Getting Started with Apache Tomcat: A Comprehensive Beginner’s Guide

Apache Tomcat Installation Guide: Step-by-Step InstructionsApache Tomcat is a popular open-source web server and servlet container that enables the execution of Java applications. It’s often used for developing and deploying Java-based web applications. This guide provides a comprehensive, step-by-step approach to installing Apache Tomcat on your local machine.

Prerequisites

Before you begin the installation process, ensure you have the following prerequisites:

• Java Development Kit (JDK): Apache Tomcat requires a JDK to run. You can download the latest version from the official Oracle website or AdoptOpenJDK.

• Operating System: This guide covers installations on Windows and Linux. Adjustments may be needed based on your environment.

Step 1: Download Apache Tomcat

1. Visit the Official Tomcat Website:
   Go to the Apache Tomcat official download page.

2. Select the Version:
   Choose the latest stable version. As of October 2025, this could be Tomcat 10 or later. Ensure you select the Binary Distribution.

3. Choose Your Distribution:
   You typically have two options:

   • .zip file for Windows
   • .tar.gz file for Linux

Click on the appropriate link to download.

Step 2: Install Apache Tomcat

For Windows:

1. Extract the Downloaded File:

   • Right-click on the .zip file and select “Extract All.”
   • Choose a destination folder (e.g., C:pache-tomcat-10.0.x).

2. Set Environment Variables:

   • Navigate to Control Panel > System and Security > System > Advanced System Settings.
   • Click on “Environment Variables.”
   • Under “System variables,” add a new variable named CATALINA_HOME and set its value to the Tomcat installation directory.

3. Set the Path Variable:

   • Find the Path variable in the “System variables” section and click “Edit.”
   • Add %CATALINA_HOME%in to the list.

For Linux:

1. Extract the Downloaded File:
   Open a terminal and navigate to the directory where you’ve downloaded the tar.gz file. Then run:

   tar -xvzf apache-tomcat-10.0.x.tar.gz 

Move the extracted folder to a preferred location, for instance:

   sudo mv apache-tomcat-10.0.x /opt/tomcat 

1. Set Environment Variables:
   Open your .bashrc or .bash_profile in a text editor and add the following lines:

   export CATALINA_HOME=/opt/tomcat    export PATH=$PATH:$CATALINA_HOME/bin 

Save the file and run:

   source ~/.bashrc 

Step 3: Start Apache Tomcat

For Windows:

1. Execute Startup Script:
   Open a Command Prompt and run the following command:

   cd %CATALINA_HOME%in    startup.bat 

1. Access Tomcat:
   Open a web browser and navigate to http://localhost:8080. You should see the Tomcat welcome page.

For Linux:

1. Make the Startup Script Executable:
   Run the following command:

   sudo chmod +x /opt/tomcat/bin/*.sh 

1. Execute Startup Script:
   In the terminal, run:

   $CATALINA_HOME/bin/startup.sh 

1. Access Tomcat:
   Open a web browser and go to http://localhost:8080. You should see the Tomcat welcome page.

Step 4: Configure Tomcat (Optional)

To enhance the functionality of Apache Tomcat, you may want to configure some settings:

1. Change the Default Port:

   • Locate the server.xml file in the conf directory.
   • Change the port attribute of the <Connector> tag from 8080 to your desired port.

2. Set Up Users for Manager App:
   To access the Tomcat Manager app, add users in tomcat-users.xml located in the conf directory. Add the following code inside the <tomcat-users> tag:

   <role rolename="manager-gui"/>    <user username="admin" password="admin" roles="manager-gui"/> 

Step 5: Stopping Apache Tom