Professional Apache Tomcat 6

Chapter 3. Tomcat Installation

The previous two chapters provided a background to Tomcat: a brief history, Tomcat licensing details, an overview of where Servlet containers such as Tomcat fit in the enterprise Java (Java EE) stack, and an introduction to Web application technologies (servlets, JSPs, tag libraries, and so on). With that out of the way, you can now move on to installing Tomcat. In later chapters, you learn the details of configuring it.

This chapter covers the following aspects of Tomcat installation:

• Installing the Java Virtual Machine (JVM)

• Installing Tomcat on both Windows and Linux

• Understanding the Tomcat installation directory structure

• Troubleshooting typical problems encountered while installing Tomcat

If you have installed earlier Tomcat versions (Tomcat 5.5 and before), you might be tempted to skip this chapter and move ahead. Indeed, Tomcat installation is reasonably straightforward. Check if you have JVM installed and in PATH, grab the Tomcat binary from the Apache Web site, unzip or run the installable, and you are good to go.

However, Tomcat 6 introduces some twists — a changed directory structure, and the requirement of Java SE 5 JVM. For that reason alone, we recommend that you read this chapter before going forward.

Installing the Java Virtual Machine

Tomcat, like any Java-based application, requires a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) to function. Sun Microsystems distributes a free JVM for Windows, Linux, and Solaris. Other third-party vendors and open-source groups ...