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> Oracle clearly seem interested only in trying to exploit Java developer and users.

Oracle are just not giving users of obsolete, deprecated versions of Java free patches anymore. They want everyone to keep up to date with the current version. The likes of Apple, Microsoft and Google just force push updates to achieve the same goal, but Oracle doesn't have that kind of control.

Yet even though Oracle don't want to support old versions anymore, they still offer support contracts for those organizations that truly need it. Which is a completely normal thing in the tech industry. What part of that is exploitation?



> Oracle are just not giving users ... free patches anymore

IIRC they are also making commercial (non-development) use of Oracle JVMs 11+ something that they will charge for.

I don't think this was true of earlier versions.


Lots of people are so confused by all this.

From Java 11 onwards the "Oracle JVM" is exactly the same as the "OpenJDK JVM". The only difference is that one has the Oracle name on it and if you buy it, has long term commercial support.

It's actually the other way around to what you think. Earlier versions had proprietary features you had to pay for. Now there are no proprietary features anymore. The only thing you pay for is support.


> The only difference is that one has the Oracle name on it and if you buy it, has long term commercial support.

And that you need to pay for it if you want to deploy the "Oracle" version. It's not optional paid support.

I am aware Oracle produce both, and that the OpenJDK build is every bit as 'official', I have no problem with this.

Please don't call me confused, my original statement is still true - Oracle branded JVMs will no longer be free for production use.


> ...Oracle branded JVMs will no longer be free for production use.

I was confused by the indignation in this thread. A JetBrains blog post [1] seems to say that if you have been coasting on OpenJDK in production, as long as you don't plan to use any OracleJDK-specific features now or in the future, and as long as you use Java 11 in all your implementations, then the license change is not a material difference to you. Not supporting older Java specs for free sounds reasonable to me, is there something wrong with that posture that someone can care to enlighten me upon?

[1] https://blog.jetbrains.com/idea/2018/09/using-java-11-in-pro...


I'm honestly not sure either.

I'm just noting the change in licensing. As I mentioned in the other fork of this thread we're going to move from Oracle 8 to OpenJDK 11 soon, and that's great. No problem at all.

Literally all I've tried to say is that there is a license change on the Oracle branded version, and you need to take note of it if you have been using the Oracle branded version and were going to continue. This is not really a complaint!

I'm not sure why this seems to be controversial.


The “free” Oracle JDK is also coming with a license that limits its usage, which is what the parent poster is referring to.


Yes but my point is (and I do think their branding is dumb here), there's no difference between Oracle JDK and OpenJDK anymore except the name.

Simple rule: if it has "Oracle" in the front now, you have to pay to use it in production. If it has "Open" you don't.


It was, many Oracle JDK features were only freely available for development, like the Flight Control, for example.


> many Oracle JDK features were only freely available for development,

Sure, but you could use the Oracle-branded JVM in production, AFAICT, for free before.


But the difference between Oracle branded and OpenJDK is almost non-existent anymore.

Do you use Oracle specific features that are not in OpenJDK?


No, and we'll be fine moving to an OpenJDK build when we move to Java 11 (from 8) in a month or so.

Please don't mistake my comments for complaints - I'm just noting that things have changed in the licensing terms for Oracle-branded JVMs.

There is an easy and simple way forward, to use OpenJDK, it's important to note the change and act accordingly. That's all.




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