Update: JDK 9 Platform/Compiler upgrades at Oracle

[Tim Bell]

All-

For JDK 9 we will upgrade the build platforms and compilers used at
Oracle to build the JDK.

In this cycle, our target combinations are:

- Linux - Oracle Linux 6.4 64-bit / GCC 4.8.2
- Mac OS X - 10.9.2 (Mavericks) 64-bit / XCode 5.1.1 / clang
- Solaris X86 - 11.1 SRU19 / Oracle Solaris Studio 12.3
- Solaris SPARC - 11.1 / Oracle Solaris Studio 12.3
- Windows - Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit / Microsoft Visual Studio 2013

For Linux and Windows, the 64-bit platform will also build 32-bit
binaries.

The Mac OS X and Solaris builds are already 64-bit only.

Status of the project:

At this point in the project, both the Solaris and Linux platforms
were updated in June with b18 (Reference bug number JDK-8046474)

Upgrades are currently planned for Mac OS this week (October 24). A
JDK 9 build will be promoted containing only these changes.

Windows will follow when the stopper bugs are fixed and we are ready.
At this point, we are estimating the end of October.

We will send an update to the list when we start the upgrade.

It is important to keep as few things as possible moving during the
special promotion cycle.  We will work with the integrators to ensure
no changes apart from those needed for the compiler upgrades are
integrated into the master.

We will notify you when the upgrade has been completed and will also
let you know where to find the build that was done after the compiler
upgrades.

Feedback is welcome.  Please send to jdk9-dev at openjdk.java.net

Tim