A detailed explainer on what OpenJDK actually is: a community of individuals (not companies) that collaborates on the JDK project as the open source reference implementation of Java SE. Covers the community structure (groups, projects, roles, governing board), JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs), the Java Community Process (JCP) and its relationship to OpenJDK, why there are so many JDK distributions and vendors, and how long-term support works outside the OpenJDK realm. Key clarification: OpenJDK produces no downloadable binaries itself — those come from vendors like Oracle, Red Hat, Amazon, and others who build from OpenJDK source.
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