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title: 'JLINK(1) JDK @@VERSION_SHORT@@ | JDK Commands'
date: @@COPYRIGHT_YEAR@@
lang: en
---

## Name

jlink - assemble and optimize a set of modules and their dependencies into a
custom runtime image

## Synopsis

`jlink` \[*options*\] `--module-path` *modulepath* `--add-modules` *module*\[,*module*...\]

*options*
:   Command-line options separated by spaces. See [jlink Options].

*modulepath*
:   The path where the `jlink` tool discovers observable modules. These modules
    can be modular JAR files, JMOD files, or exploded modules.

*module*
:   The names of the modules to add to the runtime image. The `jlink` tool adds
    these modules and their transitive dependencies.

## Description

The `jlink` tool links a set of modules, along with their transitive
dependences, to create a custom runtime image.

**Note:**

Developers are responsible for updating their custom runtime images.

## jlink Options

[`--add-modules`]{#option--add-modules} *mod*\[`,`*mod*...\]
:   Adds the named modules, *mod*, to the default set of root modules. The
    default set of root modules is empty.

[`--bind-services`]{#option--bind-services}
:   Link service provider modules and their dependencies.

[`-c zip-{0-9}`]{#option--compress} or `--compress=zip-{0-9}`
:   Enable compression of resources. The accepted values are:
    zip-{0-9}, where zip-0 provides no compression,
    and zip-9 provides the best compression. Default is zip-6.

:   Deprecated values to be removed in a future release:

    -   `0`: No compression. Use zip-0 instead.
    -   `1`: Constant string sharing
    -   `2`: ZIP. Use zip-6 instead.

[`--disable-plugin`]{#option--disable-plugin} *pluginname*
:   Disables the specified plug-in. See [jlink Plug-ins] for the list of
    supported plug-ins.

[`--endian`]{#option--endian} {`little`\|`big`}
:   Specifies the byte order of the generated image. The default value is the
    format of your system's architecture.

`-h` or `--help`
:   Prints the help message.

[`--ignore-signing-information`]{#option--ignore-signing-information}
:   Suppresses a fatal error when signed modular JARs are linked in the runtime
    image. The signature-related files of the signed modular JARs aren't copied
    to the runtime image.

[`--launcher`]{#option--launcher} *command*`=`*module* or `--launcher` *command*`=`*module*`/`*main*
:   Specifies the launcher command name for the module or the command name for
    the module and main class (the module and the main class names are
    separated by a slash (`/`)).

[`--limit-modules`]{#option--limit-modules} *mod*\[`,`*mod*...\]
:   Limits the universe of observable modules to those in the transitive
    closure of the named modules, `mod`, plus the main module, if any, plus any
    further modules specified in the `--add-modules` option.

[`--list-plugins`]{#option--list-plugins}
:   Lists available plug-ins, which you can access through command-line
    options; see [jlink Plug-ins].

[`-p`]{#option-module-path} or `--module-path` *modulepath*
:   Specifies the module path.

    If this option is not specified, then the default module path is
    `$JAVA_HOME/jmods`. This directory contains the `java.base` module and the
    other standard and JDK modules. If this option is specified but the
    `java.base` module cannot be resolved from it, then the `jlink` command
    appends `$JAVA_HOME/jmods` to the module path.

[`--no-header-files`]{#option--no-header-files}
:   Excludes header files.

[`--no-man-pages`]{#option--no-man-pages}
:   Excludes man pages.

[`--output`]{#option--output} *path*
:   Specifies the location of the generated runtime image.

[`--save-opts`]{#option--save-opts} *filename*
:   Saves `jlink` options in the specified file.

[`--suggest-providers`]{#option--suggest-providers} \[*name*`,` ...\]
:   Suggest providers that implement the given service types from the module
    path.

`--version`
:   Prints version information.

`@`*filename*
:   Reads options from the specified file.

    An options file is a text file that contains the options and values that
    you would typically enter in a command prompt. Options may appear on one
    line or on several lines. You may not specify environment variables for
    path names. You may comment out lines by prefixing a hash symbol (`#`) to
    the beginning of the line.

    The following is an example of an options file for the `jlink` command:

    ```
    #Wed Dec 07 00:40:19 EST 2016
    --module-path mlib
    --add-modules com.greetings
    --output greetingsapp
    ```

## jlink Plug-ins

**Note:**

Plug-ins not listed in this section aren't supported and are subject to change.

For plug-in options that require a *pattern-list*, the value is a
comma-separated list of elements, with each element using one the following
forms:

-   *glob-pattern*
-   `glob:`*glob-pattern*
-   `regex:`*regex-pattern*
-   `@`*filename*
    -   *filename* is the name of a file that contains patterns to be used, one
        pattern per line.

For a complete list of all available plug-ins, run the command
`jlink --list-plugins`.

### Plugin `compress`

Options
:   `--compress=zip-`{`0`-`9`}\[`:filter=`*pattern-list*\]

Description
:   Compresses all resources in the output image.
    Accepted values are:
    zip-{0-9}, where zip-0 provides no compression,
    and zip-9 provides the best compression. Default is zip-6.

:   Deprecated values to be removed in a future release:

    -   Level 0: No compression. Use zip-0 instead.
    -   Level 1: Constant string sharing
    -   Level 2: ZIP. Use zip-6 instead.

    An optional *pattern-list* filter can be specified to list the pattern of
    files to include.

### Plugin `include-locales`

Options
:   `--include-locales=`*langtag*\[`,`*langtag*\]\*

Description
:   Includes the list of locales where *langtag* is a BCP 47 language tag.
    This option supports locale matching as defined in RFC 4647. Ensure that
    you add the module jdk.localedata when using this option.

    Example:

    >   `--add-modules jdk.localedata --include-locales=en,ja,*-IN`

### Plugin `order-resources`

Options
:   `--order-resources=`*pattern-list*

Description
:   Orders the specified paths in priority order. If `@`*filename* is
    specified, then each line in *pattern-list* must be an exact match for the
    paths to be ordered.

    Example:

    >   `--order-resources=/module-info.class,@classlist,/java.base/java/lang/`

### Plugin `strip-debug`

Options
:   `--strip-debug`

Description
:   Strips debug information from the output image.

### Plugin `generate-cds-archive`

Options
:   `--generate-cds-archive`

Description
:   Generate CDS archive if the runtime image supports the CDS feature.

### Plugin `cacerts`

Options
:   `--cacerts=`*alias*\[`,`*alias*\]\*

Description
:   Create the `cacerts` keystore in the output image with only the
    certificates of the specified aliases. *alias* is the name of an alias
    in the `cacerts` keystore in the java.base module.

## jlink Examples

The following command creates a runtime image in the directory `greetingsapp`.
This command links the module `com.greetings`, whose module definition is
contained in the directory `mlib`.

```
jlink --module-path mlib --add-modules com.greetings --output greetingsapp
```

The following command lists the modules in the runtime image `greetingsapp`:

```
greetingsapp/bin/java --list-modules
com.greetings
java.base@11
java.logging@11
org.astro@1.0
```

The following command creates a runtime image in the directory compressedrt
that's stripped of debug symbols, uses compression to reduce space, and
includes French language locale information:

```
jlink --add-modules jdk.localedata --strip-debug --compress=2 --include-locales=fr --output compressedrt
```

The following example compares the size of the runtime image `compressedrt`
with `fr_rt`, which isn't stripped of debug symbols and doesn't use
compression:

```
jlink --add-modules jdk.localedata --include-locales=fr --output fr_rt

du -sh ./compressedrt ./fr_rt
23M     ./compressedrt
36M     ./fr_rt
```

The following example lists the providers that implement
`java.security.Provider`:

```
jlink --suggest-providers java.security.Provider

Suggested providers:
  java.naming provides java.security.Provider used by java.base
  java.security.jgss provides java.security.Provider used by java.base
  java.security.sasl provides java.security.Provider used by java.base
  java.smartcardio provides java.security.Provider used by java.base
  java.xml.crypto provides java.security.Provider used by java.base
  jdk.crypto.cryptoki provides java.security.Provider used by java.base
  jdk.security.jgss provides java.security.Provider used by java.base
```

The following example creates a custom runtime image named `mybuild` that
includes only `java.naming` and `jdk.crypto.cryptoki` and their dependencies but no
other providers. Note that these dependencies must exist in the module path:

```
jlink --add-modules java.naming,jdk.crypto.cryptoki --output mybuild
```

The following command is similar to the one that creates a runtime image named
`greetingsapp`, except that it will link the modules resolved from root modules
with service binding; see the [`Configuration.resolveAndBind`](
../../api/java.base/java/lang/module/Configuration.html#resolveAndBind(java.lang.module.ModuleFinder,java.util.List,java.lang.module.ModuleFinder,java.util.Collection))
method.

```
jlink --module-path mlib --add-modules com.greetings --output greetingsapp --bind-services
```

The following command lists the modules in the runtime image greetingsapp
created by this command:

```
greetingsapp/bin/java --list-modules
com.greetings
java.base@11
java.compiler@11
java.datatransfer@11
java.desktop@11
java.logging@11
java.management@11
java.management.rmi@11
java.naming@11
java.prefs@11
java.rmi@11
java.security.jgss@11
java.security.sasl@11
java.smartcardio@11
java.xml@11
java.xml.crypto@11
jdk.accessibility@11
jdk.charsets@11
jdk.compiler@11
jdk.crypto.cryptoki@11
jdk.crypto.ec@11
jdk.crypto.mscapi@11
jdk.internal.opt@11
jdk.jartool@11
jdk.javadoc@11
jdk.jdeps@11
jdk.jfr@11
jdk.jlink@11
jdk.localedata@11
jdk.management@11
jdk.management.jfr@11
jdk.naming.dns@11
jdk.naming.rmi@11
jdk.security.auth@11
jdk.security.jgss@11
jdk.zipfs@11
org.astro@1.0
```
