By Sandra Schloen, May 2021;
Updated March 2022, July 2022, August 2023, December 2023, Feb 2025, June 2025
OCHRE is a client-server application where a Java-based client app (the "front-end") interacts with a secure enterprise-scale database on the server (the "back-end" -- a Tamino database licensed from Software AG). The local computer requires a current version of Java 8 (with Java Web Start) to be installed in order to run the OCHRE client app.
For Windows, MacOS, and Linux the basic installation process is:
Download and install OpenWebStart
Download and install an OpenJDK with JavaFX included (we recommend Azul Zulu); be sure to get Java 8
In OpenWebStart Settings, go the JVM Manager
Try Find local; if this successfully finds the Java 8 installation proceed with that (you may see 2 instances that look the same; that is normal)
Otherwise, Add local... to find the OpenJDK on your computer (on a Mac this is usually found in /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/)
Select the directory called zulu-8fx.jdk and click Choose
Change the OpenWebStart JVM Manager Settings Update strategy to Use local if available.
NOTE: you may need to associate JNLP files with OpenWebStart javaws.
Windows:
Right-click on any .jnlp file.
Select "Open with" -> "Choose another app".
If OpenWebStart isn't listed, click "Look for another app on this PC" and navigate to the OpenWebStart installation directory (usually C:\Program Files\OpenWebStart) and select javaws.exe.
Check the box "Always use this app to open .jnlp files".
macOS:
Right-click on a .jnlp file.
Choose Open With
Select OpenWebStart javaws from the list.
See Launch OCHRE, Login and Password and Launching OCHRE, Trouble-shooting
Download the appropriate OCHRE JNLP file.
Open the JNLP file.
Accept the various terms and permissions.
Use your credentials to login.
See below for additional details.
We no longer recommend the use of Oracle Java
Java was originally developed by Sun Microsystems and later acquired by Oracle Systems. But now there are also many free, open-source versions of Java, known as OpenJDK, available from the open source community. In addition, as of Java 8 update 451 Oracle ended support for javaFx which OCHRE uses for some of its features.
OWS is an open source implementation of the Java Web Start technology. OWS manages various flavors of OpenJDK. For the two versions of OpenJDK we commonly run, you will need to install OWS.
Choose the version that is appropriate for your operating system and chip architecture:
When the installation is complete, start up OpenWebStart Settings (e.g., from the Windows Start Menu or with MacOS Spotlight Search).
The OpenJDK (Open Java Development Kit) is available from several providers in the Java community. All implementations of the OpenJDK are intended to be compatible with the Oracle JDK and, thus, are expected to support the OCHRE app.
OCHRE has been tested and shown to be compatible with several of the open source providers. See below for details about installing various OpenJDK versions that have been tested for use with OCHRE.
Currently, most users have settled on either Azul Zulu or Amazon Corretto as the easiest to install.
The OpenJDK installation must be version Java 8 in order to support OCHRE.
The OpenJDK installation must include Java Web Start support in order to run OCHRE.
If the provider offers OpenJDK with JavaFX, we recommend choosing this option.
OpenWebStart versions 1.8, 1.91, and 1.10 are currently supported. Do not update to version 1.9 without moving on to 1.91. In the "Updates" pane of the OpenWebStart Settings app, change the "Update strategy for settings" option to "On every start." This should result in the most current stable version.
The Amazon Corretto distribution, in conjunction with OpenWebStart. (This version does not currently support running OCHRE offline.)
Visit the Amazon Correcto OpenJDK download page and choose Amazon Corretto 8. There will be options to choose your operating system (Linux, Windows, MacOS) and your system architecture (64-bit or x86). You need only the JRE (Java Runtime Environment, not the JDK (Java Development Kit). For Windows, we recommend using the MSI-based installer which takes care of all the installation details (unzipping files, setting environment variables, etc.).
Windows-based example of Amazon Corretto installation
Download and open the file appropriate for your system configuration. The Setup Wizard will launch and prompt you through the installation.
From the JVM Manager menu option, click the Find local button near the bottom of the screen. This will find the OpenJDK implementation of the Amazon Corretto installed just above, and will set this as the default version.
If you have other versions of Java installed, be sure to select a Java 8 version to use with OCHRE.
Before moving on, we strongly advise you to change one more option, this time from the Settings.
By default, you will be periodically asked to update Java beyond Java 8 … NO! Do not update beyond Java 8! Java 8 continues to be widely used, supported, and regularly updated for security issues.
To avoid the temptation and eliminate the prompt, adjust the Update strategy to Use local if available.
Azul Zulu is another valid OpenJDK. Follow the instructions above to install OpenWebStart, then visint the Azul Zulu download page to select and install the OpenJDK version for your OS and chip architecture.
https://www.azul.com/downloads/?version=java-8-lts&package=jdk-fx#zulu
Follow the instructions for how to locate Azul Zulu us the Find local button in OWS.
To begin you will need to register to create a free Red Hat account.
The Red Hat deployment of the OpenJDK, in combination with IcedTea (which provides the equivalent of the Java Webstart functionality needed to run OCHRE). This version has also been used successfully to run OCHRE in offline mode.
The installation guide directs you the download page of the Red Hat Customer Portal, to which your new Red Hat account gives you access. (This link will change based on the current version number (here 1.8.0.272) so we do not include a link here.) We recommend using the MSI-based installer which takes care of all the installation details (unzipping files, setting environment variables, etc.).
Windows-based example of Red Hat installation
Run the installer, following the prompts.
Be sure to choose to install the Java Web Start component which will be listed as optional, but which is required for OCHRE.
If you plan to use OCHRE offline, be sure to check the Custom Setup option: "Entire feature will be installed on local hard drive" (with thanks to Nicholas Schulte for testing this.)
We list here configurations that have been tested either by us or our users. If you have success with other platforms and versions, please let us know.
Red Hat OpenJDK with IcedTea
Amazon Coretto with OpenWebStart
Azul Zulu 8 with OpenWebStart
From the OCHRE > About window, the current version of Java being used by OCHRE is listed, in this case an OpenJDK on Linux.
To Find Installed Versions
On a Mac, run the following command in Terminal: /usr/libexec/java_home -V
Remove a Specific Version
On a Mac, navigate to the appropriate directory in Terminal: cd /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/
You will need admin privileges to delete the directory: sudo rm -rf jdk1.8.0_271.jdk/
To Find (and Uninstall) Installed Versions
Search for "Add or remove programs" in System Settings and check the list of Apps & features for Java versions. A 64-bit version will show explicitly "64-bit" otherwise it is 32-bit (and not appropriate for the default version of OCHRE).
If you select a specific version you will be given an Uninstall option.
Search for "Configure Java" for options to view or update your current default Java installation settings.
The Eclipse Temurin OpenJDK from Adoptium, which also uses IcedTea. (This version does not currently support running OCHRE offline.)
Choose Java 8 JDK for your operating system and install Eclipse Temurin OpenJDK
https://adoptium.net/temurin/releases/?version=8&package=jdk
Install IcedTea-Web
Move the IcedTea directory to a safe and discoverable location on your hard drive. We tested the install by moving the directory to /Library/Java on the MacBook we used for testing.
Configure IcedTea to find the OpenJDK install.
On our MacBook, we used Terminal to run the following command to launch IcedTea settings:
/Library/Java/icedtea-web-image/bin/itweb-settings
On the JVM Settings page, use the Browse for JVM for IcedTea-Web to find the jre directory where the Temurin OpenJDK is installed. If configured correctly, the validation results will all display as green.
Launch OCHRE from the Terminal with a two-part command:
javaws location on your computer followed by ochre8.jnlp location on your computer
Update the following command to match the settings on your computer:
/Library/Java/icedtea-web-image/bin/javaws /Users/USERNAME/Downloads/ochre8.jnlp
NOTES:
This version of OpenJDK does not leave a desktop shortcut for OCHRE.
This version uses the Terminal as the Java Console.