Skip to main content
Redhat Developers  Logo
  • Products

    Featured

    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux
      Red Hat Enterprise Linux Icon
    • Red Hat OpenShift AI
      Red Hat OpenShift AI
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI
      Linux icon inside of a brain
    • Image mode for Red Hat Enterprise Linux
      RHEL image mode
    • Red Hat OpenShift
      Openshift icon
    • Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform
      Ansible icon
    • Red Hat Developer Hub
      Developer Hub
    • View All Red Hat Products
    • Linux

      • Red Hat Enterprise Linux
      • Image mode for Red Hat Enterprise Linux
      • Red Hat Universal Base Images (UBI)
    • Java runtimes & frameworks

      • JBoss Enterprise Application Platform
      • Red Hat build of OpenJDK
    • Kubernetes

      • Red Hat OpenShift
      • Microsoft Azure Red Hat OpenShift
      • Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization
      • Red Hat OpenShift Lightspeed
    • Integration & App Connectivity

      • Red Hat Build of Apache Camel
      • Red Hat Service Interconnect
      • Red Hat Connectivity Link
    • AI/ML

      • Red Hat OpenShift AI
      • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI
    • Automation

      • Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform
      • Red Hat Ansible Lightspeed
    • Developer tools

      • Red Hat Trusted Software Supply Chain
      • Podman Desktop
      • Red Hat OpenShift Dev Spaces
    • Developer Sandbox

      Developer Sandbox
      Try Red Hat products and technologies without setup or configuration fees for 30 days with this shared Openshift and Kubernetes cluster.
    • Try at no cost
  • Technologies

    Featured

    • AI/ML
      AI/ML Icon
    • Linux
      Linux Icon
    • Kubernetes
      Cloud icon
    • Automation
      Automation Icon showing arrows moving in a circle around a gear
    • View All Technologies
    • Programming Languages & Frameworks

      • Java
      • Python
      • JavaScript
    • System Design & Architecture

      • Red Hat architecture and design patterns
      • Microservices
      • Event-Driven Architecture
      • Databases
    • Developer Productivity

      • Developer productivity
      • Developer Tools
      • GitOps
    • Secure Development & Architectures

      • Security
      • Secure coding
    • Platform Engineering

      • DevOps
      • DevSecOps
      • Ansible automation for applications and services
    • Automated Data Processing

      • AI/ML
      • Data Science
      • Apache Kafka on Kubernetes
      • View All Technologies
    • Start exploring in the Developer Sandbox for free

      sandbox graphic
      Try Red Hat's products and technologies without setup or configuration.
    • Try at no cost
  • Learn

    Featured

    • Kubernetes & Cloud Native
      Openshift icon
    • Linux
      Rhel icon
    • Automation
      Ansible cloud icon
    • Java
      Java icon
    • AI/ML
      AI/ML Icon
    • View All Learning Resources

    E-Books

    • GitOps Cookbook
    • Podman in Action
    • Kubernetes Operators
    • The Path to GitOps
    • View All E-books

    Cheat Sheets

    • Linux Commands
    • Bash Commands
    • Git
    • systemd Commands
    • View All Cheat Sheets

    Documentation

    • API Catalog
    • Product Documentation
    • Legacy Documentation
    • Red Hat Learning

      Learning image
      Boost your technical skills to expert-level with the help of interactive lessons offered by various Red Hat Learning programs.
    • Explore Red Hat Learning
  • Developer Sandbox

    Developer Sandbox

    • Access Red Hat’s products and technologies without setup or configuration, and start developing quicker than ever before with our new, no-cost sandbox environments.
    • Explore Developer Sandbox

    Featured Developer Sandbox activities

    • Get started with your Developer Sandbox
    • OpenShift virtualization and application modernization using the Developer Sandbox
    • Explore all Developer Sandbox activities

    Ready to start developing apps?

    • Try at no cost
  • Blog
  • Events
  • Videos

My advice for updating use of the Docker Hub OpenJDK image

September 16, 2022
Tim Ellison
Related topics:
ContainersJavaOpen source
Related products:
Red Hat build of OpenJDKRed Hat OpenShift

Share:

    The Java runtime environment in your containers could stop receiving updates in the coming months. It's time to take action. This article explains the decisions that led to this issue and proposes a solution.

    OpenJDK and Java SE updates

    OpenJDK is an open source implementation of the Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE), on which multiple companies and contributors collaborate.

    A project at OpenJDK represents each new feature release of the Java SE specification. Subsequent updates to those features, including functional and security fixes, are led by maintainers working in the JDK updates project. Long-term supported releases such as Java SE 8 (since March 2014), Java SE 11 (since Sept 2018), and Java SE 17 (since Sept 2021) undergo a quarterly release update under the guidance of a lead maintainer.

    The repository maintainers' role is to ensure that updates are both necessary and appropriate for deployed releases. They consider the opinions of multiple contributors when making such update decisions. Many vendors and distributors of Java SE subsequently build from the OpenJDK source code to provide new releases of their own branded Java SE offerings.

    Andrew Haley (Red Hat) is the lead maintainer for Java 8 updates and Java 11 updates, and Goetz Lindenmaier (SAP) is the lead maintainer for Java 17 updates. Update maintainers affiliated with companies that provide commercially supported distributions of OpenJDK based on Java SE work as independent contributors to the project.

    Docker Hub deprecates OpenJDK images

    For many years, the official Docker Hub image builders took OpenJDK Java SE update binaries from Eclipse Adoptium and other locations to build their own image. But in July 2022, the Docker Hub image builders announced the deprecation of this popular image.

    Now, Docker asks users to obtain their builds of OpenJDK, either from a commercial Java vendor or directly from the Adoptium project. There will be no further updates to the existing OpenJDK image, so users risk falling behind with functional and security updates to their Java SE usage unless they move to an alternate provider. I believe the official Eclipse Temurin image maintained by the Adoptium project is the obvious choice for a replacement image.

    Eclipse Adoptium builds JDKs

    OpenJDK does not provide binary updates directly from the update projects. Since July 2022, these long-term supported Java update projects have depended upon Eclipse Adoptium to build and distribute consumable OpenJDK binaries.

    Adoptium is a project dedicated to building, testing, and distributing up-to-date and ready-to-use OpenJDK binaries under an open source license. Adoptium calls their builds of OpenJDK, Temurin. They are available across a broad range of processors and operating systems. These Temurin binaries have over half a billion downloads and earned the trust of enterprise production environments worldwide. A vendor-independent working group based at the Eclipse software foundation leads Adoptium.

    The Adoptium community provides binaries built directly from OpenJDK source code. These Temurin binaries are available as direct downloads, installers, or container images and are faithful representations of the OpenJDK update source built under controlled conditions.

    The official Docker Hub Temurin images contain the latest releases of the OpenJDK updates for several Java SE versions, thoroughly tested with various applications. The images work as direct drop-in replacements for the OpenJDK images. Some OpenJDK images already contain Temurin binaries.

    How to move from OpenJDK images to Eclipse Temurin images

    The Docker Hub's deprecation decision presents a problem. But there is a solution. We recommend moving from the OpenJDK image to the official Docker Hub Eclipse Temurin image.

    The process is simple. All you have to do is identify the FROM lines in Dockerfiles such as this:

    FROM: openjdk:17

    Change the lines as follows:

    FROM eclipse-temurin:17

    The process for changing the use of images other than version 17 is equivalent. You can report issues to the Adoptium community.

    Red Hat support

    We encourage everyone to switch to Eclipse Temurin. Many application images and examples of best practices have successfully made the change.

    Red Hat recently announced direct support for Temurin in development and production as part of Red Hat Runtimes, Red Hat OpenShift, and Red Hat Build of OpenJDK. Red Hat support assures customers that the move to Temurin will be smooth, allowing you to continue focusing on building products that integrate and automate modern business applications and processes.

    Last updated: January 12, 2024

    Related Posts

    • The future of Java and OpenJDK updates without Oracle support

    • Set up JDK Mission Control with Red Hat Build of OpenJDK

    • Red Hat expands support for Java with Eclipse Temurin

    • Connecting Kubernetes and Docker

    Recent Posts

    • Expand Model-as-a-Service for secure enterprise AI

    • OpenShift LACP bonding performance expectations

    • Build container images in CI/CD with Tekton and Buildpacks

    • How to deploy OpenShift AI & Service Mesh 3 on one cluster

    • JVM tuning for Red Hat Data Grid on Red Hat OpenShift 4

    What’s up next?

    Modernizing Enterprise Java examines long-established Java-based models and shows you how to bring these monolithic applications successfully into a modern, cloud-native model with Kubernetes.

    Get the e-book
    Red Hat Developers logo LinkedIn YouTube Twitter Facebook

    Products

    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux
    • Red Hat OpenShift
    • Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform

    Build

    • Developer Sandbox
    • Developer Tools
    • Interactive Tutorials
    • API Catalog

    Quicklinks

    • Learning Resources
    • E-books
    • Cheat Sheets
    • Blog
    • Events
    • Newsletter

    Communicate

    • About us
    • Contact sales
    • Find a partner
    • Report a website issue
    • Site Status Dashboard
    • Report a security problem

    RED HAT DEVELOPER

    Build here. Go anywhere.

    We serve the builders. The problem solvers who create careers with code.

    Join us if you’re a developer, software engineer, web designer, front-end designer, UX designer, computer scientist, architect, tester, product manager, project manager or team lead.

    Sign me up

    Red Hat legal and privacy links

    • About Red Hat
    • Jobs
    • Events
    • Locations
    • Contact Red Hat
    • Red Hat Blog
    • Inclusion at Red Hat
    • Cool Stuff Store
    • Red Hat Summit
    © 2025 Red Hat

    Red Hat legal and privacy links

    • Privacy statement
    • Terms of use
    • All policies and guidelines
    • Digital accessibility

    Report a website issue