How to easily build JMC/JFR

Build Java Mission Control / Flight Recorder from the source-code is easier than it ever was. It is not required to read a documentation or running additional application. In this post we explore both way. The first is the traditional and the seconde is very neat script build script available for unix and windows systems. The post is meant unix users.

In both cases we clone the GitHub JMC repository to JMC_FOLDER destination link

$ git clone https://github.com/openjdk/jmc

Using neat build.sh script

The script build.sh is located in the root of JMC_FOLDER, It’s very neat script. It allows not only to comfortably build all required dependencies but it allows to run appropriate version of JMC/JFR. It is not required to remember any of steps mentioned in the second build option. Let’s explore the script

$ ./build.sh --help
usage: call ./build.sh with the following options:
   --test                      to run the tests
   --testUi                    to run the tests including UI tests
   --installCore               to install JMC core
   --packageJmc                to package JMC
   --packageAgent              to package Agent
   --clean                     to run maven clean
   --run                       to run JMC, once it is packaged
   --runAgentExample           to run Agent 'InstrumentMe' example, once it is packaged
   --runAgentConverterExample  to run Agent 'InstrumentMeConverter' example, once it is packaged
   --help                      to show this help dialog

The script allows to chain the commands and on the background it starts the required p2 repository. It makes all required steps. Let’s build JMC/JFR in simple commands:

$ build.sh --clean --installCore
$ build.sh --packageJmc --run

Building JFR by command line

The following steps are nicely described also in JMC official docs. Let’s open two independent terminals and ensure that you have proper JDK version

$ java -version
openjdk version "11.0.2" 2018-10-16

Terminal 1 : make available 3rd party dependencies through p2 local repository

cd <JMC_FOLDER> 
cd releng/third-party
mvn p2:site
mvn jetty:run

Terminal 2 : install core and package JMC to executable app

$ pwd <JMC_FOLDER>
$ cd core
$ mvn clean install

$ cd ..
$ pwd <JMC_FOLDER>
$ mvn package

Now you are ready to run JMC/JFR from you local build, Mac OS X:

target/products/org.openjdk.jmc/macosx/cocoa/x86_64/JDK\ Mission\ Control.app/Contents/MacOS/jmc

Summary

Building JMC/JFR becomes due to the neat build.sh script very simple and easy. The script has more functionalities, feel free to discover them… Happy JMCing