How to Download and Install Apache Tomcat
Apache Tomcat is an open-source web server and servlet container that supports Java applications. It is widely used for developing and deploying web applications that use Java technologies such as Servlet, JSP, EL, WebSocket, etc. Some of the benefits of Apache Tomcat are:
go to https tomcat.apache.org download-80.cgi
It is free and easy to use and modify.
It is lightweight and runs smoothly for enterprise-level applications.
It is flexible and has built-in customization options.
It is stable and receives regular updates and bug fixes from the Apache Software Foundation.
It supports SSL/TLS and can be configured to provide a secure connection.
It is well documented and has a large community of users and developers.
In this article, we will show you how to download and install Apache Tomcat 8.5 on your system. This version implements specifications that are part of the Java EE 7 platform. Before we begin, make sure you have the following prerequisites:
A system running Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X.
A Java Development Kit (JDK) installed and configured on your system. You can download it from .
Administrator privileges on your system.
Step 1: Download Apache Tomcat 8.5 from the official website
The first step is to download the latest version of Apache Tomcat 8.5 from the official website. You can find it at . On this page, you will see different binary distributions for various platforms. Depending on your system, you can choose one of the following options:
The Windows Service Installer: This is an executable file that will install Apache Tomcat as a Windows service that will run automatically when your system starts. This is recommended for Windows users who want a simple and automated installation.
The zip archive: This is a compressed file that contains all the files and directories of Apache Tomcat. You can extract it anywhere on your system and run it manually. This is recommended for users who want more control over the installation process or who want a portable version of Apache Tomcat.
For this tutorial, we will use the Windows Service Installer as an example. To download it, click on the link that says 32-bit/64-bit Windows Service Installer. Save the file to your preferred location on your system.
After downloading the file, you should verify its integrity by checking its OpenPGP signature or SHA-512 checksum. This will ensure that the file has not been tampered with or corrupted during the download process. You can find these values on the same page where you downloaded the file. You can use a tool such as to verify the checksum.
Step 2: Install Apache Tomcat 8.5 on your system
The next step is to install Apache Tomcat 8.5 on your system. The installation process will vary depending on the binary distribution you chose in the previous step. Here are the instructions for each option:
How to install Apache Tomcat using the Windows Service Installer
If you downloaded the Windows Service Installer, follow these steps to install Apache Tomcat:
Double-click on the executable file that you downloaded. This will launch the Apache Tomcat Setup Wizard.
Click on Next to proceed with the installation.
Read and accept the license agreement and click on Next.
Select the components that you want to install. By default, all components are selected, but you can uncheck any of them if you don't need them. The components are:
Core: This is the main component that contains the core files and directories of Apache Tomcat.
Host Manager: This is a web application that allows you to manage multiple virtual hosts on Apache Tomcat.
Manager: This is a web application that allows you to deploy, undeploy, start, stop, and monitor web applications on Apache Tomcat.
Service Startup: This is a component that installs Apache Tomcat as a Windows service that will start automatically when your system boots up.
Native: This is a component that provides native libraries for improved performance and integration with other applications.
Examples: This is a component that contains some example web applications that demonstrate the features and capabilities of Apache Tomcat.
Documentation: This is a component that contains the official documentation of Apache Tomcat.
Click on Next to continue.
Select the destination folder where you want to install Apache Tomcat. You can use the default location or browse for another one. Click on Next.
Select the port numbers for the following connectors:
HTTP/1.1 Connector Port: This is the port number that Apache Tomcat will use to listen for HTTP requests from web browsers. The default value is 8080, but you can change it if it is already in use by another application.
AJP/1.3 Connector Port: This is the port number that Apache Tomcat will use to communicate with other web servers such as Apache HTTP Server using the AJP protocol. The default value is 8009, but you can change it if needed.
Shutdown Port: This is the port number that Apache Tomcat will use to listen for shutdown commands from authorized users. The default value is 8005, but you can change it if needed.
Click on Next.
Select the configuration options for the Windows service. You can choose whether to start the service automatically or manually, and whether to use a local system account or a specific user account to run the service. Click on Next.
Select whether you want to install Java Runtime Environment (JRE) with Apache Tomcat or use an existing one on your system. If you choose to install JRE, you can select the destination folder where it will be installed. Click on Next.
Select whether you want to create shortcuts for Apache Tomcat in your Start Menu and Desktop. Click on Next.
Review your installation settings and click on Install. The installation process will begin and may take a few minutes to complete.
When the installation is finished, click on Finish. You have successfully installed Apache Tomcat using the Windows Service Installer.
How to install Apache Tomcat using the zip archive
If you downloaded the zip archive, follow these steps to install Apache Tomcat:
Extract the zip file to your preferred location on your system. This will create a folder named apache-tomcat-8.5.xx, where xx is the version number.
Open a command prompt and navigate to the bin directory inside the extracted folder. For example, if you extracted the zip file to C:\, you can type the following command: cd C:\apache-tomcat-8.5.xx\bin.
Run the service.bat file with the install option to install Apache Tomcat as a Windows service. For example, you can type the following command: service.bat install. You can also specify a name for the service, such as service.bat install Tomcat8.
You have successfully installed Apache Tomcat using the zip archive. You can now start and stop the service using the service manager or the command line.
Step 3: Configure and test Apache Tomcat 8.5
The final step is to configure and test Apache Tomcat 8.5 on your system. You will need to set some environment variables, start and stop the server, and access the default web page and the manager application.
How to set the JAVA_HOME and CATALINA_HOME environment variables
The JAVA_HOME environment variable is used to specify the location of the JDK on your system. The CATALINA_HOME environment variable is used to specify the location of Apache Tomcat on your system. You will need to set these variables for Apache Tomcat to run properly.
To set these variables on Windows, follow these steps:
Open the Control Panel and click on System and Security.
Click on System and then click on Advanced system settings.
Click on Environment Variables.
In the User variables section, click on New.
In the Variable name field, type JAVA_HOME. In the Variable value field, type or browse for the path of your JDK installation. For example, if you installed JDK in C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_301, you can type that as the value. Click on OK.
In the same section, click on New again.
In the Variable name field, type CATALINA_HOME. In the Variable value field, type or browse for the path of your Apache Tomcat installation. For example, if you installed Apache Tomcat in C:\apache-tomcat-8.5.xx, you can type that as the value. Click on OK.
In the System variables section, find and select the variable named Path. Click on Edit.
In the Edit environment variable window, click on New.
Type or paste %JAVA_HOME%\bin as a new entry in the list. This will add the JDK bin directory to your system path.
Type or paste %CATALINA_HOME%\bin as another new entry in the list. This will add the Apache Tomcat bin directory to your system path.
Click on OK to save your changes.
You have successfully set the JAVA_HOME and CATALINA_HOME environment variables.
How to start and stop Apache Tomcat using the command line or the service manager
You can start and stop Apache Tomcat using either the command line or the service manager. Here are the instructions for each option:
How to start and stop Apache Tomcat using the command line
If you want to start and stop Apache Tomcat using the command line, follow these steps:
Open a command prompt and navigate to the bin directory of your Apache Tomcat installation. For example, if you installed Apache Tomcat in C:\apache-tomcat-8.5.xx, you can type the following command: cd C:\apache-tomcat-8.5.xx\bin.
To start Apache Tomcat, type the following command: startup.bat. You should see a message that says Tomcat started.
To stop Apache Tomcat, type the following command: shutdown.bat. You should see a message that says Tomcat stopped.
You have successfully started and stopped Apache Tomcat using the command line.
How to start and stop Apache Tomcat using the service manager
If you want to start and stop Apache Tomcat using the service manager, follow these steps:
Open the Control Panel and click on System and Security.
Click on Administrative Tools and then click on Services.
In the list of services, find and select the service named Apache Tomcat 8.5 Tomcat8. This is the default name of the service, but it may vary depending on how you installed it.
To start Apache Tomcat, right-click on the service and select Start. You should see a message that says The Apache Tomcat 8.5 Tomcat8 service was started successfully.
To stop Apache Tomcat, right-click on the service and select Stop. You should see a message that says The Apache Tomcat 8.5 Tomcat8 service was stopped successfully.
You have successfully started and stopped Apache Tomcat using the service manager.
How to access the default web page and the manager application
The last step is to access the default web page and the manager application of Apache Tomcat. These are web applications that are installed by default with Apache Tomcat and can help you test and manage your server.
To access the default web page, follow these steps:
Open your web browser and type in the address bar. This will take you to the default web page of Apache Tomcat. You should see a welcome message that says If you're seeing this, you've successfully installed Tomcat. Congratulations!.
You can also click on some of the links on this page to learn more about Apache Tomcat, such as its documentation, examples, status, etc.
You have successfully accessed the default web page of Apache Tomcat.
To access the manager application, follow these steps:
Open your web browser and type in the address bar. This will take you to the login page of the manager application of Apache Tomcat.
You will need to enter a username and password to access this application. By default, there is no user configured for this application, so you will need to create one manually. To do this, open the file named tomcat-users.xml in your text editor. You can find this file in the conf directory of your Apache Tomcat installation.
In this file, you will see some commented out lines that show examples of how to create users with different roles. You can uncomment one of these lines or create your own user with the role of manager-gui. For example, you can add this line inside the element: . This will create a user with the username "admin" and password "admin" who has access to the manager application.
Save and close the file. You will need to restart Apache Tomcat for the changes to take effect.
Go back to your web browser and enter your username and password that you created in the previous step. This will take you to the manager application of Apache Tomcat.
You can use this application to deploy, undeploy, start, stop, and monitor your web applications on Apache Tomcat. You can also see some information about your server, such as its version, OS, JVM, memory, etc.
You have successfully accessed the manager application of Apache Tomcat.
Conclusion
In this article, we have shown you how to download and install Apache Tomcat 8.5 on your system. We have also shown you how to configure and test Apache Tomcat using the default web page and the manager application. Apache Tomcat is a powerful and versatile web server and servlet container that can help you develop and deploy web applications that use Java technologies. We hope you have found this article useful and informative. If you want to learn more about Apache Tomcat, you can visit the following links:
: The official documentation of Apache Tomcat 8.5.
: The frequently asked questions (FAQ) page of Apache Tomcat 8.5.
: The application development guide for Apache Tomcat 8.5.
: The security guide for Apache Tomcat 8.5.
: The manager application guide for Apache Tomcat 8.5.
FAQs
Here are some of the common questions and answers related to Apache Tomcat installation:
What are some common issues and solutions for Apache Tomcat installation?
Some of the common issues and solutions for Apache Tomcat installation are:
Issue: The port number that Apache Tomcat uses is already in use by another application.Solution: You can change the port number that Apache Tomcat uses by editing the file named server.xml in the conf directory of your Apache Tomcat installation. You can find the port number in the element and change it to a different value.
Issue: The JAVA_HOME or CATALINA_HOME environment variable is not set correctly or not recognized by Apache Tomcat.Solution: You can check and set the JAVA_HOME or CATALINA_HOME environment variable by following the steps described in this article. You can also use the setenv.bat file in the bin directory of your Apache Tomcat installation to set these variables.
Issue: The Windows service for Apache Tomcat does not start or stop properly.Solution: You can check the status and logs of the Windows service for Apache Tomcat by using the service manager or the command line. You can also use the tomcat8w.exe file in the bin directory of your Apache Tomcat installation to configure and troubleshoot the service.
How to update Apache Tomcat to the latest version?
To update Apache Tomcat to the latest version, you can follow these steps:
Download the latest version of Apache Tomcat from .
Stop the existing version of Apache Tomcat on your system.
Delete or rename the existing version of Apache Tomcat on your system.
Install the new version of Apache Tomcat on your system using the same steps described in this article.
Copy any custom configuration files, web applications, or libraries from the old version to the new version of Apache Tomcat.
Start the new version of Apache Tomcat on your system.
You have successfully updated Apache Tomcat to the latest version.
How to secure Apache Tomcat with SSL/TLS?
To secure Apache Tomcat with SSL/TLS, you will need to obtain a digital certificate from a trusted certificate authority (CA) or generate a self-signed certificate, and configure Apache Tomcat to use the certificate and enable the SSL/TLS protocol. You can follow these steps:
Obtain or generate a digital certificate for your domain name. You can use a tool such as to create a self-signed certificate. You will need to store the certificate in a keystore file, which is a secure repository for cryptographic keys and certificates.
Edit the file named server.xml in the conf directory of your Apache Tomcat installation. You will need to add or modify a element that specifies the following attributes:
port: The port number that Apache Tomcat will use to listen for SSL/TLS requests. The default value is 8443, but you can change it if needed.
protocol: The protocol that Apache Tomcat will use to handle SSL/TLS requests. The recommended value is org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11NioProtocol, which uses a non-blocking I/O model for improved performance and scalability.
SSLEnabled: A boolean value that indicates whether SSL/TLS is enabled or not. The value should be true.
scheme: The scheme that Apache Tomcat will use to construct URLs for SSL/TLS requests. The value should be https.
secure: A boolean value that indicates whether the connection is secure or not. The value should be true.
keystoreFile: The path of the keystore file that contains the digital certificate. You can use an absolute path or a relative path from the CATALINA_BASE directory.
keystorePass: The password of the keystore file.
Save and close the file. You will need to restart Apache Tomcat for the changes to take effect.
You have successfully secured Apache Tomcat with SSL/TLS. You can now access your web applications using the https protocol and the port number that you specified in the previous step. For example, if you used the default port number of 8443, you can type in your web browser.
How to integrate Apache Tomcat with Apache HTTP Server?
To integrate Apache Tomcat with Apache HTTP Server, you will need to use a connector module that allows communication between the two servers using the AJP protocol. The most common connector module is mod_jk, which is an Apache module that provides load balancing and fault tolerance features for Apache Tomcat. You can follow these steps:
Download the latest version of mod_jk from . You will need to choose the appropriate binary distribution for your system and Apache HTTP Server version.
Copy the mod_jk.so file to the modules directory of your Apache HTTP Server installation.
Edit the file named httpd.conf in the conf directory of your Apache HTTP Server installation. You will need to add or modify the following lines:
LoadModule jk_module modules/mod_jk.so: This line loads the mod_jk module.
JkWorkersFile conf/workers.properties: This line specifies the path of the workers.properties file, which defines the workers or instances of Apache Tomcat that mod_jk will communicate with.
JkLogFile logs/mod_jk.log: This line specifies the path of the mod_jk log file, which records the activity and errors of mod_jk.
JkLogLevel info: This line specifies the level of detail that mod_jk will log. The possible values are debug, info, warn, error, and emerg.
JkMount /* ajp13: This line maps all requests to mod_jk using the worker named ajp13, which is defined in the workers.properties file.
Create or edit the file named workers.properties in the conf directory of your Apache HTTP Server installation. This file defines the workers or instances of Apache Tomcat that mod_jk will communicate with. You will need to add or modify the following lines:
worker.list=ajp13: This line defines a worker named ajp13.
worker.ajp13.type=ajp13: This line specifies the type of the worker, which is ajp13.
worker.ajp13.host=localhost: This line specifies the host name or IP address of the worker, which is localhost.
worker.ajp13.port=8009: This line specifies the port number of the worker, which is 8009. This should match the AJP/1.3 Connector Port that you configured for Apache Tomcat in step 2.
Save and close the file. You will need to restart Apache HTTP Server and Apache Tomcat for the changes to take effect.
You have successfully integrated Apache Tomcat with Apache HTTP Server using mod_jk. You can now access your web applications using the Apache HTTP Server URL and port number. For example, if you used the default port number of 80, you can type in your web browser.
How to monitor and manage Apache Tomcat performance?
To monitor and manage Apache Tomcat performance, you can use some of the built-in tools and features that Apache Tomcat provides, such as:
The manager application: This is a web application that allows you to deploy, undeploy, start, stop, and monitor your web applications on Apache Tomcat. You can access it by typing in your web browser.
The status application: This is a web application that provides information about your server, such as its version, OS, JVM, memory, threads, connectors, etc. You can access it by typing in your web browser.
The log files: These are files that record the activity and errors of Apache Tomcat. You can find them in the logs directory of your Apache Tomcat installation.
The JMX interface: This is an interface that allows you to access and manipulate various components and attributes of Apache Tomcat using Java Management Extensions (JMX). You can use a tool such as to connect to the JMX interface and monitor and manage Apache Tomcat.
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