4 ms·

Oracle's builds of Java are open source as well. The OpenJDK codebase is shared across all of the vendors that provide builds.

teilo 5y ago
"Open Source" but not free to use as you wish. The Oracle builds require a commercial license.
- papercrane 5y ago
  In this case it means GPL+Classpath Exception. The link goes to the Oracle provided OpenJDK builds. Oracle also has their own build of the JDK which is not GPL. That is free to use in commercial software as well, under their "No-Fee Terms and Conditions"
  - freedomben 5y ago
    I think you're correct right now, but Oracle has a tendency to change their minds frequently. Tomorrow you might be migrating or paying.
- ajoberstar 5y ago
  Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see that called out anywhere. I don't believe that's true anymore, but correct me if I'm wrong. For reference I double checked here: https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/downloads/ https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/downloads/
  - wccrawford 5y ago
    There used to be really prominent banners telling you about it. I don't see them now, but I'm also not sure they switched back. Here's an article I found explaining the switch to requiring paid usage. https://blog.netwrix.com/2021/12/02/oracle-java-license-change-everything-you-need-to-know/ https://blog.netwrix.com/2021/12/02/oracle-java-license-chan...
    - Someone 5y ago
      I think that’s the switch (somewhat) _away_ from paid usage. https://itassetalliance.com/blog-posts/what-do-oracles-2021-changes-to-java-licensing-mean-for-you/ https://itassetalliance.com/blog-posts/what-do-oracles-2021-... says there was a change in 2019 that made critical security updates a paid feature. The 2021 license change reverted this somewhat, by giving you one year of security fixes for free in the long term support versions (I’m sure I’m missing some detail, if not completely misinterpreting things, here)
hu3 5y ago
Thanks! So why would I pick Oracle's implementation?
- pfortuny 5y ago
  I do not know but apart from just vendor lock in, oracle might provide guarantees (maintenance?) that the other providers cannot.
  - kaba0 5y ago
    There is no vendor lock-in, other than perhaps the logo, OpenJDK is the same as OracleJDK, since Oracle develops the former 90+%.
    - datavirtue 5y ago
      The Oracle JDK ships with capabilities not found in OpenJDK. Oracle ships webkit for instance--to parse/render HTML. OpenJDK does not. There also used to be a JavaScript engine, which I believe was deprecated unfortunately, and does not ship with OpenJDK.
- pritambarhate 5y ago
  Mainly if you want long term support from Oracle. Many enterprise systems are very slow to update. So they can't manage to upgrade before the LTS version goes out of support. So instead of paying to developers to continuously update the code base they pay Oracle to keep supporting the "out-of-free-support" versions of the JVM.
- _joel 5y ago
  If you need to run Oracle apps like EBS. They only work on their release, not openjdk. Side note: Avoid EBS at all costs if you can, unless you like spending money on consultants and like crappy obfuscated processes.
  - chewmieser 5y ago
    > Avoid EBS at all costs if you can, unless you like spending money on consultants and like crappy obfuscated processes. * Oracle products in general (in my experience)
fulafel 5y ago
They might be built from the same source but they have draconian end user licenses and license changes that can unpredictably expose you to Oracle commercial licensing costs and lawyers chasing after you. See eg https://developer.ibm.com/blogs/java-licensing-is-changing-and-you-could-be-affected/ https://developer.ibm.com/blogs/java-licensing-is-changing-a... & https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/22/oracle_starts_to_include_java/ https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/22/oracle_starts_to_incl...

teilo 5y ago

"Open Source" but not free to use as you wish. The Oracle builds require a commercial license.

papercrane 5y ago
In this case it means GPL+Classpath Exception. The link goes to the Oracle provided OpenJDK builds. Oracle also has their own build of the JDK which is not GPL. That is free to use in commercial software as well, under their "No-Fee Terms and Conditions"
- freedomben 5y ago
  I think you're correct right now, but Oracle has a tendency to change their minds frequently. Tomorrow you might be migrating or paying.
ajoberstar 5y ago
Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see that called out anywhere. I don't believe that's true anymore, but correct me if I'm wrong. For reference I double checked here: https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/downloads/ https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/downloads/
- wccrawford 5y ago
  There used to be really prominent banners telling you about it. I don't see them now, but I'm also not sure they switched back. Here's an article I found explaining the switch to requiring paid usage. https://blog.netwrix.com/2021/12/02/oracle-java-license-change-everything-you-need-to-know/ https://blog.netwrix.com/2021/12/02/oracle-java-license-chan...
  - Someone 5y ago
    I think that’s the switch (somewhat) _away_ from paid usage. https://itassetalliance.com/blog-posts/what-do-oracles-2021-changes-to-java-licensing-mean-for-you/ https://itassetalliance.com/blog-posts/what-do-oracles-2021-... says there was a change in 2019 that made critical security updates a paid feature. The 2021 license change reverted this somewhat, by giving you one year of security fixes for free in the long term support versions (I’m sure I’m missing some detail, if not completely misinterpreting things, here)

hu3 5y ago

Thanks! So why would I pick Oracle's implementation?

pfortuny 5y ago
I do not know but apart from just vendor lock in, oracle might provide guarantees (maintenance?) that the other providers cannot.
- kaba0 5y ago
  There is no vendor lock-in, other than perhaps the logo, OpenJDK is the same as OracleJDK, since Oracle develops the former 90+%.
  - datavirtue 5y ago
    The Oracle JDK ships with capabilities not found in OpenJDK. Oracle ships webkit for instance--to parse/render HTML. OpenJDK does not. There also used to be a JavaScript engine, which I believe was deprecated unfortunately, and does not ship with OpenJDK.
pritambarhate 5y ago
Mainly if you want long term support from Oracle. Many enterprise systems are very slow to update. So they can't manage to upgrade before the LTS version goes out of support. So instead of paying to developers to continuously update the code base they pay Oracle to keep supporting the "out-of-free-support" versions of the JVM.
_joel 5y ago
If you need to run Oracle apps like EBS. They only work on their release, not openjdk. Side note: Avoid EBS at all costs if you can, unless you like spending money on consultants and like crappy obfuscated processes.
- chewmieser 5y ago
  > Avoid EBS at all costs if you can, unless you like spending money on consultants and like crappy obfuscated processes. * Oracle products in general (in my experience)

fulafel 5y ago

They might be built from the same source but they have draconian end user licenses and license changes that can unpredictably expose you to Oracle commercial licensing costs and lawyers chasing after you. See eg https://developer.ibm.com/blogs/java-licensing-is-changing-and-you-could-be-affected/ https://developer.ibm.com/blogs/java-licensing-is-changing-a... & https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/22/oracle_starts_to_include_java/ https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/22/oracle_starts_to_incl...