The Java Development Kit (JDK) is a software development kit used to develop Java applications and applets. It includes the Java Runtime Environment (JRE), an interpreter/loader (Java), a compiler (javac), an archiver (jar), a documentation generator (Javadoc), and other tools needed for Java development.
For more detailed information about JDK 21.1.1 and instructions on how to install it, please visit the official JDK website.
This release is the Reference Implementation of version 21 of the Java SE Platform, as specified by JSR 396 in the Java Community Process.
JDK 21 reached General Availability on 19 September 2023. Production-ready binaries under the GPL are available from Oracle; binaries from other vendors will follow shortly.
The features and schedule of this release were proposed and tracked via the JEP Process, as amended by the JEP 2.0 proposal. The release was produced using the JDK Release Process (JEP 3).