Azul Zulu OpenJDK has joined Docker’s trusted ‘Official Images’ program – a major source for Java developers seeking verified, secure, and production-ready Java containers.
In this post, you’ll learn:
- How you can benefit from Azul Zulu Docker Official images
- How to get started using Azul Zulu OpenJDK directly from Docker Hub
- Which Java versions and variants are available
- Why verification and rebuild automation matter for developers
- Where to find resources and community updates
What’s new with Azul Zulu and Docker?
Earlier this week, Azul Systems announced that Azul Zulu Builds of OpenJDK — its TCK-verified, fully compliant builds of OpenJDK — are now available as Docker Official images. This marks Azul’s successful contribution to Docker’s official-images repository and means developers can now easily access Zulu OpenJDK from the Docker Hub Official Images library.
This milestone makes Azul Zulu one of the few Java distributions to earn the official image designation — a recognition that requires strict security standards, continuous maintenance, and alignment with Docker’s best practices.
You can now pull the verified image directly at: https://hub.docker.com/_/azul-zulu
Why use Docker official images?
Using ‘Docker Official Images’ means you can benefit from measurable trust and security benefits. Each Azul Zulu container image configuration undergoes detailed review and continuous monitoring to ensure:
- Verified cryptographic signing using Azul’s GPG key
- Automatic rebuilds whenever upstream base images are patched
- Fully open-source licensing (GPL v2 with Classpath Exception + other OpenJDK licenses)
- Conformity to Docker’s high security and maintenance standards
The availability of official images spans multiple Java versions, including but not limited to LTS versions of Java 8, 11, 17, 21, and 25, and covers a full range of variants: JDK, JRE, and headless. Each is optimized for specific use cases, from lightweight cloud workloads to traditional enterprise applications.
Available tags Include:
- azul-zulu:25, azul-zulu:21, azul-zulu:17, azul-zulu:11, azul-zulu:8
- -jdk, -jre, -headless variants per major version
- -debian, -debian13 suffix tags for pinned base image selection
How can you start using it today?
Developers can immediately integrate Azul Zulu OpenJDK into their Docker workflows by pulling from Docker Hub or exploring the image definitions on GitHub.
Quick start guide:
- Visit hub.docker.com/_/azul-zulu.
- Select your preferred version and variant.
- Run docker pull azul-zulu:<version> in your terminal.
- Build, test and deploy Java apps securely with Azul’s verified OpenJDK images.
These official images will continue to receive automatic updates, ensuring the latest patches and base image improvements are always included.
Explore official images, tags, and resources at hub.docker.com/_/azul-zulu, or visit Azul’s GitHub repo for technical details and examples.
