DrJava should run without any change using OpenJDK8.  I just tested it my Linux laptop (running Ubuntu 18.04) using the OpenJDK8 distributed from the Ubuntu 18.04 repository.  I have multiple JDKs installed on that machine so I have to identify which "java" command that I want to run.  Each JDK distribution (a file tree) includes a bin directory containing java and javac.  DrJava found the Java 8 compilers for both Oracle JDK8 and OpenJDK8.  I selected the latter and successfully compiled and tested a large programming project that I assign in one of my classes at Rice.  I could not detect any differences in behavior running DrJava using OpenJDK8 and Oracle JDK8.  Tomorrow I will try the same experiment on my Windows 10 laptop on which I currently do not have OpenJDK8 installed.

When I run DrJava on my Linux laptop I use the terminal command line:

   java -jar drjava.jar

where "java" resolves (using the shell search PATH) to the OpenJDK8 java application  and "drjava.jar" is the jar file for DrJava.  In Windows 10, if you rely on double-clicking the drjava.jar icon, I cannot predict what happens since it depends on what is stored in your registry and each JDK installation mucks with the relevant registry entries.  (I am not a Windows 10 wizard.)  You can use the Windows 10 command line in same way a the Linux command line but it can be awkward.  Software developers love Linux so much that Windows 10 includes an embedded Linux implementation called WSL (which can be configured to be any of several LInux distributions) which almost works.  Unfortunately, some fairly common Linux file names are illegal in the Windows 10 NTFS file system (but legal in the Linux implementation of NTFS!) so some Linux applications break.  Ugh.

I will post an update tomorrow after I try OpenJDK8 on Windows 10.



On Fri, Jul 5, 2019 at 5:25 PM Sal Iacono <icons@users.sourceforge.net> wrote:

[support-requests:#352] OpenJDK and DrJava

Status: open
Group: v1.0 (example)
Created: Fri Jul 05, 2019 10:25 PM UTC by Sal Iacono
Last Updated: Fri Jul 05, 2019 10:25 PM UTC
Owner: nobody

I'm just wondering if there is any plan to update DrJava to support OpenJDK and OpenJRE given that Oracle is changing their licencing. The IT department for my school board says we can no longer using OracleJDK/JRE due to these licencing changes.

I have been teaching Java using DrJava for some time now and would like to continue to do so as I really prefer its simple interface for beginners.

I have attempted to use open versions of JDK and JRE with DrJava (on both 64bit Win7 and Win10) and so far with only limited success. I uninstalled all Oracle JDK and JRE from system and then installed the OpenJDK that inlcudes the OpenJRE. Specfically, I installed the version 8 OpenJDK. However DrJava won't open and simply provides an error saying it needs at least JRE1.5 installed and then popping open java.com in the browser. I have tried changing system variable paths but nothing seems to allow DrJava to find the OpenJRE.

If I install Oracle JRE from java.com then DrJava will start working. Interestingly when it does finally run like that, the compiler tab is reporting that it is using OpenJDK7-7.5 even though I have installed OpenJDK8. Regardless, so far all testsin DrJava with the OpenJDK8 + OracleJRE seem to working fine.

It would be good to have one easy solution to install and use DrJava this coming september not just at school but to be able to provide simple directions to my students on installing and using DrJava for home use.

Hope to hear back soon.

Sent from sourceforge.net because you indicated interest in https://sourceforge.net/p/drjava/support-requests/352/

To unsubscribe from further messages, please visit https://sourceforge.net/auth/subscriptions/