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Starting from Java 9 the module system was introduced, making provision of JRE separately redundant.

Through, it seems that it was still possible to download it. For example, from here now Java 9 archive Also, here it's only stated that :

Restructure the JDK and JRE run-time images to draw a clear distinction between files that developers, deployers, and end-users can rely upon and, when appropriate, modify, in contrast to files that are internal to the implementation and subject to change without notice.

The new image structure eliminates this distinction: A JDK image is simply a run-time image that happens to contain the full set of development tools and other items historically found in the JDK.

So no talk about complete removal. From : jdk-9

When you install jdk-9, public jre-9 also gets installed automatically.

Also, I was thinking that started from Java 9 the custom runtime should be always created using the jlink, but it seems it's enforced now only from Java 11. From the release notes of Java 11 here Oracle JDK release notes:

In Windows and macOS, installing the JDK in previous releases optionally installed a JRE. In JDK 11, this is no longer an option. In this release, the JRE or Server JRE is no longer offered. Only the JDK is offered. Users can use jlink to create smaller custom runtimes.

But then I can find a lot of discussions like those:

Is this the case and it is not possible to download JRE directly since Java 11? Or am I mixing implementations between (Oracle and OpenJDK)? Or were those discussions above misleading?

Edit: I don't need to download the jre, I could create it via jlink or use already avaialble solution, my question is more of a theoretic.

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anasmi
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  • The JDK traditionally included a private JRE. – Thorbjørn Ravn Andersen Apr 26 '19 at 13:46
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    you can download JREs from https://adoptopenjdk.net, e.g. for Windows: https://adoptopenjdk.net/releases.html#x64_win –  Apr 26 '19 at 13:46
  • @ThorbjørnRavnAndersen yes, it's undestandable as it contains the JVM, but my question is more when it's discontinued as a separate offering : ) – anasmi Apr 26 '19 at 13:51
  • @a_horse_with_no_name thanks for the suggestion, but I don't need to dowlnoad the jre separately : ) Through, do you know how it works behind the scenes? How jre is created from jdk? (Or is it even so) – anasmi Apr 26 '19 at 14:40
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    But you asked: "*download of JRE is not possible directly only from Java 11*" - and the answer to that is: yes it's possible to download only the JRE for Java 11. To create a JRE from a JDK `jlink` is used. But if you neither want to download the JRE and you already know it's created with jlink, then what exactly is your question? –  Apr 26 '19 at 14:58
  • @anasmi Yes, but some of the documentation you've read is about the private JRE inside the JDK. – Thorbjørn Ravn Andersen Apr 26 '19 at 16:15
  • @a_horse_with_no_name As far as I understand, it's not possible for Java 11. or where can I you download the JRE separately? (Not to creat by hand via jlink, but download as it was possible with jdk and jre 8) My *assumption/understanding* is that JRE is not comming as a standalone product anymore. (Is this wrong?) But my original question is from which version it's **not possible** to dowload it separately 9 or 11? Sorry if I have phrased it's poorly :/ – anasmi Apr 26 '19 at 16:42
  • @ThorbjørnRavnAndersen could you point me, please, which of this is for the private parts inside the JDK? Maybe it would explain everything :) – anasmi Apr 26 '19 at 16:44
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    As I already mentioned: you **can** download a JRE from e.g. https://adoptopenjdk.net/releases.html#x64_win –  Apr 26 '19 at 17:07
  • @a_horse_with_no_name to be honest, it's confusing me even more. "*AdoptOpenJDK uses infrastructure, build and test scripts to produce prebuilt binaries from OpenJDK™ class libraries and a choice of either the OpenJDK HotSpot or Eclipse OpenJ9 VM.*" So it's actually a tool that creates the JRE for you. (Not the separate implementation of Java Specification as Oracle and OpenJDK, which JRE's I can't download from the official page). Also, what all of those release notes means then? – anasmi Apr 27 '19 at 06:14
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    It's not a tool that creates a JRE for you. You can download a JRE from that link. –  Apr 27 '19 at 07:02

2 Answers2

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Is this the case and it is not possible to download JRE directly since Java 11? Or am I mixing implementations between (Oracle and OpenJDK)?

It is correct (mostly). From Java 11 onwards, neither Oracle JDK or OpenJDK JDK has a corresponding JRE available for public downloads.

However (and this is where you are incorrect) other distributors of Java do provide JRE downloads (or packages) as an option. Details may be found via the "Java is still free" link below.

When JRE was completely discontinued as a separate offering?

It was discontinued for the Oracle and OpenJDK distributions with Java 11. The Java 11 release notes state:

"In this release, the JRE or Server JRE is no longer offered. Only the JDK is offered. Users can use jlink to create smaller custom runtimes."

I have not been able to find any earlier public announcements from Oracle about the discontinuance of their JRE releases. (If someone finds one, please comment ...)

Please note: this is a specific answer to the specific questions asked by the OP. For more information on the status of Java vis-a-vis licenses, distributions, vendors, support, and whether or not Java is "free", I recommend that you read the following:

  • "Java is still free" written by the Java Champions community of independent Java leaders and experts.

It is a "live" document, and is likely to remain a good source of up-to-date information; i.e. more likely to be up-to-date than this Answer!

Stephen C
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  • I also could not find any earlier public announcement about this from Oracle. As I recall, the change was made with little fanfare, and no advance warning. In the Release Notes you link to I suspect the actual change was implemented by JDK-8185077, as documented in the _"Removal of Java Deployment Technologies"_ section. But even now that bug report is **"not public"**. – skomisa Mar 07 '23 at 19:57
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First of all, the question is incorrect. JRE was not discontinued. It was only discontinued by Oracle. For example, on Linux, JRE is still available*:

$ apt-cache search openjdk-11-jre
openjdk-11-jre - OpenJDK Java runtime, using Hotspot JIT
openjdk-11-jre-headless - OpenJDK Java runtime, using Hotspot JIT (headless)
openjdk-11-jre-zero - Alternative JVM for OpenJDK, using Zero

* requires repository ppa:openjdk-r/ppa

Some other JDK providers still offer JRE as well:

ZhekaKozlov
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