In part because of the pressure exerted by browser developers, Java curator Oracle has announced that it is going to deprecate the Java browser plug-in. The initiative will start with the forthcoming JDK 9, with removal from the Oracle JDK and Java Runtime Environment (JRE) in future releases.
The company notes in the announcement heralding the removal that “with modern browser vendors working to restrict and reduce plugin support in their products, developers of applications that rely on the Java browser plugin need to consider alternative options such as migrating from Java Applets (which rely on a browser plugin) to the plugin-free Java Web Start technology.” Java Web Start has been available since 2001.
One of Oracle’s recommendations as a replacement is the javapackager command. Javapackager allows developers to create standalone native install bundles on Windows, OS X, and Linux that do not require a separate JRE installation. This option is best suited for desktop applications, where the user may not have their own JRE installed, and just wants the program to run
