JavaFX support is in Oracle JDK 9 but missing in Ubuntu OpenJDK 9

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

The OpenJDK binaries distributed by Oracle still includes some code which isn't found in the OpenJDK sources. There is a recent announcement that this will change, however I currently can't find OpenJFX in the OpenJDK sources.

The OpenJFX source tree is separate from the OpenJDK sources, but its modules are included as input into the OpenJDK build process. For the OpenJFX source tree, see here:

Getting the Sources
https://wiki.openjdk.java.net/display/OpenJFX/Building+OpenJFX#BuildingOpenJFX-GettingtheSources

Packaging it with the OpenJDK is described here:

Integration with OpenJDK 9
https://wiki.openjdk.java.net/display/OpenJFX/Building+OpenJFX#BuildingOpenJFX-IntegrationwithOpenJDK9

which says:

----------
Build OpenJFX first.

Configure the JDK with the following addition:

  --with-import-modules=_path_to_openjfx/9-dev/build/modular-sdk

Then build the JDK as normal.
----------

I built OpenJFX many times, but I have not yet tried this new procedure for including it in OpenJDK 9. I'm willing to help and try it myself if you run into any problems. I'm eager to see JavaFX finally integrated into the OpenJDK packages on Ubuntu.

That would create a build dependency on openjfx. I'm not sure if I like that ...

FYI I started working on the openjdk9 package this week.

At some point it might make sense to have default-jre depend on a default-jfx package. Even if OpenJFX is a separate project users now expect to have it automatically on the classpath when they install the JRE.

It seems there are still some dependencies being worked out for the build process. See:

Cannot build JavaFX modules with boot JDK that does not already include them
https://bugs.openjdk.java.net/browse/JDK-8189111

The workaround mentioned on the OpenJFX mailing list (<email address hidden>) is to use the Oracle JDK 9 build as the boot JDK.

I eventually managed to build OpenJFX 9 with our openjdk-9 package. But I now realize that integrating it into the JRE isn't going to be as simple as it was for OpenJFX 8. I'll start a thread on debian-java to discuss the options.

In the meantime I pushed my work in progress here:

https://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/pkg-java/openjfx9.git

I misunderstood what I originally downloaded from the JDK 9 General-Availability Release page (http://jdk.java.net/9/). When Java 9 was first released, that page had a link to the Oracle JDK, not to the OpenJDK. Now that Oracle has released a 9.0.1 update, the OpenJDK is different from the JDK from Oracle and is in fact missing the JavaFX support.

So the upstream OpenJDK does not contain JavaFX support after all. It appears from the mailing list that JavaFX will be included in some later release.

Oracle JDK
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html

$ ~/opt/jdk-9.0.1/bin/java -version
java version "9.0.1"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 9.0.1+11)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 9.0.1+11, mixed mode)

$ ~/opt/jdk-9.0.1/bin/java -jar HelloWorld.jar
Hello World!
Hello World!

Upstream OpenJDK
http://jdk.java.net/9/

$ ~/opt/openjdk-9.0.1/bin/java -version
openjdk version "9.0.1"
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 9.0.1+11)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 9.0.1+11, mixed mode)

$ ~/opt/openjdk-9.0.1/bin/java -jar HelloWorld.jar
Error: Could not find or load main class helloworld.HelloWorld
Caused by: java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: javafx/application/Application

I think that openJFX should be included in openJDK.

It seems that OpenJFX should continue to be packaged separately, just like any other Java library.

JavaFX was included in Oracle JDK 8 but will be removed in JDK 11, the next long-term support (LTS) release of the JDK. See the following pages for updates on the status of JavaFX in the Oracle JDK:

Oracle Java SE Support Roadmap
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/eol-135779.html

The Future of JavaFX and Other Java Client Roadmap Updates
https://blogs.oracle.com/java-platform-group/the-future-of-javafx-and-other-java-client-roadmap-updates

The associated white paper has more details:

Java Client Roadmap Update
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/javaclientroadmapupdate2018mar-4414431.pdf

The white paper includes the following items in its Executive Summary:

• JavaFX new fixes will continue to be supported on Java SE 8 through March 2022 and removed from Java SE 11.

• Swing and AWT will continue to be supported on Java SE 8 through at least March 2025, and on Java SE 11 (18.9 LTS) through at least September 2026.

• Oracle has begun conversations with interested parties in the Java ecosystem on the stewardship of JavaFX, Swing and AWT beyond the above referenced timeframes.

The same problem occurs in Ubuntu 18.04 with OpenJDK 10.
There is only a package for OpenJFX for Java 8 but no package for Java 10

Programs like pdfsam and Cryptomator require JavaFX but I want to use Java 10.

This also leads to bugs like Bug #1768565.

Samuel, that's strange. According to #1799946
in 18.10 there is an OpenJFX package for Java 11 but not for Java 8:

Probably deliver different OpenJFX packages like 8, 10, 11?

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. We are sorry that we do not always have the capacity to look at all reported bugs in a timely manner. There have been many changes in Ubuntu since that time you reported the bug and your problem may have been fixed with some of the updates. It would help us a lot if you could test it on a currently supported Ubuntu version. When you test it and it is still an issue, kindly upload the updated logs by running only once:
apport-collect 1721852

and any other logs that are relevant for this particular issue.

I think this bug that I opened is invalid for both openjdk-9 and openjfx. Sorry for not closing it sooner.

Ubuntu has a separate package for JavaFX, currently at version 11, the Long Term Support release. The most recent release is version 15, available on September 8, 2020. OpenJFX follows the same six-month release schedule as OpenJDK, with the same version numbers, generally made available one week before each OpenJDK release.

Personally, I would like to see the openjfx package updated in the same manner as the OpenJDK packages, which include the intermediate releases between the Long Term Support versions. I have been unable to find the plans for OpenJFX on Ubuntu, though.