Upgrading Java From JRE 8 To The Latest Version

Xeams requires Java, and the current version runs on JRE 8. Due to some significant licensing changes in the Java platform in 2021 and updates in JRE9, many companies decided to stay with JRE8 for a few years. Additionally, several organizations, such as Amazon, IBM, Eclipse, and others, have developed their distribution packages for Java. This page talks about the roadmap Synametrics will take to upgrade from JRE8 to the latest version, which at the time of this article is JRE 21.

Benefits Of Upgrading

There are three main benefits of upgrading:

  1. New Features
  2. Security And Updates
  3. Support

Due to JRE8's significant installation base, most companies that distribute Java have committed to supporting it until at least 2026 and may extend this beyond this point. Therefore, every product published by Synametrics Technologies, Inc will be upgraded to use a new JRE before mid-2026.

Why Will Synametrics Wait Until 2026

There are a couple reasons:

  • Xeams does not use any feature in the Java language introduced after JRE 8. Features in the underlying language only benefit the programmers, not the end-user. Therefore, we will continue using the language specs in JRE 8 for backward compatibility.
  • JRE 8 will get periodic security updates until 2016 and possibly beyond.

Can I Upgrade To A Newer JRE Today?

Yes. The code base of Xeams is compatible with newer JRE. Use the following steps to upgrade.

  • Back up your current installation folder. On Windows, this is usually C:\Windows; on Linux, this path is /opt/Xeams. This folder is referred as $INSTALL_DIR below.
  • Stop Xeams
  • Download the latest JRE from Adoptium, Amazon, Azul, or any other distribution you prefer. Extract this into a temporary folder and rename the downloaded folder to jre.
  • Download lib4njre.jar file from here. Save this in the $INSTALL_DIR\lib folder.
  • Rename $INSTALL_DIR\jre folder to something like jre.old
  • Copy the extract jre folder to $INSTALL_DIR\jre. Once done, you should be able to run the following commands:

    C:\Xeams\jre\bin\java -version - On Windows
    /opt/Xeams/jre/bin/java -version - On Linux

  • No further steps are required on Linux. You will need to re-register the service on Windows using the following steps.
    • Open a Command Prompt in elevated mode (As Administrator)
    • Change directory to C:\Xeams by typing cd \Xeams.
    • Type the following command to uninstall the service
      InstallService -uninstallService
    • Type the following to install it again
      InstallService -installService
  • Restart Xeams