Document how to use jlink to create a Java image with javafx modules

[kevinrushforth]

Issue #237 ended up being a problem with the way the custom Java image was created. We need to document how to use jlink to take a JDK plus the JavaFX jmods (optionally, plus a modular JavaFX application) and create a custom Java image that can run an application.

[kevinrushforth]

As @johanvos wrote in #237 --

You can download the JavaFX modules as jmods, including classes and native libs. See https://gluonhq.com/products/javafx/ and download the mods (instead of the SDK).
Next, point jlink to the mods directory (assuming you unpacked them in /opt)

jlink --module-path /opt/java/jmods:/opt/javafx-jmods-11:build/hellomodule --add-modules hellomodule --launcher start=hellomodule/com.ameus.Main --output dist

On Linux, I got it working like this, and I expect it to work similar on the other platforms.

We should document this.

[DJViking]

Very useful to know, though I reckon most would be using a build tool plugin.
Until there is a gradle-jlink-plugin or gradle-jpackager-plugin, we have to use the tools them self, and it helps knowing the various options for both Modular and Non-Modular applications.

How did you produce the build/hellomodule? I reckon you used Gradle. I have used the distributions as input to both jlink and jpackager.

Modular project:

jlink \
--module-path /usr/java/javafx-jmods-11/:build/distributions/movies-1.0.0-SNAPSHOT/lib/ \
--add-modules no.smeaworks.movies \
--launcher movies=no.smeaworks.movies/no.smeaworks.movies.MoviesApplication \
--output outputDir

Non-Modular project:

jlink \
--module-path /usr/java/javafx-jmods-11/ 
--add-modules=javafx.base \
--add-modules=javafx.controls \
--add-modules=javafx.fxml \
--add-modules=javafx.graphics \
--add-modules=javafx.web \
--add-modules=javafx.media \
--add-modules=javafx.swing \
--bind-services \
--output outputDir

[johanvos]

Doc issue created: openjfx/openjfx-docs#9

[Rizwan-Hasan]

Thanks, it works on windows also.

[nlisker]

Can this be closed?

[kevinrushforth]

Yes, it should be closed as this is documented on https://openjfx.io/