It is derivative of the community driven OpenJDK which Oracle stewards. It implements the Java Language Specification ( JLS) and the Java Virtual Machine Specification ( JVMS) and provides the Standard Edition ( SE) of the Java Application Programming Interface ( API). The Java Development Kit ( JDK) is a distribution of Java Technology by Oracle Corporation. TL:DR Java is still available at zero-cost, you just need to stop using Oracle JDK and start using an OpenJDK build, such as this one or this one.Oracle No-Fee Terms and Conditions (NFTC) with third party components It is a major release because it has long-term support (LTS).īut Oracle have also set it up to be a trap (either deliberately or accidentally).įor 23 years, developers have downloaded the JDK from Oracle and used it for $free. Type "JDK" into your favourite search engine, and the top link will be to an Oracle Java SE download page (I'm deliberately not providing a link).īut that search and that link is now a trap.
Use it in production (because you didn't realise the license changed).Get a nasty phone call from Oracle's license enforcement teams demanding lots of money.In other words, Oracle can rely on inertia from Java developers to cause them to download the wrong (commercial) release of Java. (Update, : Searches for Java 11 and JDK 11 now seem to be resolving to OpenJDK builds, not commercial ones!) Unless you read the text/warnings/legalese very carefully you might not even realise Oracle JDK is now commercial, and that you are therefore liable to pay Oracle for using this particular JDK in production.