OpenJDK7 Windoze Binaries

[Erik Trimble]

On 11/26/2010 6:36 AM, Dalibor Topic wrote:
> On 11/25/10 12:18 AM, Lussier, Denis wrote:
>> Is Oracle planning to continue to make OpenJDK 7 Windoze Binaries after GA?
> Unless I'm mistaken, the only OpenJDK binaries which Oracle makes available are
> OpenJDK 6 binaries that are packaged for and available through Oracle Linux.
>
> cheers,
> dalibor topic
Dalibor is correct, and there also does need to be some careful respect 
for terminology.

"OpenJDK" is a distinct product different than "Oracle JDK" (though, the 
two are often assumed to be the same); additionally, you will often see 
"JDK" written when it really should be "Oracle JDK".

Oracle does NOT make available any OpenJDK 7 binaries, and it only makes 
available OpenJDK 6 binaries as part of the Oracle Linux distribution.


We *do* make available Oracle JDK 7 binaries (as part of the JDK 7 
Project - https://jdk7.dev.java.net/ ), which is most likely what you 
are referring to.  These binaries do *not* exactly match those built 
from the OpenJDK sources - there are some customizations that Oracle 
will retain for itself (either indefinitely, or 
to-be-released-at-an-inderminate-time-in-the-future), and some code 
which *cannot* be opened up even if Oracle wished it.


As to future plans, Oracle does not make forward-looking statements like 
that in open discussion forums.  *I* certainly am in no position to 
offer official guidance.


<Personal Statement Disclaimer>

However, personally, I would look at how Oracle currently handles the 
OpenJDK 6 vs Oracle JDK 6 source code/binary release trains for how it 
most likely will handle OpenJDK 7 vs Oracle JDK 7.   That is, once 
Oracle JDK 7 GAs, the weekly (or bi-weekly) builds would be JDK 
8-related, and no development builds of JDK 7 (which would be JDK 7 
Updates) would be available. Source would still be updated as the JDK 7 
Updates are worked on.

As to support for specific platforms/OSes in Oracle JDK 7, that will be 
communicated when the product actually ships.  I can't imagine that we'd 
drop support for any recent version of Windows, but there could 
*possibly* be some notice about EOL of support for old versions (Windows 
2000 and before), but I don't have any specific knowledge about pending 
EOL of any platform or OS.  For the development builds we currently 
provide for Oracle JDK 7 (and, most likely, will continue to provide for 
Oracle JDK 8), I see no indication that we would NOT make available any 
build we currently do internally - that is, I don't see any reason why 
we wouldn't make available a platform/OS binary from one we're actively 
developing on, since the whole point of making them available is for the 
community to test them out, and be able to help improve it via OpenJDK.

</Personal Statement Disclaimer>

-- 
Erik Trimble
Java System Support
Mailstop:  usca22-123
Phone:  x17195
Santa Clara, CA