OpenJDK Downloads: FAQ

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about OpenJDK downloads from OpenLogic.

What Is the Difference Between Java and JDK?

These two terms are used fairly loosely and sometimes take on different meanings based on the context. However, in general, “Java” is a programming language. The JDK (Java Development Kit) is a software development and delivery platform that supports multiple programming languages.

What Is JDK Used For?

The JDK is the platform for building and deploying Java applications. It is comprised of the JRE (Java Runtime Environment), the JVM (Java Virtual Machine), core class libraries, compilers, debuggers, and documentation.

What Is the Latest Java Development Kit?

The latest Java Development Kit is Java 17 / JDK 17. It was released in September, 2021. However, JDK 8 and JDK 11 are still widely used, as they are also designated long term support (LTS) versions of the product.

Is JDK Still Free?

JDK is still free for general purpose use. However Oracle now charges for JDK commercial licenses.

Can I Use OpenJDK For Commercial Use?

Yes, you absolutely can use OpenJDK for commercial use.

Is OpenJDK Available For Windows?

OpenJDK is available for Windows. Simply follow the instructions above to get started on OpenJDK on Windows.

How Do I Download Java JDK?

You can download Java JDK 8 and 11 by scrolling up on this page and selecting the version you need from OpenLogic.

Is Java 1.8 the Same As Java 8?

Yes. Oracle uses the version string 1.8 to refer to Java 8.

What’s the Difference Between Java 11 and Java 8?

There are always a lot of little things that go into a release of Java, or any product for that matter. However, the biggest differences between Java 8 and Java 11 are:

  • The introduction of modularity in Java 11 to better support scaling down to small computing devices. Modularization also enables code to be refactored for easier maintenance, through a self-describing collection of code, data, and resources.
  • A REPL (read-eval-print-loop) tool, JShell, was added to Java 11 support  interactive programming, similar to what is available in Python.  This is very interesting for serverless-compute and one-offs in Kubernetes
  • A developer-friendly keyword “var” was added in Java 11 to help to reduce boilerplate coding. The “var” keyword only affects local variables, and the Type Inference keeps you repeating the same text over and over again
  • Due to lack of browser support for Java plugins, the Applet API has been deprecated in Java 11
  • Oracle has chosen the Eclipse Foundation as the new home for the Java Platform Enterprise Edition. As a result, those packages have moved, and this will require changes to package imports.
How Do I Download and Install JDK 8?

Scroll up and select JDK 8 for your platform to download the package from OpenLogic.

How Do I Download Java 11 on Windows?

Scroll up and select Java 11 for your Windows to download the JDK package from OpenLogic.

How Do I Download OpenJDK 11 on Linux?

Scroll up and select OpenJDK 11 for Linux to download the package from OpenLogic.

Are the OpenJDK releases signed?

Yes, all new releases are going to be signed starting with the most recent OpenJDK 21. For the Linux packages you can find the public key for manual verification at OpenLogic-GPG-KEY.

How Can I Check the OpenJDK Package Signature?

After downloading the installation package, you may want to check the 
package signature to verify that the release has not been corrupted and 
stems from a trustworthy source.

For Linux rpm

Import the public key, then run rpm with --checksig key and/or -qpi.
Example:

sudo rpm --import RPM-GPG-KEY-OPENLOGIC
rpm --checksig openlogic-openjdk-21.0.3+1-linux-x64-el.rpm
rpm -qpi openlogic-openjdk-21.0.3+1-linux-x64-el.rpm

Confirm that the result of line 2 contains either the text signatures "digests 
signatures OK" or the signature type: "rsa sha1 (md5) pgp md5 OK". Confirm 
that the result of line 3 contains the signature.

For Windows msi

Right-click the EXE or MSI file and select Properties. Click the Digital 
Signatures tab to check the signature.

For MacOS pkg

All Apple packages (pkg) are notarized to allow to check the notarization 
using stapler. The resulting text will be: The validate action worked!

Example:

stapler validate openlogic-openjdk-21.0.3+1-mac-x64.pkg