Creating JVM

[Sparse Way]

Hello,

How does the JVM locate and load java base classes during its creation process?

Since JVM  exits at call_initPhase2(TRAPS) in Threads::create_vm without a stack trace or an exception.

hotspot/src/share/vm/runtime/thread.cpp:

...
// Phase 2. Module system initialization
//     This will initialize the module system.  Only java.base classes
//     can be loaded until phase 2 completes.
//
//     Call System.initPhase2 after the compiler initialization and jsr292
//     classes get initialized because module initialization runs a lot of java
//     code, that for performance reasons, should be compiled.  Also, this will
//     enable the startup code to use lambda and other language features in this
//     phase and onward.
//
//     After phase 2, The VM will begin search classes from -Xbootclasspath/a.
static void call_initPhase2(TRAPS) {
  TraceTime timer("Phase2 initialization", TRACETIME_LOG(Info, module, startuptime));

  Klass* k = SystemDictionary::resolve_or_fail(vmSymbols::java_lang_System(), true, CHECK);
  instanceKlassHandle klass (THREAD, k);

  JavaValue result(T_INT);
  JavaCallArguments args;
  args.push_int(DisplayVMOutputToStderr);
  args.push_int(log_is_enabled(Debug, init)); // print stack trace if exception thrown
  JavaCalls::call_static(&result, klass, vmSymbols::initPhase2_name(),
                                         vmSymbols::boolean_boolean_int_signature(), &args, CHECK);
  if (result.get_jint() != JNI_OK) {
    vm_exit_during_initialization(); // no message or exception
  }

  universe_post_module_init();
}
...

Specifically when calling java.lang.System.initPhase2(boolean printToStderr, boolean printStackTrace) statically.
JVM options: "-Djava.home=" + jre,
                    "--patch-module=" + ext + "java.base=src"
Replacing --patch-module with -Xbootclasspath/a will not help.

I am not sure if base classes are loaded in the first place.

Best regards