Adoptium

Adoptium is an Eclipse Foundation working group focused on making reliable, freely available, open-source Java runtimes and related technologies accessible across the Java ecosystem. Its principal software project is Eclipse Temurin, which produces certified binary builds of OpenJDK for widely used operating systems and processor architectures. The group also develops Eclipse AQAvit, an open test and quality-assurance suite intended to evaluate OpenJDK-based binaries across a broad range of compatibility, functional, and performance scenarios. The initiative grew out of AdoptOpenJDK, a community project established in 2017 to provide enterprise users with freely available OpenJDK runtime binaries. AdoptOpenJDK became an Eclipse Foundation project in 2020, after which the Eclipse Adoptium identity was adopted for the broader working group and ecosystem. The working group itself was launched in March 2021 with participation from Alibaba Cloud, Huawei, IBM, iJUG, Karakun AG, Microsoft, New Relic, and Red Hat. This transition placed the distribution and testing effort within a vendor-neutral open-source governance structure while retaining its focus on practical Java deployments. Eclipse Temurin is the best-known Adoptium offering. Its first release under the Temurin name appeared in October 2021 and included long-term-support Java 8 and Java 11 builds. The name Temurin is derived as an anagram of “runtime.” Temurin is built from OpenJDK source code and is distributed as a no-cost, open-source runtime for developers, organizations, and production environments. The project’s value proposition is based on a combination of broad platform coverage, reproducible and transparent build processes, compatibility testing, and access to certified binaries without requiring a commercial Java subscription for the runtime itself. Adoptium’s second major project, Eclipse AQAvit, provides an open quality-assurance framework for testing OpenJDK-based distributions. AQAvit is intended to help establish confidence that binaries behave consistently across platforms and Java versions. This testing role complements Temurin’s binary-production function and reflects the working group’s wider objective: not merely to publish Java builds, but to support a trustworthy open-source distribution ecosystem. In May 2022, Adoptium announced the formation of the Adoptium Marketplace. The marketplace was designed to help users discover Java runtimes and related distributions from participating providers, extending the group’s role beyond a single binary project. From 2023, Adoptium members including Azul Systems, IBM, Open Elements, and Red Hat offered commercial support for Temurin. These services allow organizations to obtain vendor-backed assistance while continuing to use the open-source Temurin runtime. Adoptium is therefore best understood not as a conventional software company or a single paid product line, but as a collaborative technology initiative and governance community. Its activities combine community coordination, open-source engineering, distribution infrastructure, testing, certification, and ecosystem development. The group serves developers, enterprises, cloud providers, software vendors, and Java platform users seeking open alternatives for running Java applications. Its projects occupy an important position in the Java ecosystem by helping organizations obtain and validate OpenJDK-based runtimes independently of any one commercial vendor.

Adoptium traces its origins to AdoptOpenJDK, a community initiative founded in 2017 to supply free and open-source Java runtime binaries for developers and enterprises. At the time, the project addressed a practical need in the Java ecosystem: organizations wanted dependable OpenJDK distributions that could be downloaded and deployed without relying exclusively on a commercial vendor’s licensing and distribution model. AdoptOpenJDK concentrated on building binaries for multiple operating systems and architectures and on making those builds accessible to a broad user community. In 2020, AdoptOpenJDK moved into the Eclipse Foundation’s project structure and became the basis for Eclipse Adoptium. The move provided a vendor-neutral institutional home and a formal open-source governance framework. Rather than representing a single company’s Java distribution, the project was organized around collaboration among companies, community participants, and Java users. The Eclipse Foundation structure also enabled the initiative to develop a distinct family of projects and brands rather than treating runtime downloads as an isolated service. The Adoptium Working Group was launched in March 2021. Its founding participants included Alibaba Cloud, Huawei, IBM, iJUG, Karakun AG, Microsoft, New Relic, and Red Hat. The group’s remit extended beyond compiling binaries. It sought to promote high-quality open-source Java runtimes, support the surrounding technology ecosystem, and establish quality and compatibility practices that could be used with OpenJDK-based distributions. The group’s primary runtime project was named Eclipse Temurin. The first Temurin release, issued in October 2021, supported Java 8 and Java 11 long-term-support lines. Temurin builds OpenJDK-based binaries and makes them available for general development and production use. The project’s name is an anagram of “runtime,” reflecting its focus on executable Java environments rather than on application frameworks or development tools. Temurin became the principal public-facing distribution associated with Adoptium. Quality assurance became the responsibility of the Eclipse AQAvit project. AQAvit provides an open test suite and related testing approach for OpenJDK-based binaries. Its purpose is to examine runtime behavior across platforms and use cases, helping users and distributors assess whether builds meet expected compatibility and reliability standards. The combination of Temurin distribution and AQAvit testing gives Adoptium a role in both producing Java runtimes and strengthening confidence in the broader OpenJDK binary ecosystem. In May 2022, Adoptium announced the creation of the Adoptium Marketplace. The marketplace broadened the initiative’s ecosystem function by providing a way to discover participating Java runtime providers and related offerings. It also reflected the reality that organizations may require different combinations of freely available binaries, commercial support, lifecycle assistance, and vendor accountability. From 2023, several Adoptium members—Azul Systems, IBM, Open Elements, and Red Hat—offered commercial support for Temurin. This development did not turn Temurin into a proprietary product. Instead, it created a services layer around an open-source runtime, allowing enterprises to use Temurin while purchasing assistance, maintenance, or related support from participating companies. Adoptium remains an Eclipse Foundation working group rather than a conventional standalone corporation. Its work centers on open-source Java runtime distribution, testing, governance, and ecosystem coordination. Through Temurin, AQAvit, and the marketplace, it supports users seeking stable OpenJDK-based Java environments and provides a collaborative alternative to single-vendor runtime distribution models.

• 2023

  Commercial Temurin support expands

  [1]Adoptiumen.wikipedia.org

  Several Adoptium members begin offering commercial support services for Temurin.

• 2022

  Adoptium Marketplace announced

  [1]Adoptiumen.wikipedia.org

  Adoptium announces a marketplace for discovering Java runtimes and related offerings from participating providers.

• 2021

  Adoptium Working Group launches

  [1]Adoptiumen.wikipedia.org

  A multi-organization working group is established to promote open-source Java runtimes and related technologies.

• 2021

  Initial Eclipse Temurin release

  [1]Adoptiumen.wikipedia.org

  Temurin launches with OpenJDK-based long-term-support Java 8 and Java 11 binaries.

• 2020

  AdoptOpenJDK moves to the Eclipse Foundation

  [1]Adoptiumen.wikipedia.org

  The project becomes part of the Eclipse Foundation ecosystem and evolves toward the Eclipse Adoptium identity.

• 2017

  AdoptOpenJDK is founded

  [1]Adoptiumen.wikipedia.org

  The predecessor project begins providing free and open-source OpenJDK-based Java runtime binaries for enterprise and developer use.

A vendor-neutral Eclipse Foundation ecosystem for distributing, testing, and supporting open-source OpenJDK runtimes, with an emphasis on dependable enterprise use and broad platform compatibility.

• OpenJDK runtime distribution · 2021

  Eclipse Temurin

  Eclipse Temurin is Adoptium’s principal runtime distribution. It provides certified binary builds based on OpenJDK for developers, enterprises, cloud environments, and production applications. The first Temurin release appeared in October 2021 with Java 8 and Java 11 long-term-support lines. Temurin is distributed as open-source software and is designed to offer broad platform coverage and a dependable alternative to vendor-specific Java runtime distributions. Commercial support is available from several participating Adoptium members.

• Open-source quality-assurance suite

  Eclipse AQAvit

  Eclipse AQAvit is an open testing project for OpenJDK-based binaries. It supports the Adoptium ecosystem by providing testing practices and an automated quality-assurance framework intended to assess runtime compatibility and behavior across platforms. AQAvit helps distinguish the project’s work from simple binary compilation by emphasizing validation and confidence in the resulting Java distributions.

• Runtime ecosystem marketplace · 2022

  Adoptium Marketplace

  The Adoptium Marketplace is an ecosystem service announced in 2022. It is intended to help users find Java runtimes and related offerings from participating providers. The marketplace complements Temurin by presenting a broader set of distribution and support options for organizations with different operational, lifecycle, and vendor-support requirements.

• 2023

  Enable commercial support around TemurinStrategy

  Background

  Enterprise users may want vendor-backed assistance while retaining an open-source Java runtime.

  Action taken

  Adoptium members Azul Systems, IBM, Open Elements, and Red Hat began offering commercial support for Temurin.

  Aftermath

  Temurin gained a services and support layer without changing its position as an open-source runtime distribution.

  Source

• 2022

  Create the Adoptium MarketplaceStrategy

  Background

  Users and organizations may need to compare runtime distributions and obtain support from different providers within the Java ecosystem.

  Action taken

  Adoptium announced a marketplace for participating Java runtime and related technology providers.

  Aftermath

  The initiative expanded from producing and testing binaries toward facilitating discovery of a wider range of ecosystem offerings.

  Source

• 2021

  Launch Eclipse Temurin as the main runtime brandProduct launch

  Background

  Adoptium needed a distinct, recognizable distribution identity for its OpenJDK-based binaries after the transition from AdoptOpenJDK.

  Action taken

  The group introduced Eclipse Temurin and released initial Java 8 and Java 11 long-term-support binaries.

  Aftermath

  Temurin became the principal runtime offering associated with the Adoptium ecosystem.

  Source

• 2020

  Move the AdoptOpenJDK initiative into the Eclipse FoundationStrategy

  Background

  The predecessor project needed a durable, vendor-neutral structure for coordinating open-source Java runtime development and distribution.

  Action taken

  AdoptOpenJDK moved to the Eclipse Foundation project environment and developed into Eclipse Adoptium.

  Aftermath

  The move established the governance foundation for the Adoptium Working Group, Temurin, and AQAvit.

  Source

1. 1Adoptiumen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Adoptium official websiteadoptium.net