Java Web Start

In computing, Java Web Start (also known as JavaWS, javaws or JAWS) is a deprecated framework developed by Sun Microsystems (now Oracle) that allows users to start application software for the Java Platform directly from the Internet using a web browser. The technology enables seamless version updating for globally distributed applications and greater control of memory allocation to the Java virtual machine.

Java Web Start was distributed as part of the Java Platform until being removed in Java SE 11, following its deprecation in Java SE 9. The code for Java Web Start was not released by Oracle as part of OpenJDK, and thus OpenJDK originally did not support it. IcedTea-Web provides an independent open source implementation of Java Web Start that is currently developed by the AdoptOpenJDK community, RedHat and Karakun AG, and which is bundled in some OpenJDK installers.^[1] Next to this OpenWebStart provides an open source based implementation that is based on IcedTea-Web but offers more features and commercial support options.