Azul Is Here to Help You with JavaFX 8 Changes

Since JDK 11, JavaFX has no longer been included in most distributions of OpenJDK, and you can download it separately from the OpenJFX website. OpenJDK and OpenJFX evolved as open-source projects on GitHub and follow the same release cadence, so both have been available in version 23 since September 2024.

Azul is one of the few OpenJDK distributors that still provides builds with JavaFX included, ensuring the combined OpenJDK and OpenJFX are fully compatible. You can find them as package type “JDK FX” on Azul Downloads. You can download Long Term Support versions 8, 11, 17, and 21, and Short Term Support version 23.

Oracle ends support in early 2025 for Java 8 with JavaFX

As explained in their roadmap, Oracle will end support for JavaFX in JDK 8 in March 2025 and stop providing Java 8 builds with OpenJFX included. This means that from the first security updates in April onward, Oracle JDK 8 will no longer be available with included JavaFX.

This will impact all use cases where Java 8 applications are used with the Oracle runtime, which needs JavaFX. This applies to desktop applications with a user interface, server-side image handling, infotainment applications in cars and planes, set-top boxes, etc.

This brings several risks:

• Your CI/CD builds will fail as new Oracle JDK 8 versions no longer support JavaFX.
• You can’t fix these failing builds as JavaFX 8 is no longer maintained as an open-source project, and no separate downloads are available.
• If you decide to stick to the latest released Oracle Java 8 package with JavaFX, your system will become vulnerable to CVEs, as no new releases with fixes will become available. The same applies to bug fixes in Java and JavaFX for that version.

What are your options?

Of course, there are multiple solutions to every problem.

• You can stop upgrading your Java 8 systems and stick to the latest release of Oracle Java 8 with JavaFX. However, as mentioned before, this comes with many CVEs and other risks.
• Upgrade your code to a newer Java version and use the free JavaFX runtime (17+). This brings additional profits, such as developer productivity, better memory use, etc. However, it also carries many risks, as you need to review your entire code base and runtime environment. You will also need additional extensive testing.
• The easiest solution is switching to Azul Zulu Builds of OpenJDK. Azul provides such a build of OpenJDK 8 with JavaFX included. It fully supports the included components, including WebKit, multimedia, and more. As a result, you can use your code and compiled applications as-is.

Advantages of Azul Zulu Builds

We ensure the OpenJFX code bundled in our runtimes is fully compatible with the OpenJDK version it comes with. This also means that CVEs impacting JavaFX are fixed in the three-monthly CPU and PSU releases of the Azul Zulu Builds.

Azul’s roadmap shows that Java 8 will be supported until December 2030. This allows you to keep your systems running on version 8 for many years.

Conclusion

While it’s recommended that you update your applications to newer Java versions for many reasons, we understand that it’s not always possible or the investment is too significant. In that case, Azul is here to help you keep your systems with JavaFX running on Java 8.