debian/changelog

+jabref (3.8.2+ds-5) unstable; urgency=medium
+
+  * Use workaround to start with JREs newer than Java8 (Closes: #893138)
+    - Drop the runtime dependency on openjdk-8-jre
+    - Set JABREF_JAVA_OPTS as per workaround documented by upstream
+      (https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/issues/2594).
+    - If this causes problems on a particular JRE, unset using:
+      JABREF_JAVA_OPTS="" jabref ...
+  * Use debhelper 11
+
+ -- tony mancill <tmancill@debian.org>  Wed, 23 May 2018 19:25:44 -0700
+
 jabref (3.8.2+ds-4) unstable; urgency=medium
 
   * Apply upstream patch for file perms (Closes: #857351)

debian/compat

-10
+11

debian/control

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Uploaders: tony mancill <tmancill@debian.org>,
            gregor herrmann <gregoa@debian.org>
 Section: tex
 Priority: optional
-Build-Depends: debhelper (>= 10),
+Build-Depends: debhelper (>= 11),
                gradle-debian-helper
 Build-Depends-Indep: ant,
                      antlr,
@@ -73,8 +73,7 @@ Depends: ${misc:Depends},
          libspin-java,
          libswing-layout-java,
          libswingx-java (<< 1:1.6.4),
-         libunirest-java-java,
-         openjdk-8-jre
+         libunirest-java-java
 Recommends: xdg-utils,
             libreoffice-writer,
             libmysql-java,

debian/jabref-wrapper

@@ -3,9 +3,12 @@
 # Include the wrappers utility script
 . /usr/lib/java-wrappers/java-wrappers.sh
 
-# We need a java8 runtime
-# as this is also provided by openjdk9, we hardcode openjdk8 here
-find_java_runtime openjdk8
+# We need a java8 runtime (at least)
+find_java_runtime java8
+
+# We need some options to start this version on openjdk9 and later
+# See http://discourse.jabref.org/t/cannot-start-jabref-3-7-3-6-using-java-9-on-ubuntu-16-04/361/8
+JABREF_JAVA_OPTS=${JABREF_JAVA_OPTS-"--add-modules=java.se.ee --add-opens=java.desktop/java.awt=ALL-UNNAMED"}
 
 find_jars \
 	jabref \
@@ -48,4 +51,4 @@ find_jars \
 	unirest-java \
 	unoil
 
-run_java net.sf.jabref.JabRefMain "$@"
+run_java ${JABREF_JAVA_OPTS} net.sf.jabref.JabRefMain "$@"