Why is javafx:run working proper, but javafx:jlink fails (using openjdk java 11)?

[boaks]

The open source project Eclipse/Californium contains a openjfx based simple UI demo, which was initialy implemented for java 8 and doesn't use modularization.

In order to use it, it requires either a installation of openjfx ahead and is then started with

java --module-path /usr/share/openjfx/lib --add-modules javafx.controls,javafx.fxml -jar cf-browser-3.0.0-RC2.jar

or to be started by

mvn javafx:run

Both variants works well.

In order to make it easier to use (no installation ahead nor using maven), I would like to provide also a "all dependency included" jar. I assumed, that javafx:jlink does that for me. Executing

mvn javafx:jlink

fails with:

Failed to execute goal org.openjfx:javafx-maven-plugin:0.0.8:jlink (default-cli) on project cf-browser: Error: jlink requires a module descriptor -> [Help 1]

Reading the documentation, it seems, that javafx:run adds

javafx:run options The plugin includes by default: --module-path, --add-modules and -classpath options.

but the same seems to be not true for the javafx:jlink. Even if I try to add them as options explicit, javafx:jlink reports the same error.

<plugin>
    <groupId>org.openjfx</groupId>
    <artifactId>javafx-maven-plugin</artifactId>
    <version>0.0.8</version>
    <configuration>
        <mainClass>${assembly.mainClass}</mainClass>
        <stripDebug>true</stripDebug>
        <compress>2</compress>
        <noHeaderFiles>true</noHeaderFiles>
        <noManPages>true</noManPages>
        <launcher>cf-browserfx</launcher>
        <jlinkImageName>cf-browser</jlinkImageName>
        <jlinkZipName>cf-browser-zip</jlinkZipName>
        <options>
            <option>--add-modules javafx.controls,javafx.fxml</option>
        </options>
    </configuration>
</plugin>

My questions:

• is it possible, to use javafx:jlink to build a non-modular application? If so, how is that done?

[boaks]

[ERROR] Failed to execute goal org.openjfx:javafx-maven-plugin:0.0.8:jlink (default-cli) on project cf-browser: Error: jlink requires a module descriptor -> [Help 1] org.apache.maven.lifecycle.LifecycleExecutionException: Failed to execute goal org.openjfx:javafx-maven-plugin:0.0.8:jlink (default-cli) on project cf-browser: Error at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute (MojoExecutor.java:215) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute (MojoExecutor.java:156) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute (MojoExecutor.java:148) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject (LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:117) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject (LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:81) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.builder.singlethreaded.SingleThreadedBuilder.build (SingleThreadedBuilder.java:56) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleStarter.execute (LifecycleStarter.java:128) at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.doExecute (DefaultMaven.java:305) at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.doExecute (DefaultMaven.java:192) at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.execute (DefaultMaven.java:105) at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.execute (MavenCli.java:972) at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.doMain (MavenCli.java:293) at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.main (MavenCli.java:196) at jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0 (Native Method) at jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke (NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62) at jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke (DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke (Method.java:566) at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launchEnhanced (Launcher.java:282) at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launch (Launcher.java:225) at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.mainWithExitCode (Launcher.java:406) at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.main (Launcher.java:347) Caused by: org.apache.maven.plugin.MojoExecutionException: Error at org.openjfx.JavaFXJLinkMojo.execute (JavaFXJLinkMojo.java:241) at org.apache.maven.plugin.DefaultBuildPluginManager.executeMojo (DefaultBuildPluginManager.java:137) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute (MojoExecutor.java:210) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute (MojoExecutor.java:156) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute (MojoExecutor.java:148) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject (LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:117) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject (LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:81) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.builder.singlethreaded.SingleThreadedBuilder.build (SingleThreadedBuilder.java:56) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleStarter.execute (LifecycleStarter.java:128) at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.doExecute (DefaultMaven.java:305) at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.doExecute (DefaultMaven.java:192) at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.execute (DefaultMaven.java:105) at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.execute (MavenCli.java:972) at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.doMain (MavenCli.java:293) at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.main (MavenCli.java:196) at jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0 (Native Method) at jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke (NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62) at jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke (DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke (Method.java:566) at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launchEnhanced (Launcher.java:282) at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launch (Launcher.java:225) at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.mainWithExitCode (Launcher.java:406) at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.main (Launcher.java:347) Caused by: org.apache.maven.plugin.MojoExecutionException: jlink requires a module descriptor at org.openjfx.JavaFXJLinkMojo.createCommandArguments (JavaFXJLinkMojo.java:306) at org.openjfx.JavaFXJLinkMojo.execute (JavaFXJLinkMojo.java:186) at org.apache.maven.plugin.DefaultBuildPluginManager.executeMojo (DefaultBuildPluginManager.java:137) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute (MojoExecutor.java:210) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute (MojoExecutor.java:156) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute (MojoExecutor.java:148) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject (LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:117) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject (LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:81) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.builder.singlethreaded.SingleThreadedBuilder.build (SingleThreadedBuilder.java:56) at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleStarter.execute (LifecycleStarter.java:128) at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.doExecute (DefaultMaven.java:305) at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.doExecute (DefaultMaven.java:192) at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.execute (DefaultMaven.java:105) at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.execute (MavenCli.java:972) at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.doMain (MavenCli.java:293) at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.main (MavenCli.java:196) at jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0 (Native Method) at jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke (NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62) at jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke (DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke (Method.java:566) at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launchEnhanced (Launcher.java:282) at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launch (Launcher.java:225) at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.mainWithExitCode (Launcher.java:406) at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.main (Launcher.java:347)

[boaks]

Let me add: I would welcome it, if javafx:run adds the --module-path, --add-modules and -classpath proper from the maven dependencies, that javafx:jlink does this as well.

[betanzos]

• is it possible, to use javafx:jlink to build a non-modular application?

No, it isn't possible.

The goal of javafx:jlink is to create a custom runtime image of the entire application (because of this a module descriptor is required) and what you want/need is to create a runtime image that includes only some modules.

Perhaps the maven-jlink-plugin will fit yours needs better.

[boaks]

Thanks!