Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, Fedora or Red Hat Enterprise Linux ( RHEL) offer OpenJDK as their default Java SE implementation. OpenJDK follows a strict, time-based model that is split into development branches and will release new features every six months.Ĭompanies such as Azul, Eclipse, IBM, Red Hat, Oracle and SAP offer implementations of Java SE while the OpenJDK Community includes academics, open-source operating system distribution developers and individual software developers. Unlike other JDK release projects, which focused on releasing one feature at a time before terminating, OpenJDK is a long-term, ongoing project. A few notable components that fall under the OpenJDK project include the Java class library, the Java compiler, the Java Runtime Environment ( JRE) and the Java virtual machine ( JVM). Since the release of Java SE version 7, OpenJDK has been the official reference implementation.

Without the linking exception, components that linked to the Java class library would be subject to the terms of the GPL license.

The project is licensed under the GNU General Public License ( GNU GPL) version 2 with a linking exception. OpenJDK, which stands for Open Java Development Kit, originated from an effort initiated by Sun Microsystems in 2006 and is now sponsored and led by Oracle. OpenJDK is a free, open-source version of the Java Development Kit for the Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE).

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