How to install Tomcat and Apache on Ubuntu

Learn how to install Apache and Tomcat on a Linux server running Ubuntu, just in case you aren't already using the world's best Java host:

Note: # prompt is root and $ prompt is the user prompt

1- Upload JDK bin - preferably Oracle Sun JDK.

(be sure to get 32 or 64 based on what you using for your OS)

# cd /usr/
# mkdir java
# cd java
# wget build.javapipe.net/files/jdk/jdk1.6.0_33-32bit.zip 
# unzip jdk1.6.0_33-32bit.zip

Note: If unzip does not work then do apt-get install unzip and try again.

2- Create symlink to simplify so that you can create path to it as /usr/java/jdk6

# ln -s jdk1.6.0_33 jdk6

3- Create user and home directory to host your tomcat and set shell to bash

# useradd -d /home/myapp -m myapp
# chsh myapp -s /bin/bash

4- Change to user and set JAVA_HOME

# su - myapp 
$ nano .bashrc

Add the following at the end of the file:

## JAVA_HOME variables
JAVA_HOME=/usr/java/jdk6
PATH=$JAVA_HOME/bin:$PATH
export JAVA_HOME

5- Save file then run following command to initialize.

$ . .bashrc

6- Test

$ java -version

You should get this output if it works:

java version "1.6.0_33"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_33-b04)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 20.8-b03, mixed mode)

7- Get apache tomcat

$ wget http://mirror.sdunix.com/apache/tomcat/tomcat-7/ \\
v7.0.29/bin/apache-tomcat-7.0.29.tar.gz

8- Untar and create symlink

$ tar xvzf apache-tomcat-7.0.29.tar.gz
$ ln -s apache-tomcat-7.0.29 tomcat
$ rm apache-tomcat-7.0.29.tar.gz

9- Start up your tomcat container to see if it works

$ cd tomcat/bin
$ ./startup.sh

10- Test your installation

Test by opening your browser and going to http://YOURIP:8080 and you should be greeted with the Tomcat welcome page.

Package your application into a WAR file and upload to your /home/myapps/tomcat/webapps/