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why do people use Azul’s Zulu 9.0.0.15 release of OpenJDK instead of JDK downloaded from oracle.com? I came across this OpenJDK in the Effective java book and haven't tried this open jdk before. Is this because Oracle made the JDK commercial?
why do people use Azul’s Zulu 9.0.0.15 release of OpenJDK instead of JDK downloaded from oracle.com?
In short, there is no version of Java 9 freely supported by Oracle. You can download the last free version from Oracle.
From March 2019, Oracle will only give free support for Java 12 (for 6 months). Oracle will provide free support for the latest version for the first 6 months of release.
However, there are other organisations, like Azul, which provide commercially supported releases from Java 8. To get Oracle's supported releases you need to pay a subscription.
Other organisations such as AdoptJDK and RedHat have their own releases.
For more information
https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/tech/eol-135779.html
Is this because Oracle made the JDK commercial?
The OpenJDK has been around since Java 6, but there were some differences and not a strong reason for many to shift versions.
From Java 11, the main difference between OpenJDK and Oracle Java 11 is the installer.
Hopefully, we will see more companies paying for support for the products they rely on to help make money, but also see a variety of options for free use in a secure way.
There are a few OpenJDK's out there.
The official Open JDK and Oracle's JDK are based on the same code but have different licensing models.
The main reason for creating them was to tweak some parts of the code to better handle a part of the API that you think should work differently.
For example, let's say you are a company that uses JAVA and notices that some part of the API works to slowly for your needs. You then can try to improve it and submit it to be part of the Oracle OpenJDK. But it could be rejected or the time it takes for it to be approved takes too long. You might opt to just branch the OpenJDK to make your own version.
At the moment Oracle is going to stop giving its own implementation of the JDK for free but it its version of OpenJDK will remain open and free.
If you read here you will see that Zulu too is just OpenJDK certified and promised to be maintained.
My guess is that the company is just using OpenJDK to give better service to its subscribers so they will get notified when new fixes and patches become available to the general public.
I don't think they change anything in the JDK but just create custom delivery tools around it.
There will be no free LTS release from Oracle as of JDK 11 and that JDK 8 public updates (for commercial users) end in Jan 2019; we are seeing a lot of interest in Zulu.
Here is what is Oracle have announced.
There are now two binaries available from Oracle: the traditional
Oracle JDK (java.oracle.com) which is provided under the Oracle Binary
Code License (with field-of-use restrictions). There is also now an
OpenJDK binary (jdk.java.net) released under the GPLv2 with CPE
license.
As of JDK 11, the Oracle JDK will still be available for download and can be used in development and testing for free. If you want to deploy it into production, you will need a commercial support contract with Oracle. The OpenJDK binaries are free, but every release (including those Oracle designate LTS) will only have updates available for six months (until the next JDK release).
https://youtu.be/YauqubC8FKM?t=1281
Related
While I was in a dockerization project in my current job, I got this doubt: Which Java can I use?
This doubt is due to :
So after some researches I got these conclusions:
Since the Java 8 update at April 16, 2019 8u221, all versions and updates for (Java 8, 9, 10, 11 and 13) has no cost just for personal use and development purposes. Any other use, needs a Commercial License
Legacy versions prior to 7, does not have and will not have any update. Maybe a sales contact could be a solution if an update in these versions are required for Legacy Systems Support.
If I want to use Java 8 oracle version for commercials purposes and FREE, I need to use a previous version of April 16, 2019 8u221 update
Questions
According to my conclusions:
If my development strictly needs or was developed with JDK 8, Can I only use Oracle Java SE 8 JDK 8u202 and earlier versions for FREE and commercial purposes accepting issues and security problems?
If I can change my development and I want still FREE, and I want to have improvements and security updates, I must use one of these java open implementations?
References
End of Public Updates for Oracle JDK 8
The Oracle JDK License has changed for releases starting April 16, 2019.
Official List of updates and release versions
Java official supported versions
Oracle Java 8 download alert
Oracle Java 8 unsupported but free version
Java 4 legacy official download page
Java 5 legacy official download page
Java 6 legacy official download page
Java 7 legacy official download page
Update 2021-09
For versions 8 through 16, Oracle required a fee if their own Oracle JDK product was used in production, but not for dev, test, and training usages.
For Java 17, the Oracle JDK product is available under a new
No-Fee Terms and Conditions license, discussed on the Oracle
company blog.
On my first reading, it appears this new license makes production use free-of-cost (along with dev, test, and training usages), except for products sold for a fee while bundling the Oracle JDK product. But I am not an attorney, so read the terms yourself and consult legal advice as needed.
Keep in mind that many other vendors continue to provide implementations of the Java specs, as shown in the flowchart below. Some of these vendors sell support plans, either optionally or as a requirement for use of their product. Never assume, always read the detailed requirements for any distribution you obtain.
Another 2021 update: Add Microsoft to the list of vendors seen below.
Several vendors offer a choice of Java implementations
The Answer by Speakjava is correct and informative.
In addition, here is a flowchart I made to guide you in choosing a vendor for a Java implementation.
Or another way to view this: Your particular motivations or situation.
Oracle made a number of significant changes to how the Java platform is developed, distributed and updated at the same time as the launch of JDK 9.
The key facts to answer your questions are these:
Oracle was using the Oracle Binary Code License (OBCL) for Java. This had field of use restrictions (you needed a commercial license for embedded use) but granted free use of the Oracle JDK for general purpose development and deployment.
As of JDK 11, the license changed to the Oracle Technology Network License Agreement (OTNLA), which requires you to purchase a Java SE Subscription for use in commercial production. This license has also been applied to updates of JDK 8 since April (update 211/212).
As of JDK 11, Oracle eliminated all functional differences between the Oracle JDK and a binary built purely from the OpenJDK source code. The important things no longer in the Oracle JDK 11 are the browser plugin, Java Web Start and JavaFX.
You can continue to use any public Oracle binaries of JDK 7 (and earlier) in production without the need for a Java SE subscription, as the license is still the OBCL (it has not been changed retrospectively). You can also, as you say, use JDK 8 up to update 202 under the OBCL without cost.
There are several options for continuing to use JDK 8 with updates for free. One of those is Zulu Community from Azul (who I work for). This is a free, TCK-tested binary with a couple of additional backported features (TLS 1.3 and Java Flight Recorder). Since this passes the TCK, from a functional perspective, it is identical to the Oracle JDK. Unless you are using Applets or Web Start your applications will work in the same way as with the Oracle JDK.
If you want to move to JDK 11 (the current long-term support release, as defined by Oracle but followed by all other JDK providers), then you will need to choose one of the free distributions (like Zulu Community).
It is highly recommended to ensure your JDK is up to date and contains all relevant security patches. Continuing to use an older version could expose you to significant security exploits.
Summary
If you need to have java in your production servers for free, your have two options
#1 OpenJdk
The OpenJDK is the open source reference implementation of the Java SE Specification, but it is only the source code https://github.com/openjdk
Binary distributions are provided by different vendors for a number of supported platforms.
One of them is https://jdk.java.net/java-se-ri/19 which is maintained by Oracle:
Source: https://whichjdk.com
#2 Customized by Third Parties
Amazon Corretto
https://docs.aws.amazon.com/corretto/latest/corretto-11-ug/downloads-list.html
Zulu
https://www.azul.com/downloads/zulu-community/?architecture=x86-64-bit&package=jdk
Licences OTN vs BCL
Oracle JDK 8 (aka 1.8) no longer uses BCL (Binary Code License). From April 16, 2019, Oracle JDK 8 uses the OTN (Oracle Technology Network) license, which requires you to create an Oracle account to download JDK 8 and payment!!
BCL = Oracle Binary Code License
You can use it, but you can't modify it
You agree not to sue Oracle if anything goes wrong
You can redistribute/publish it (so that you can sell products with Java embedded), but if you do, you agree to indemnify Oracle; so if someone sues you, you can't drag Oracle into it.
It's really just there to protect Oracle's intellectual property and to shield them from being sued when bugs are found.
source: https://www.quora.com/In-short-what-does-the-Oracle-Binary-Code-License-Agreement-for-Java-SE-actually-say-or-prohibit/answer/Jon-Harley
As a summary: FREE with risks and without any fault of Oracle
OTN = Oracle Technology Network License
As a summary: Opposite to BCL and FREE just for development in your laptop. For enterprises, you must PAY
OpenJDK and Oracle JDK
Both OpenJDK and Oracle JDK are created and maintained currently by Oracle only.
OpenJDK and Oracle JDK are implementations of the same Java specification passed the TCK (Java Technology Certification Kit).
Most of the vendors of JDK are written on top of OpenJDK by doing a few tweaks to [mostly to replace licensed proprietary parts / replace with more high-performance items that only work on specific OS] components without breaking the TCK compatibility.
Source: Differences between Oracle JDK and OpenJDK
Free official options
Here I will list and keep updated the official links, ready to download the most used java versions
Openjdk 19
https://jdk.java.net/java-se-ri/19
Openjdk 17
https://jdk.java.net/java-se-ri/17
Openjdk 11
https://jdk.java.net/java-se-ri/11
apt-get update
apt-get install openjdk-11-jdk
Oracle Java 8 update 202
Just Java SE 8 JDK 8u202 and earlier versions are free for development and production deployment. You can download it from:
https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javase/javase8-archive-downloads.html
Openjdk 8 (Deprecated)
OpenJDK is a ORACLE initiative. More details here: https://adoptopenjdk.net/
compressed mode
You can download the latest v8 release from here. Latest version:
https://github.com/AdoptOpenJDK/openjdk8-upstream-binaries/releases/download/jdk8u292-b10/OpenJDK8U-jdk_x64_windows_8u292b10.zip
https://github.com/AdoptOpenJDK/openjdk8-upstream-binaries/releases/download/jdk8u292-b10/OpenJDK8U-jdk_x64_linux_8u292b10.tar.gz
I can't find the version for osx :(
Follow this to download using curl
install mode
apt-get install openjdk-8-jre (just run apps)
apt-get install openjdk-8-jdk (develop and run)
From https://openjdk.java.net/install/
Oracle Java 1.4, 5, 6 and 7 (Deprecated)
Oracle does not show any message related to license changes for Java 1.4, 5, 6 and 7 downloads. So we can use them for development and production deployment, accepting issues and security problems because these versions are so ancient!!
Oracle downloads:
https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/java-archive-javase-v14-downloads.html
https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/java-archive-javase5-downloads.html
https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javase-java-archive-javase6-downloads.html
https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/java-archive-downloads-javase7-521261.html
Legacy versions prior to 7, does not have and will not have any update. Maybe a sales contact could be a solution if your have a Legacy Systems running over this java old versions.
Free From Trusted Third Parties
Zulu Community (Java 6,7,8,11,13,14,15)
https://www.azul.com/downloads/zulu-community/?architecture=x86-64-bit&package=jdk
Amazon Corretto (Java 11)
https://docs.aws.amazon.com/corretto/latest/corretto-11-ug/downloads-list.html
Eclipse OpenJ9
https://www.eclipse.org/openj9/
More third parties
The following implementations, listed in alphabetical order, are open source and free to use:
AdoptOpenJDK
Azul Zulu
Bck2Brwsr
CACAO
Codename One
DoppioJVM
GraalVM CE
HaikuVM
HotSpot
Jamiga
JamVM
Jelatine JVM
Jikes RVM (Jikes Research Virtual Machine)
JVM.go
leJOS
Maxine
Multi-OS Engine
RopeVM
uJVM
NON-FREE options
You should pay for these versions but in return you will have a lot of features suported by Oracle or another third parties
Oracle Java
https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/downloads/
Java 19
https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/downloads/#java19
Java 17
https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/downloads/#java17
Java 11
https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/downloads/#java11
Oracle Java 8 update 221
Since the java 8 update at April 16, 2019 8u221, all versions and updates for (java 8,9,10,11,14) has no cost just for personal use and development purposes. Any other use, needs a Commercial License.
https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javase/javase-jdk8-downloads.html latest update 251
https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javase/javase8u211-later-archive-downloads.html previous updates (241,231,221,212,211)
Source: https://www.baeldung.com/oracle-jdk-vs-openjdk
Proprietary Implementations
There are also other private or commercial implementations:
Azul Zing JVM
CEE-J
Excelsior JET (Discontinued)
GraalVM EE
Imsys AB
JamaicaVM (aicas)
JBlend (Aplix)
MicroJvm (IS2T – Industrial Smart Software Technology)
OJVM
PTC Perc
SAP JVM
Waratek CloudVM for Java
Source: https://www.baeldung.com/oracle-jdk-vs-openjdk
Notes
Oracle Java 9 and 10 has reached end of support.
https://stackoverflow.com/a/50333498/3957754
More References
Differences between Oracle JDK and OpenJDK
https://whichjdk.com/
https://www.openlogic.com/blog/java-experts-openjdk-vs-oracle-jdk
https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/overview/faqs-jsp-136696.html
https://www.oracle.com/downloads/licenses/javase-license1.html
https://openjdk.java.net/projects/jdk8/
https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javase/8u-relnotes.html
https://gist.github.com/jrichardsz/83db09163ca9a0db4c9cd4f91cbf0598/
https://jdk.java.net/archive
Starting JDK 17 (September 2021)
Oracle JDK 17 and later are provided under a free-to-use license that lasts until one year after the subsequent LTS release. After that time, the Oracle JDK becomes under OTN license.
Here's a related FAQs page that explains more, but here's a summary extracted from that page:
Oracle OpenJDK releases are under GNU GPL v2 with the Classpath Exception (permits free production use).
Oracle JDK 17 and later is available under the Oracle No-Fee Terms and Conditions License which permits free use for all users.
Previous Oracle JDK releases remain under the OTN License Agreement for Java SE.
"Oracle will use the NTFC for JDK 17 and later releases. LTS releases, such as JDK 17, will receive updates under this license for one year after the release of the subsequent LTS. After the free use license period, Oracle intends to use the OTN License, the same currently used for Java 8 and 11 LTS releases, for subsequent updates. Non-LTS releases such JDK 18 will be available for their entire planned six months support life under the NFTC."
Sources:
https://blogs.oracle.com/java/post/free-java-license
https://www.oracle.com/uk/java/technologies/javase/jdk-faqs.html
Now,You can use JDK/Java 17, in JDK/java7 download page(https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/downloads/) ,you can get this comment:
Java 17 LTS is the latest long-term support release for the Java SE platform. JDK 17 binaries are free to use in production and free to redistribute, at no cost, under the Oracle No-Fee Terms and Conditions License.
JDK 17 will receive updates under these terms, until at least September 2024.
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I am getting confused by the new short release cycle paradigma of Oracle. Here is a table with support dates:
Java 8 has a bigger support window than most of the following Jdk. Java 9 is supposed to be End of support now, same for java 10.
It becomes a non trivial task deciding on a jdk version.
Oracle introduces the therm of Long therm support release. What does this mean for the Non-LTS versions ? Are they similar to the minor releases ?
In the past, Java major releases often tended to be loaded with far-reaching features that had a massive impact on the code that you could and should write, like generics (Java 5), functional constructs (Java 8), and modules (Java 9). Such releases took a long time, and often involved delays for various reasons.
Presumably drawing a lesson from this, Oracle decided to overhaul the development style for Java to be more incremental or "agile", if you like. Instead of having feature-loaded major releases that can sometimes take many years to finish, they want to publish major releases with fewer new features, each in a fixed release schedule every six months.
Java 10 was the first version under this new release model, and Java 9 already got deprecated with the release of Java 10. Java 11, which was released in September 2018 is a Long Term Support (LTS) release with support until 2026 (Source). This is very similar to what many are used to from the Ubuntu release model (On a side note, they even planned to replace the version numbers with something involving the year and month of release or so, similar to what Canonical is doing with Ubuntu, but dropped that idea for some reason).
Using a non-LTS version of Java now implies a commitment to update your software that uses the JDK every 6 month. It shouldn't be as involved as migrating code from one major Java version to another in the past because, as described, the language changes are supposed to happen in a more incremental way, but it's definitely something to consider. If you don't want to make this commitment, you should stick to the LTS versions, which means to stick with Java 8 or Java 11.
For a new "greenfield" project, Java 11 is most probably the best choice by now. But it might be necessary to stick with Java 8 if the toolchain to be used does not fully support Java 11 yet.
I hope this will help.
If you can upgrade to the latest JDK every six month, pick the latest version. Otherwise pick the LTS version; if the next LTS is going to be released soon (before your release date), then you might want to use the latest version and switch to the LTS before your release.
Also, Oracle JDK is now (since 11) fully based on the OpenJDK project, so any OpenJDK build from your favorite vendor might be just as good a choice for you as Oracle JDK -- or even better.
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I wanted to install JDK 9 on my machine, visited JDK official download page, and was surprised to see,
Java SE 9 has reached end of support. Users of Java SE 9 should switch to Java SE 10. Please visit our Java SE Downloads page to get the current version of Java SE. You will be redirected to the Java SE Downloads page in ... seconds. Please update your bookmarks to the Java SE Downloads page.
I did some googling and Java release history etc. But couldn't find any concrete reason.
I have couple of questions-
Oracle is still supporting the JDK 1.8, but stopped releasing updates to JDK 9, why?
Should I continue using JDK 1.8 for some time and then directly switch to JDK 10?
In the past, Java major releases often tended to be loaded with far-reaching features that had a massive impact on the code that you could and should write, like generics (Java 5) and functional constructs (Java 8).
With Java 9 Oracle introduced a new modularization system (project Jigsaw), that also has a massive impact on the JVM architecture (although, not so much on the language syntax). They had to postpone the release of Java 9 two times because of disagreements on the implementation of that feature with other influential members of the Java community.
Presumably drawing a lesson from this, Oracle decided to overhaul the development style for Java to be more incremental or "agile", if you like. Instead of having feature loaded major releases that can sometimes take many years to finish, they want to publish major releases with less new features each in a fixed release schedule every six months.
Java 9 and Java 10 are the first two versions scheduled with this new release model and Java 9 already got deprecated with the release of Java 10. Java 11, which was released in September 2018 is a Long Term Support (LTS) release with support until 2026. This is very similar to what many are used to from the Ubuntu release model (On a side note, they even planned to replace the version numbers with something involving the year and month of release or so, similar to what Canonical is doing with Ubuntu, but dropped that idea for some reason).
Using a non-LTS version of Java now implies a commitment to update your software that uses the JDK every 6 month. It shouldn't be as involved as migrating code from one major Java version to another in the past because, as described, the language changes are supposed to happen in a more incremental way, but it's definitely something to consider. If you don't want to make this commitment, you should stick to the LTS versions, which means to stick with Java 8 or Java 11.
For a new "greenfield" project, Java 11 is most probably the best choice by now. But it might be necessary to stick with Java 8 if the toolchain to be used does not fully support Java 11 yet.
Apparently in the future Oracle wants to release a LTS version every three years or every 6th release, so the next LTS release to be expected after Java 11 is Java 17 in September 2021.
Oracle transitioned to timeboxed releases. This means you will get a new Java release every 3 months, and a long term release every few years.
The Long Term Releases are expected to be supported for 3 years after the next release, so I wouldn't expect a new LTS release until some time late 2019 or early 2020, as December 2020 is the end of support for JDK 8.
I somehow understand the differences between Oracle JDK and Open JDK.
But I can't find reasons to use Open JDK.
Because Oracle JDK already has everything one would need and sometimes faster than Open JDK.
In which cases should someone use Open JDK?
Is it just for legality issues?
If yes, then what are issues?
That because I have been still develop all my projects using Oracle JDK
Other Answers are correct. Here is some other information as well, including vital changes as of early 2021.
Source-code versus Binaries/installers
understand the differences between Oracle JDK and Open JDK.
To sum it up: source-code versus binaries/installers.
OpenJDK is an open-source project, implementing the Java Specifications, JSRs, and JEPs that define the Java platform. This project publishes only source-code, not binaries or installers to get Java running on your computer (except for some early-access builds). Oracle is the principal participant in the OpenJDK project, alongside IBM & Red Hat, Apple, SAP, Azul Systems, Microsoft, and others.
Many companies provide distributions of OpenJDK for installation, as binaries or installers. Oracle is one such company.
Oracle actually provides two such products:
Oracle JDKA commercial product, with paid support plans. (Free-of-cost only for development & testing, not deployment. Read their terms.)
jdk.java.netA build of the OpenJDK source-code, freely available, unsupported.
Oracle has declared their intention to keep their commercial product Oracle JDK at feature-parity with OpenJDK. Oracle even went so far as to open-source and make available at no cost their formerly commercial tools Mission Control and Flight Recorder, both now a part of OpenJDK. So there is nearly no practical difference. One significant difference is that the Oracle company reserves the right to rapidly supply their paid support customer base with urgent patches not currently found in OpenJDK. Ditto for other vendors selling support.
[And for the record, Oracle offers a third implementation of Java, GraalVM, which is a very specialized product.]
Here is a flowchart graphic I made to help guide you in selecting a provider of a Java implementation.
And here is a list of motivations you might consider in choosing a distribution.
November 2017: At the time this question was asked, the reasons for choosing between OpenJDK and Oracle JDK include:
Availability of builds / installers for specific platforms. For example, last time I checked there were no Oracle JDK distros in ".deb" format for Debian / Ubuntu. And no OpenJDK builds for Windows.
Oracle JDK has some commercial features that can be enabled by people who have paid. They are not present on OpenJDK.
Oracle JDK has an annoying click-through license. This is a pain if you are trying to automate deployment; e.g. to cloud VMs. By contrast, OpenJDK on Linux (at least) can be installed and updated using the platform's package manager.
There may be issues if you wanted commercial support for OpenJDK.
There were no substantive license differences between Oracle JDK and OpenJDK if you just plan to use the software. (There are some constraints on binary redistribution for Oracle JDK, but they are about shipping non-standard or stripped-down versions of the Java platform.)
In the future, some of these differences will go away, according to this blog page:
Faster and Easier Use and Redistribution of Java SE
Update in December 2018:
As of January 2019, Oracle JDK Java 8 will be EOL for commercial uses. (But free support will continue until January 2020 for personal use.)
1
Java 9 and Java 10 are EOL.
Commercial uses of Oracle JDK Java 11 and later require a support contract or a subscription from Oracle. OpenJDK Java builds do not have this requirement.
Oracle do not provide support for OpenJDK Java builds, but support is available from 3rd parties. Third parties will also port Oracle security fixes to OpenJDK builds.
Further reading:
Java Is Still Free
OpenJDK Life Cycle and Support Policy (RedHat)
The future of Java and OpenJDK updates without Oracle support
What has changed in Java Release and Update Availability? (Azul Systems)
AdoptOpenJDK Support
1
EOL stands for end-of-life.
An end-of-life (EOL) product is a product that does not receive continuing support, either because existing marketing, support and other processes are terminated, or it is at the end of its useful life.
OpenJDK comes tightly integrated with the distribution update process. For example, on Fedora, this means that you simply can run
dnf update
without activating third-party repositories, and you will get the latest OpenJDK version with all relevant fixes.
OpenJDK is tested by the distribution vendor on this particular distribution. Oracle has different reference platforms for testing of OpenJDK. In the case of Fedora, software written in Java is tested with the OpenJDK version provided by the distribution, while the combination of that software with Oracle JDK receives much less testing.
Oracle also bundles their Java downloads with additional software such as browser toolbars, performance measurement and monitoring tools.
For those, who read this in 2019.
Java SE 8 is the last Java SE release targeting Desktop deployment (eg, Java Web Start and a stand-alone system JRE). Java SE 8 will be end of public updates in January 2019, after which commercial users need to either transition to other technologies, or purchase a Java SE Subscription.
So, another reason to use OpenJDK (in addition to what Stephen C said): it's free of charge for all purposes.
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Wondering if anyone switched from Sun/Oracle JDK to OpenJDK?
Is it production ready? Is the version 7 release any different from the Oracle version?
The answer to the question of whether OpenJDK is production-ready likely depends on your application workload. At Azul Systems, we launched the Zulu product around OpenJDK with the intention of supporting production workloads with OpenJDK.
To do this, we prepare our own binary distributions of OpenJDK, test them against the Technology Compatibility Kit ("TCK") for the relevant Java SE standard (ie. 6, 7, and 8) on Windows and Linux platforms, then exercise them in various application scenarios: Java EE application servers, GUI apps, benchmarks, virtualization and cloud contexts, debuggers, etc.
So far OpenJDK is standing up to many types of workloads. There remain a handful of differences between OpenJDK and Hotspot that may or may not pertain to your own workload and application design, for example the browser JRE plugin and Java Web Start are in Hotspot but not in OpenJDK. The core JVM in OpenJDK remains very similar: same interpreter, same C1 and C2 compilers, same garbage collectors, same source compiler and class API hierarchy, and similar basic tools. Many of the remaining gaps stem from encumbrances, meaning items present in the Oracle JDK that could not be made open from their original inclusion and license impact.
In response to the "is Java 7 ready", the differences were indeed likely most pronounced in OpenJDK 6, given its source code evolution through the IcedTea open source project. OpenJDK 7 and OpenJDK 8 started off at GA very similar, then grow to have differences throughout the maintenance cycle, where security fixes flow into OpenJDK regularly, along with big batches of fixes when Oracle does their quarterly critical patch updates. Plus, backports of worthy source changes and fixes into 6 and 7 from the 8 and 9 repositories happen continually throughout the lifecycle. Good code is good code.
When considering production operations, you may also want to consider tech support for the JVM and JDK. While Zulu itself is free, if your production environment warrants support, Azul offers fee-based tech support through different tiers of the Zulu Enterprise offering.
Zulu and Zulu Enterprise are described on the Azul website here:
http://www.azulsystems.com/products/zulu
Disclaimer: I am the Product Manager for Zulu and Zing products at Azul Systems.
There are still regressions in OpenJDK that might affect your operations. See for example : Memory error when trying to change Apache Tomcat port from 8080 to 80
OpenJDK can't be considered as a safe drop in replacement for Sun Java yet, test carefully your applications.
EDIT: For clarity, the issue mentioned is caused by a slightly increased memory usage of OpenJDK compared to Sun Java (not much, but sufficiently to create a memory issue in this case).
In our production environment we develop some JavaEE applications, I changed JDK to OpenJDK, everything worked pretty well.
I have been using java-1.8.0-openjdk as part of CentOS 7 stack in all cases of needing a jvm. I have been using it with various setups of Elasticsearch, Hadoop, and also as the foundation for Eclipse (Luna). I have not seen any issues after months of use with these applications in the lab. It has performed flawlessly as far as I can tell.