# FreeBSD Java Support



## gibbs (Aug 4, 2010)

hi all,

I'm looking to tinker around with a new OS in my spare time and am still trying to decide between FreeBSD and Linux. I've looked at a few comparisons online but the one posted on the freebsd website is ten years old. Also, many of them seem to go over the head of a standard Windows user. Perhaps someone could point me in the direction of a "general overview" that would be beginner friendly. (I guess we will see how true the "BSD-elitist" claims are by the responses to this post.)

In any case, is there any reason why Java is not officially supported for FreeBSD? I see there is a JRE available for download but it makes no guarantees about it working properly claiming that most "major bugs" have been fixed. As a java developer, this is something that concerns me. 

thanks for your time.


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## vermaden (Aug 4, 2010)

gibbs said:
			
		

> hi all,
> 
> I'm looking to tinker around with a new OS in my spare time and am still trying to decide between FreeBSD and Linux. I've looked at a few comparisons online but the one posted on the freebsd website is ten years old. Also, many of them seem to go over the head of a standard Windows user. Perhaps someone could point me in the direction of a "general overview" that would be beginner friendly. (I guess we will see how true the "BSD-elitist" claims are by the responses to this post.)



Start with the Handbook mate: http://freebsd.org/handbook/



			
				gibbs said:
			
		

> In any case, is there any reason why Java is not officially supported for FreeBSD? I see there is a JRE available for download but it makes no guarantees about it working properly claiming that most "major bugs" have been fixed. As a java developer, this is something that concerns me.



You can build the Java from Ports, there are several versions available:

```
% [color="#0000ff"]cat /usr/ports/java/openjdk6/pkg-descr   [/color]          
OpenJDK is an open-source implementation of the Java Platform, Standard Edition.

The version has all of Sun's bug fixes up to JDK 6 Release 11 and should be
the runtime equivelent to JDK6 Release 11.

Much of the OpenJDK code is licensed under the GPL version 2 with the
Classpath exception. The Java Hotspot virtual machine source code is
licensed under the GPL version 2 only.

OpenJDK 6 should supercede the java/jdk16 port at some point in time.

WWW: http://openjdk.java.net/
```


```
% [color="Blue"]ls /usr/ports/java | grep jre[/color]
diablo-jre15/
diablo-jre16/
linux-sun-jre15/
linux-sun-jre16/

% [color="#0000ff"]ls /usr/ports/java | grep jdk[/color]
diablo-jdk15/
diablo-jdk16/
jdk13/
jdk13-doc/
jdk14/
jdk14-doc/
jdk15/
jdk15-doc/
jdk16/
jdk16-doc/
linux-blackdown-jdk14/
linux-sun-jdk13/
linux-sun-jdk14/
linux-sun-jdk15/
linux-sun-jdk16/
openjdk6/
openjdk7/
```

... but I can not tell You how it works, I do not use Java.


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## gilinko (Aug 4, 2010)

If you haven't used any other OS than Windows, then you are in for quite a steep learning curve with FreeBSD. FreeBSD has no "default GUI", only pure console so if that is going to be a problem I suggest that you start with either PC-BSD which is a FreeBSD derivative(ie based on FreeBSD) or if that's still to technical then I would suggest one of the extremely user friendly Linux distributions like Ubuntu or Fedora.

In general, my suggestion would be to start running the open variants of the software that you currently use in you existing environment. Like Eclipse for java, pidgin for IM, Firefox/Opera for Web, Thunderbird for email, OpenOffice for all that it can do, VLC for media and so on. This will make the change to another OS easier when you have the same applications on both platforms.

Also if you just what to "try it out", I suggest that you download VirtualBox and install anything you want to try first in that virtual environment as it will not compromise you current OS(usually by accident).

In the end, you will come to a point where it's all or nothing and how well you survive that is all down to how much you have prepared.


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## SirDice (Aug 4, 2010)

gibbs said:
			
		

> In any case, is there any reason why Java is not officially supported for FreeBSD?


Actually, you're wrong about this. Java _is_ officially supported.

http://www.freebsd.org/java/
http://www.freebsdfoundation.org/downloads/java.shtml


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## olav (Aug 4, 2010)

Java on FreeBSD isn't working 100% properly. Try a framework like Grails and see all the error messages that occur


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## aragon (Aug 4, 2010)

olav said:
			
		

> Java on FreeBSD isn't working 100% properly. Try a framework like Grails and see all the error messages that occur


Are you sure that's because of java, or because grails expects linuxisms to exist?

Java works fine for me.  The only headache with it right now is no NPAPI plugin for firefox 3.6 yet.


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## plamaiziere (Aug 4, 2010)

gibbs said:
			
		

> hi all,
> 
> In any case, is there any reason why Java is not officially supported for FreeBSD? I see there is a JRE available for download but it makes no guarantees about it working properly claiming that most "major bugs" have been fixed. As a java developer, this is something that concerns me.
> 
> thanks for your time.



I'm working on a (small) Java project since 6 months using OpenJDK16, Maven and Netbeans 6.8 for the IDE and as far I can see it works fine. The only problem found is if OpenJDK is built with ipv6, svn support in netbeans does not work anymore. I'm not sure if this is a problem in FreeBSD or Netbeans.

A known problem is that there is not support for profiling with Netbeans in FreeBSD, and there is a warning when you start netbeans.That's all.

Of course this is not enough to say that Java works fine on FreeBSD, but at least it works for me.

If you want to use Eclipse, it does not work well on FreeBSD. I don't know why.


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