src/jdk.jlink/share/classes/jdk/tools/jlink/builder/DefaultImageBuilder.java

*** 88,102 ****
              this.args = createArgs(home);
          }
  
          private static List<String> createArgs(Path home) {
              Objects.requireNonNull(home);
-             List<String> javaArgs = new ArrayList<>();
              Path binDir = home.resolve("bin");
              String java = Files.exists(binDir.resolve("java"))? "java" : "java.exe";
!             javaArgs.add(binDir.resolve(java).toString());
!             return Collections.unmodifiableList(javaArgs);
          }
  
          @Override
          public Path getHome() {
              return home;
--- 88,100 ----
              this.args = createArgs(home);
          }
  
          private static List<String> createArgs(Path home) {
              Objects.requireNonNull(home);
              Path binDir = home.resolve("bin");
              String java = Files.exists(binDir.resolve("java"))? "java" : "java.exe";
!             return List.of(binDir.resolve(java).toString());
          }
  
          @Override
          public Path getHome() {
              return home;
*** 168,177 ****
--- 166,176 ----
      public void storeFiles(ResourcePool files) {
          try {
              // populate release properties up-front. targetOsName
              // field is assigned from there and used elsewhere.
              Properties release = releaseProperties(files);
+             Path bin = root.resolve("bin");
  
              files.entries().forEach(f -> {
                  if (!f.type().equals(ResourcePoolEntry.Type.CLASS_OR_RESOURCE)) {
                      try {
                          accept(f);
*** 189,199 ****
  
              storeFiles(modules, release);
  
              if (Files.getFileStore(root).supportsFileAttributeView(PosixFileAttributeView.class)) {
                  // launchers in the bin directory need execute permission
-                 Path bin = root.resolve("bin");
                  if (Files.isDirectory(bin)) {
                      Files.list(bin)
                              .filter(f -> !f.toString().endsWith(".diz"))
                              .filter(f -> Files.isRegularFile(f))
                              .forEach(this::setExecutable);
--- 188,197 ----
*** 207,217 ****
--- 205,219 ----
                                  || path.getFileName().toString().equals("jexec");
                      }).forEach(this::setExecutable);
                  }
              }
  
+             // If native files are stripped completely, <root>/bin dir won't exist!
+             // So, don't bother generating launcher scripts.
+             if (Files.isDirectory(bin)) {
                   prepareApplicationFiles(files, modules);
+             }
          } catch (IOException ex) {
              throw new PluginException(ex);
          }
      }
  
*** 227,237 ****
              props.setProperty("JAVA_VERSION", System.getProperty("java.version"));
          });
  
          this.targetOsName = props.getProperty("OS_NAME");
          if (this.targetOsName == null) {
!             throw new RuntimeException("can't determine target OS from java.base descriptor");
          }
  
          Optional<ResourcePoolEntry> release = pool.findEntry("/java.base/release");
          if (release.isPresent()) {
              try (InputStream is = release.get().content()) {
--- 229,239 ----
              props.setProperty("JAVA_VERSION", System.getProperty("java.version"));
          });
  
          this.targetOsName = props.getProperty("OS_NAME");
          if (this.targetOsName == null) {
!             throw new PluginException("TargetPlatform attribute is missing for java.base module");
          }
  
          Optional<ResourcePoolEntry> release = pool.findEntry("/java.base/release");
          if (release.isPresent()) {
              try (InputStream is = release.get().content()) {