Smallest Java Runtime I can legally distribute?

Question

My Java SWT desktop application is distributed with it's own Java runtime and I want to make the download size as small as possible. I'd like to remove all the classes I don't use from rt.jar, but this is forbidden according to JDK runtime licence (see the README.html file in the root JDK folder).

Since Java is open source, am I allowed to compile my own 'Java' runtime from source which doesn't have this distribution restriction? If so, has anyone done this already? (Or do you just ignore the JDK licence terms?)

Answer 1

openjdk afaik is GPL V2 licensed implementation with a HotSpot VM, so you can recompile and redistribute as long as adhere to the GPL.

Answer 2

As I am not a lawyer too you will need to read this and see if it can feet your need. But this is not what I offer. Project Jigsaw that is a part of the OpenJDK effort that will be released as part of Java 7 around second half of 2010 I do not know your time line and requirements but MAY BE this is what you are looking for.

This what thay say as:

The goal of this Project is to design and implement a simple, low-level module system focused narrowly upon the goal of modularizing the JDK, and to apply that system to the JDK itself. ...