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How to Install Apache Tomcat on AnonVM: A Complete Guide

Apache Tomcat is a widely-used open-source application server for deploying Java-based web applications. As an essential component of Java web development, Tomcat allows you to run Java servlets and JavaServer Pages (JSP). In this tutorial, we will guide you through the steps to install Apache Tomcat on your AnonVM server, making it easy to run your Java applications.

Prerequisites

Before starting the installation process, ensure that you have the following:

• AnonVM VPS or Dedicated Server: A server with root or sudo access.
• Operating System: This guide assumes you are using a Ubuntu or CentOS system.
• Java: Apache Tomcat requires Java to run. Ensure that Java is installed on your server.

Step 1: Update Your System

It's always a good practice to update your system before installing new software. This ensures that all your packages are up-to-date and any security patches are applied.

For Ubuntu/Debian-based systems:

For CentOS-based systems:

Step 2: Install Java Development Kit (JDK)

Apache Tomcat requires Java to run. If you don't have Java installed yet, you can install OpenJDK, which is an open-source implementation of the Java Platform.

For Ubuntu/Debian-based systems:

For CentOS-based systems:

Once installed, verify that Java is set up correctly by running:

You should see something like:

Step 3: Download Apache Tomcat

Now, let’s download the latest stable version of Apache Tomcat. Go to the Apache Tomcat Downloads page to check the latest version or use the command line to download it.

For Ubuntu/Debian-based systems:

1. Navigate to /opt directory:

    

   cd /opt

2. Download the latest version of Tomcat (replace 9.x.x with the latest version):

    

   sudo wget https://downloads.apache.org/tomcat/tomcat-9/v9.x.x/bin/apache-tomcat-9.x.x.tar.gz

For CentOS-based systems:

1. Navigate to /opt directory:

    

   cd /opt

2. Download the latest version of Tomcat (replace 9.x.x with the latest version):

    

   sudo wget https://downloads.apache.org/tomcat/tomcat-9/v9.x.x/bin/apache-tomcat-9.x.x.tar.gz

Step 4: Extract the Tar File

Once the Tomcat tar.gz file is downloaded, extract it into the /opt directory:

Step 5: Set Up Tomcat Environment

To make Tomcat easily accessible and manageable, we’ll create a symbolic link to the extracted directory.

1. Create a symbolic link:

    

   sudo ln -s /opt/apache-tomcat-9.x.x /opt/tomcat

2. Change the ownership of the Tomcat directory to the user running the application:

    

   sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /opt/tomcat

Step 6: Start Tomcat

Now, it’s time to start Tomcat. You can start Tomcat by running the following command:

After running this command, Tomcat will start running in the background. You should see output indicating that the Tomcat server has started.

Step 7: Access Tomcat Web Interface

To verify that Tomcat is running correctly, open your web browser and access the Tomcat web interface by navigating to:

You should see the default Tomcat welcome page, confirming that Tomcat is running.

Step 8: Configure Tomcat to Run on Startup

To make sure that Tomcat starts automatically when your server reboots, you need to create a systemd service for Tomcat.

1. Create a new systemd service file for Tomcat:

    

   sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/tomcat.service

2. Add the following content to the file:

    

   [Unit] Description=Apache Tomcat Web Application Container After=network.target [Service] Type=forking Environment=JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-11-openjdk-amd64 Environment=CATALINA_PID=/opt/tomcat/temp/tomcat.pid Environment=CATALINA_HOME=/opt/tomcat Environment=CATALINA_BASE=/opt/tomcat ExecStart=/opt/tomcat/bin/startup.sh ExecStop=/opt/tomcat/bin/shutdown.sh User=root Group=root UMask=0007 RestartSec=10 Restart=always [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target

3. Save and close the file (CTRL + X, then Y to confirm).

4. Reload the systemd configuration:

    

   sudo systemctl daemon-reload

5. Enable the Tomcat service to start on boot:

    

   sudo systemctl enable tomcat

6. Start Tomcat as a service:

    

   sudo systemctl start tomcat

7. Verify that Tomcat is running as a service:

    

   sudo systemctl status tomcat

Step 9: Secure Tomcat (Optional)

If you’re planning to use Apache Tomcat in a production environment, it's important to secure the server. Here are some basic security steps:

• Change the Default Ports: Modify Tomcat’s server.xml to use a non-default port (8080) for better security.
• Remove Unnecessary Web Applications: Remove the default web applications such as the examples and host-manager to prevent attackers from exploiting them.
• Set Up SSL: Configure SSL to secure communication with HTTPS.

Conclusion

You have now successfully installed and configured Apache Tomcat on your AnonVM server. Tomcat is now ready to host your Java-based applications. Whether you're deploying servlets, JSPs, or entire Java web applications, Tomcat provides a powerful and scalable environment for your web applications.

Key Takeaways:

• Apache Tomcat is an essential tool for running Java applications and is ideal for small to large-scale deployments.
• Systemd service: Ensuring Tomcat runs automatically on boot increases server uptime.
• Security: Always secure your Tomcat installation to prevent unauthorized access.

With your AnonVM server running Tomcat, you're now ready to begin deploying your Java applications.