Bug ID: JDK-8239108 Java Web-Start no longer initiates

Type: Bug
Component: deploy
Sub-Component: webstart
Affected Version: 8

Priority: P3
Status: Closed
Resolution: Not an Issue
OS: windows_10
CPU: x86_64

Submitted: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-05-11
Resolved: 2020-05-11

ADDITIONAL SYSTEM INFORMATION :
Windows 10/1.8.0_241

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
Web-Start (JNLP) in 1.8.0_241 no longer initiates.  Started with jp2lancher or javaws with same result, Java splash screen is displayed for short time and exits with no trace or log files produced.  .  If I use 1.8.0_231 with identical commands, all is functional.


STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
"C:\\Program Files\\Java\\jre8\\bin\\jp2launcher.exe" -securejws  "%1" where %1 is JNLP file
or 
"C:\\Program Files\\Java\\jre8\\bin\\javaws.exe"  "%1" where %1 is JNLP file


EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
Java splash, Java download, Java console and application startup
ACTUAL -
Java splash for short time and exit.  Nothing follows.

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
Use 1.8.0_231

FREQUENCY : always

The behaviour observed by the submitter was triggered by back-port of JDK-7024585 to JDK 8u. Before these changes the option -XstartOnFirstThread was filtered out. Now it is passed to the Java. In other words the option (specified inside JNLP) has just started working :) As far as I know if the option XstartOnFirstThread is specified then AWT won��t start its own event loop and will wait for embedder, (e.g. SWT) to start it. So the results observed and described in bug are expected, (i.e. we are waiting for embedder but it looks like there is no embedder). An interesting thing is that the bug is open against Windows but the option is MacOS specific. Based on above I do not believe the submitter really needs this option. I would recommend that they should remove XstartOnFirstThread from the JNLP. I am closing this one as ��Not An Issue��. Please re-open if you feel I missed anything.

11-05-2020

The submitter found that their JNLP passes switch "-XstartOnFirstThread" to the java runtime... <java version="1.8.0+" java-vm-args="-XstartOnFirstThread -Xmx4096m -Xms1024m -XX:+UseG1GC" /> That switch caused the problem where Java WebStart failed to start. After removing the argument, the application launched successfully. So, it appears that 8u231 (and earlier) would run with this switch but 8u241 would not. This switch is not critical for the submitter and removing will be their solution. In investigating, it appears the following enhancement may have introduced this problem: JDK-7024585 - enhance the list of secure jnlp vm-args for plugin and web start .

18-02-2020