Oracle Guarantees JDK 11 Support Through January 2032, Including Solaris, as Part of Java SE Spring 2024 Roadmap
Oracle’s Spring 2024 roadmap for Java SE (Standard Edition) marks a significant update for the Java ecosystem, including extended support timelines and notable changes to JavaFX and other components. In a recent announcement, Oracle confirmed that support for Java 11 will be extended through January 2032. This extension also includes Java 8 and Java 11 on the Solaris operating system, with support for Java SE 8 lasting until at least December 2030 and Java SE 11 until January 2032. These revised dates reflect an extension of Java support by six additional years beyond what was previously announced in 2019.
Solaris, the Unix operating system acquired by Oracle from Sun Microsystems in January 2010, will continue to be supported with the updated Java SE versions. This commitment underscores Oracle’s ongoing dedication to providing robust support for Java on Solaris platforms. Donald Smith, Oracle’s Vice President of Product Management, highlighted that these extended support dates are a response to customer needs and reflect Oracle’s continued investment in maintaining compatibility with legacy systems while supporting future innovations.
In addition to extending Java support, Oracle has announced the planned sunsetting of the Advanced Management Console (AMC) after October 2024. AMC users are advised to transition to the Java Management Service (JMS), which will take over as the primary tool for managing Java applications. Oracle’s decision to phase out AMC aligns with its broader strategy of consolidating and streamlining its Java management tools.
Regarding JavaFX, Oracle plans to end commercial support for JavaFX on JDK 8 by March 2025. After this date, updates for JDK 8 will no longer include JavaFX, marking JavaFX 8 as the final commercially supported version from Oracle. However, Oracle will continue to develop JavaFX as part of the open-source OpenJFX project, with ongoing support for the latest versions of Java through OpenJFX builds.
Further updates on Oracle’s Java roadmap include the approach of JDK 17’s end of permissive licensing. Starting from September 2024, updates for JDK 17 will be available under the Oracle Java OTN (Oracle Technology Network) license, consistent with the licensing terms for Java 8 and Java 11. This shift reflects Oracle’s ongoing adjustments to licensing policies as part of its broader strategy for managing Java releases.
Oracle’s roadmap also covers future projects such as Amber and Valhalla. Amber is focused on enhancing productivity features, while Valhalla aims to augment the Java object model. These initiatives, along with the extended support timelines, highlight Oracle’s commitment to evolving Java to meet the needs of both current and future developers.