About Java, licensing and more recent versions

[dave-csc]

Hello,

as stated in the docs, Hop requires at least Java 17 to run. I'm currently using OpenJDK 17.0.2 since it's the only version in the 17-branch that has the least restrictive license: however, this version is very old (it dates back to January 2022), so I would plan for an upgrade.

The available options are:

• upgrading to Java 17.0.12: its license still allows business use (this is why I'm using Hop) with few restrictions, but it still dates back too much in time (September 2024)
• upgrading to Java 17.0.18 (and ongoing): will be updated by Oracle until September 2029, but its license is very restrictive regarding business use
• upgrading to the newest branch (currently Java 25): would allow me to comply with a free use or open license, but is it safe to run Hop with a newer version of Java?

What would you choose / are you using between these options (other ideas are also welcome)?

Thanks for answering :)

[hansva]

Funny you ask this, I was just planning to send an email around upgrading our Java version to 21 for 1.18.
Other than that, the application should run fine with newer Java versions. We just don't actively test it and don't want to handle bug/support questions where we have to switch between Java versions. We already have 3 operating systems (4 including Docker) to test, so if you were to add 3 Java versions (17,21,25) into the mix. Every change needs 12 different tests and that's just something we don't want to be exposed to.

You could also take a look at Azul, they provide more recent Java 17 builds without the Oracle license.

[dave-csc]

Thanks for the suggestion, I'm giving a try to the Azul Zulu JDK... it even seems more reactive compared to OpenJDK :)