Changes to Java Licensing

Did you know the majority of PaperCut MF and PaperCut NG is written in Java as the underlying programming language?

On Windows, macOS, and Linux, PaperCut MF and NG come bundled with a specific version of Java that only the application will utilise. Each satellite component of PaperCut MF and NG which can be installed or copied to a location other than the primary Application Server will also run this version of Java.

Until recently, PaperCut MF and NG had been using Java 8. Oracle (the wizards behind Java) announced that they would be ending support for Java 8 at the beginning of 2019. In addition, Oracle have decided to no longer provide Java SE free for commercial use.

Here at PaperCut, we made the decision to switch over to using OpenJDK 11. This upgrade to the bundled Java is included in the version 19.0 release of both PaperCut MF and PaperCut NG, seeing wide release in April 2019.

Making the switch over to OpenJDK ensured we could continue to use Java without any impact of licensing costs. This does mean we do not have access to commercial support from Oracle, but this is not something we have made use of in the past, so this is not a significant change in circumstance.

All in all, our aim is to make the transition from Java 8 to OpenJDK 11 as smooth and painless for you as is feasible.

Is there anything I need to know when upgrading to version 19.0 or later?

One of the key changes with this upgrade is that we have ended support for 32-bit operating systems throughout PaperCut MF and NG. Our server components were upgraded to 64-bit only in 2018, and the move to OpenJDK 11 builds on this, with workstation components such as our User Client and Release Station no longer supported on 32-bit operating systems. If you think you might still have 32-bit workstations in your environment, you’ll definitely want to read our End-of-life for 32-bit Operating Systems article before proceeding with an upgrade from version 18.3.8 or earlier. You can also find more general information pertaining to the end of our formal support for various operating systems and past releases in our Support End-of-life Policy.

Does this have an impact on my PaperCut MF or NG licence?

There will be no impact to your licence. There is no cost impact in switching over to OpenJDK 11, and this therefore has no affect on your current PaperCut MF or NG licence.