>>
>>> On Nov 3, 2017, at 4:30 PM, August Nagro <augustnagro at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> The Java 9 Release Notes [1] include:
>>>
>>> "Java Deployment Technologies are deprecated and will be removed in a
>>> future release. Java Applet and WebStart functionality, including the
>>> Applet API, The Java plug-in, the Java Applet Viewer, JNLP and Java Web
>>> Start including the javaws tool are all deprecated in JDK 9 and will be
>>> removed in a future release."
>>>
>>> The bell has been ringing for Applets for some time, but I am surprised by
>>> the inclusion of Java WebStart / JNLP. The technology is the recommended
>>> migration path from applets [2], and provides some really enabling features
>>> like os-agnostics shortcuts, icons, and the ability to auto-update in the
>>> background.
>>>
>>> The `appletlauncher` executable has a clear deprecation warning in Java 9,
>>> but `javaws` has no such notice, leading me to believe there may be an
>>> error. In any case, Java Web Start is a mature, useful technology that has
>>> undoubtedly received large investment over the years. It's sudden removal
>>> would be quite disappointing.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> August Nagro
>>>
>>> [1]:
>>> http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/9-deprecated-features-3745636.html
>>> [2]: http://openjdk.java.net/jeps/289