How Can I Distribute My JavaFX 11 Desktop Application Without Java Web Start?

Distributing JavaFX 11 Desktop Applications with a JRE

Moving Beyond Java Web Start

With Oracle's discontinuation of Web Start in Java 11, developers seeking alternative deployment methods for JavaFX applications. As JRE bundling becomes the recommended solution, the question arises: how to seamlessly integrate this into the deployment process?

Building Modular Applications

The key to deploying JavaFX applications with a JRE lies in converting the application into a module. This involves creating a module descriptor file (module-info.java), specifying a module path during compilation, and creating a modular JAR file using jmod tool.

Creating an Image

The modular JAR is then linked with the required modules using jlink to create an image. An image is a file tree containing a bin directory with executable files. The executable script specifies the module to be executed.

Distributing the Image

The image file tree is what should be distributed to end-users. This can be packaged as a zip or tar.gz file. Java 14 introduces the jpackage tool, which can create native installers for the image.

Cross-Building for Different Platforms

Since the image includes native binaries, separate images must be created for each platform. To avoid building for each platform individually, you can use a different JDK's jmod and jlink to create an image for another platform, specifying its platform string using the --target-platform option.

Conclusion

Deploying JavaFX 11 desktop applications with a JRE is now possible by converting the application to a module and creating an image. This allows for easy distribution and updates, ensuring a seamless user experience.

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