Step-by-Step Guide: Install Tomcat on a Linux System

Step 1: Preparations

Before installing Apache Tomcat, ensure that Java is installed on your system. The latest Long-Term Support (LTS) version is OpenJDK 21, released in September 2023.

Update your package sources:

sudo apt update

Install the default JDK:

sudo apt install default-jdk

Verify the Java installation:

java -version

Step 2: Set Up Tomcat User

It’s recommended to run Tomcat under a dedicated user. Create a new user named ‘tomcat’:

sudo useradd -r -m -U -d /opt/tomcat -s /bin/false tomcat

Step 3: Download Tomcat Package

As of January 2025, the latest stable version of Apache Tomcat is 10.1.x. APACHE TOMCAT

Download the latest version:

wget https://downloads.apache.org/tomcat/tomcat-10/v10.1.34/bin/apache-tomcat-10.1.34.tar.gz

Step 4: Install Tomcat on Linux

Extract the downloaded archive to /opt/tomcat:

sudo mkdir /opt/tomcat
sudo tar xf apache-tomcat-10.1.34.tar.gz -C /opt/tomcat --strip-components=1

Adjust permissions:

sudo chown -R tomcat: /opt/tomcat
sudo sh -c 'chmod +x /opt/tomcat/bin/*.sh'

Step 5: Configure Tomcat Service

Create a systemd service file for Tomcat:

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

Add the following content:

[Unit]

Description=Apache Tomcat Web Application Container

After=network.target

[Service]

Type=forking
Environment=”JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-1.21.0-openjdk-amd64″

Environment=”CATALINA_PID=/opt/tomcat/temp/tomcat.pid”

Environment=”CATALINA_HOME=/opt/tomcat”

Environment=”CATALINA_BASE=/opt/tomcat”

Environment=”CATALINA_OPTS=-Xms512M -Xmx1024M -server -XX:+UseParallelGC”

Environment=”JAVA_OPTS=-Djava.awt.headless=true -Djava.security.egd=file:/dev/./urandom”
ExecStart=/opt/tomcat/bin/startup.sh

ExecStop=/opt/tomcat/bin/shutdown.sh
User=tomcat

Group=tomcat

UMask=0007

RestartSec=10

Restart=always
[Install]

WantedBy=multi-user.target

Reload the systemd daemon:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

Start and enable the Tomcat service:

sudo systemctl start tomcat
sudo systemctl enable tomcat

Step 6: Allow Port 8080

If you have a firewall enabled, allow traffic on port 8080:

sudo ufw allow 8080/tcp

Step 7: Verify Installation

Open your web browser and navigate to http://<your_server_ip>:8080. You should see the Apache Tomcat homepage.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you’ve successfully installed Apache Tomcat 10.1.x on your Linux system. This setup allows you to deploy Java Servlets and JSPs efficiently. For more information and updates, visit the official Apache Tomcat website.