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Run an application made on java(FX) on a webpage

i am currently writing a game on javaFX and i have plans to post it in the website i run in the future (end exploit the Ads while at it). The problem is that after searching around a little it seems there is no way to run a java application on a browser.
Allowing people to run it through the browser would really help sharing the program.
My question is: is there today(2018) any way to run a java application through the web? Though i like java, no browser support seems like a really, really bad idea.
Oh, i also heard of Java Web Start. Although it looks like it is just avoiding the problem (not running in the browser) it seems like a good way to share an application. The problem is that it seems it is (Will be?) deprecated? I am helpless, it is like java isn't even trying anymore...
PS: If it makes any difference my game would be a 2D game with 3rd person view. It will also require some server stuff since players will create "arenas" that others can challenge. I would say my game wouldn't be "simple".

Java Web Start does the job very well—if you are willing to pay for a code signing certificate. (They’re a lot more expensive than regular SSL certificates.) The idea is that a user clicks on a hyperlink on your page, which causes the user’s Java installation to launch your application (possibly after installing it). This requires users to have Java installed beforehand.
If you don’t have the resources or desire to go with a code signing certificate, you can look at https://docs.oracle.com/javase/9/deploy/self-contained-application-packaging.htm. It allows you to create native installation packages for JavaFX applications. The disadvantage: You need each platform to create an installer for it. Meaning, you need Windows to create a Windows installer, OS X to create an OS X installation image, and Linux to create a Linux package. Some may also require signing using native tools.
Java 9 includes the jmod and jlink tools, which are capable of creating a file tree with an executable shell script or .bat file. A major advantage is that you can build such a tree for any platform, regardless of your own platform, if you unpackage the foreign platform’s JDK on your machine. Another advantage is that the user doesn’t need to have Java installed at all. A disadvantage is that the script requires a terminal, unless running on Linux.
Of course, you can just go the manual route and distribute a zip file which contains your .jar file(s), a shell script you’ve written, and a .bat file you’ve written. It’s not elegant, but it’s better than nothing. But it may trip up some non-technical users.
There exist a number of tools which create a native executable from .jar files, but I am not familiar with them (and I prefer to avoid third party tools unless they are truly necessary).
Whatever approach you choose, the answer is the same: You distribute something on your web page which the user downloads and runs. Aside from the download process, the browser is not involved.
What you can’t do is have users run your application inside the browser. That is deprecated, with good reason: It’s a disaster for the browser performance, for the Java runtime, for security, and for the user experience. And Firefox has all but banned plugins, so you’d be locking out a substantial percentage of users.

Automated updates for Java applications [duplicate]

I would like to implement a java application (server application) that can download a new version (.jar file) from a given url, and then update itself at runtime.
What is the best way to do this and is it possible?
I guess that the application can download a new .jar file and start it. But how should I do the handover, e.g. know when the new application is started and then exit. Or is there a better way to do this?

The basic structure of a solution is as follows:
There is a main loop responsible for repeatedly loading the latest version of the app (if required) and launching it.
The application does its thing, but periodically checks the download URL. If it detects a new version it exits back to the launcher.
There are a number of ways you could implement this. For example:
The launcher could be a wrapper script or binary application that starts a new JVM to run the application from a JAR file that gets replaced.
The launcher could be a Java application that creates a classloader for the new JAR, loads an entrypoint class and calls some method on it. If you do it this way, you have to watch for classloader storage leaks, but that's not difficult. (You just need to make sure that no objects with classes loaded from the JAR are reachable after you relaunch.)
The advantages of the external wrapper approach are:
you only need one JAR,
you can replace the entire Java app,
any secondary threads created by the app, etc will go away without special shutdown logic, and
you can also deal with recovery from application crashes, etc.
The second approach requires two JARs, but has the following advantages:
the solution is pure Java and portable,
the changeover will be quicker, and
you can more easily retain state across the restart (modulo leakage issues).
The "best" way depends on your specific requirements.
It should also be noted that:
There are security risks with auto-updating. In general, if the server that provides the updates is compromised, or if the mechanisms for providing the updates are susceptible to attack, then auto-updating can lead to a compromise of the client(s).
Pushing a update to a client that cause damage to the client could have legal risks, and risks to your business' reputation.
If you can find a way to avoid reinventing the wheel, that would be good. See the other answers for suggestions.

I am currently developing a JAVA Linux Daemon and also had the need to implement an auto-update mechanism. I wanted to limit my application to one jar file, and came up with a simple solution:
Pack the updater application in the update itself.
Application: When the application detects a newer version it does the following:
Download update (Zipfile)
Extract Application and ApplicationUpdater (all in the zipfile)
Run updater
ApplicationUpdater: When the updater runs it does the following:
Stop the Application (in my case a daemon via init.d)
Copy the downloaded jar file to overwrite current Application
Start the Application
Cleanup.
Hope it helps someone.

I've recently created update4j which is fully compatible with Java 9's module system.
It will seamlessly start the new version without a restart.

This is a known problem and I recommend against reinventing a wheel - don't write your own hack, just use what other people have already done.
Two situations you need to consider:
App needs to be self-updatable and keep running even during update (server app, embedded apps). Go with OSGi: Bundles or Equinox p2.
App is a desktop app and has an installer. There are many installers with update option. Check installers list.

I've written a Java application that can load plugins at runtime and start using them immediately, inspired by a similar mechanism in jEdit. jEdit is open source so you have the option of looking to see how it works.
The solution uses a custom ClassLoader to load files from the jar. Once they're loaded you can invoke some method from the new jar that will act as its main method. Then the tricky part is making sure you get rid of all references to the old code so that it can be garbage collected. I'm not quite an expert on that part, I've made it work but it wasn't easy.

First way: use tomcat and it's deploy facilities.
Second way: to split application on two parts (functional and update) and let update part replace function part.
Third way: In your server appliction just download new version, then old version releases bound port, then old version runs new version (starts process), then old version sends a request on application port to the new version to delete old version, old version terminates and new version deletes old version. Like this:

This isn't necessarily the best way, but it might work for you.
You can write a bootstrap application (ala the World of Warcraft launcher, if you've played WoW). That bootstrap is responsible for checking for updates.
If an update is available, it will offer it to the user, handle the download, installation, etc.
If the application is up to date, it will allow the user to launch the application
Optionally, you can allow the user to launch the application, even if it isn't up to date
This way you don't have to worry about forcing an exit of your application.
If your application is web based, and if it is important that they have an up to date client, then you can also do version checks while the application runs. You can do them at intervals, while performing normal communication with the server (some or all calls), or both.
For a product I recently worked on, we did version checks upon launch (without a boot strapper app, but before the main window appeared), and during calls to the server. When the client was out of date, we relied on the user to quit manually, but forbid any action against the server.
Please note that I don't know if Java can invoke UI code before you bring up your main window. We were using C#/WPF.

If you build your application using Equinox plugins, you can use the P2 Provisioning System to get a ready-made solution to this problem. This will require the server to restart itself after an update.

I see a security problem when downloading a new jar (etc.), e.g., a man in the middle attack. You always have to sign your downloadable update.
On JAX2015, Adam Bien told about using JGit for updating the binaries.
Sadly I could not find any tutorials.
Source in German.
Adam Bien created the updater see here
I forked it here with some javaFX frontend. I am also working on an automatic signing.

Java application installer as a windows service or startup

I am using netbeans to create a project, and the final result needs to be an installer, that when you install the app, it would automatically turn itself on after every computer reset.
I was looking (still am) for any software that would help me, but cant find anything.. I found a simple install creator and it makes an installer but it doesnt automatically puts the app as a windows service (i could use the CMD to make it as a service after the installation, but i want it to be automatic).
Another alternative is that the installer would put the application exe in the users startup group, but again, i want it to do so automatically.
Can someone recommend me some simple software for this.
Thank you.

Try Install4J. Although it is not free.
install4j offers full support for generating and installing services (daemons). For services, install4j generates service executables on Windows, startup items on Mac OS X and start/stop scripts on Unix/Linux platforms.

I don't think this is a right SO question.
Any how, have a Look at WhatInStartup
(it's free)
Create a exe Jar file of your program, add just add to it.
To do it in a easy way,Look at Jar2Exe

We have used Java Service Wrapper at my job, and it has worked fine for years. It is not free though.

How to put java code into an application format?

I made a simple command-line based game in java, only two classes (using Eclipse). But I was wondering how I can make this into a usable application for anyone, without running it through eclipse (ie send it to someone who knows nothing about java but would still be able to play the game)? Thanks!

You want to create a runnable jar file.
Eclipse has an option for this in the "Export" menu. For more options, search for "executable jar file" here or on Google.
You want to make sure that you also include any jar files your code depends on as well (Eclipse can also do that for you).
Users will be able to start this by double-clicking on the file on most platforms. If you need better integration (such as a custom icon), you will need to bundle it up further into an OS-specific executable. But for starters, a simple runnable jar works fine.
send it to someone who knows nothing about java
You need to get them to at least install the Java runtime on their machine (if it is not already there).

Just to be clear, "command-line" and "knows nothing about java" are probably not going to work very well for you given that:
java is OS agnostic, therefore, if you send (presumably) a jar file to say...your grandma and she has a mac and you have a PC chances are her getting it to work is not going to be "out of the box easy" so to speak.
Left with this, I think you have a couple choices...first off, you do need to package your classes - a runnable jar will work fine. Aside from that, you will most likely have to build OS specific scripts (batch scripts for Windows, shell scripts for unix, etc.) and you will have to hand these out with your jar file. That being said, the intended user will still need to have java installed, and the batch scripts themselves are not likely to be trivial endeavors.
Your next option would be to use JNLP. However, I don't think JNLP has a command line mode, so you will likely have to simulate a console with something like a JTextArea.
As far as I see it, your last option it to use one of the many products (not sure if there are any free ones) that package java into native code. I think Exe4j is one such example - but, like I said, I am not sure if there are any free ones and I am not sure how hard they are to use.
Best of luck, and if you can't get your jar to work you should probably move that to its own question.

Java application launcher

I have written a very simple Java application. Can anyone tell me how to create a launcher like icon to run that application both in Ubuntu and Windows ??
Thanks in advance..!!

An executable JAR should work fine for a launcher on both Windows and Linux. However, that won't get you a custom icon.
On Windows, you can use JSmooth, which will create a .exe wrapper around your JAR file. The JSmooth program will let you create an icon for the EXE as well (it also has options such as getting the user to download the necessary version of the JVM, or only permitting one instance of the program to run).

If your java application is to be distributed from a web server, you should have a look at Java Web Start which can do what you ask for based on a JNLP-file. Notably see
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E17476_01/javase/1.5.0/docs/guide/javaws/developersguide/faq.html#104

Ubuntu and Windows will both have different ways to launch the application. I see two routes to follow here. One is to use Java Web Start and use a web interface to start your application. The other is to search for some sort of 3rd party installer that will create setup/installation programs for all the platforms you want to use.
I actually used a third party install program before, InstallAnywhere, but it was almost ten years ago. It offered the functionality you are looking for, though.

There are different ways to do this, sometimes the simplest is the best approach. One solution as suggested is a simple starting script. Roll your application into a jar, then include a script that does nothing more than "java -jar myscript.jar". I do this all the time for internal customers that may be running various types of *nix and whatever version of windows (a few macs as well). How sophisticated you need it to be depends on the audience served.

Create a bat/shell script which starts your application.
And than create a shortcut/launcher for it.
Shortcut file in windows has extension lnk.
Update
See example - SQuirreL launch file.