How to Install Apache Tomcat on Fedora Linux

What is Apache Tomcat

Apache Tomcat is an open-source web server and servlet container developed by the Apache Software Foundation. It is used to deploy and run Java-based web applications, and it is a popular choice for web development due to its lightweight and flexible design.

Tomcat is designed to be easily installed and configured, and it can run on a wide range of operating systems, including Linux distributions such as Fedora. Once installed, Tomcat can be used to host and serve Java-based web applications, including JavaServer Pages (JSP) and Java servlets.

In addition to hosting web applications, Tomcat includes a number of additional features and tools, such as a lightweight HTTP server, support for multiple protocols (including HTTP and HTTPS), and a graphical management interface. These features make it a versatile and powerful platform for developing and deploying web-based applications.

How to Install Apache Tomcat on Fedora Linux

To install Apache Tomcat on Fedora Linux, you will need to follow these steps:

1. Make sure that your system meets the requirements for Apache Tomcat. Tomcat requires a Java runtime environment (JRE) to be installed, and it is recommended to use the latest version of Java. You can check if Java is already installed on your system by running the following command:

java -version

If Java is not installed, you can install it by running the following command:

sudo dnf install java-latest-openjdk

2. Download the latest version of Apache Tomcat from the Apache Tomcat website. Select the “Binary Distributions” section, and then choose the “Core” package in the “tar.gz” format.
3. Extract the downloaded package to a convenient location, such as the “/opt” directory. You can extract the package using the following command:

tar -xvzf apache-tomcat-*.tar.gz -C /opt

4. Create a user and group for Tomcat to run as. This is recommended for security purposes, as it allows Tomcat to run with limited privileges. You can create a new user and group by running the following commands:

sudo groupadd tomcat
sudo useradd -s /sbin/nologin -g tomcat -d /opt/apache-tomcat-* tomcat

5. Change the ownership of the Tomcat installation directory to the Tomcat user and group. This will allow Tomcat to read and write to the necessary files and directories. You can change the ownership using the following command:

sudo chown -R tomcat:tomcat /opt/apache-tomcat-*

6. Create a systemd service file for Tomcat. This will allow you to start, stop, and manage Tomcat using the systemctl command. To create the service file, run the following command:

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

7. Add the following content to the file, replacing “TOMCAT_HOME” with the path to your Tomcat installation directory:

[Unit]
Description=Apache Tomcat Web Application Container
After=syslog.target network.target

[Service]
Type=forking

Environment=JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-latest-openjdk
Environment=CATALINA_PID=/opt/apache-tomcat-*/temp/tomcat.pid
Environment=CATALINA_HOME=/opt/apache-tomcat-*
Environment=CATALINA_BASE=/opt/apache-tomcat-*
Environment='CATALINA_OPTS=-Xms512M -Xmx1024M -server -XX:+UseParallelGC'
Environment='JAVA_OPTS=-Djava.awt.headless=true -Djava.security.egd=file:/dev/./urandom'

ExecStart=/opt/apache-tomcat-*/bin/startup.sh
ExecStop=/opt/apache-tomcat-*/bin/shutdown.sh

User=tomcat
Group=tomcat

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

8. Enable the Tomcat service to start automatically on boot. You can enable the Tomcat service to start automatically on boot by running the following command:

sudo systemctl enable tomcat

9. Start the Tomcat service by running the following command:

sudo systemctl start tomcat

10. Check the status of the Tomcat service to make sure it is running correctly. You can check the status by running the following command:

sudo systemctl status tomcat

If the Tomcat service is running correctly, you should see a message indicating that the service is active and running.

11. Test that Tomcat is working correctly by accessing the default Tomcat page in a web browser. You can access the page by going to the following URL:

http://localhost:8080

If Tomcat is working correctly, you should see the default Tomcat welcome page.

That’s it! Apache Tomcat is now installed and running on your Fedora Linux system. You can now deploy your web applications to Tomcat and start using it as a web server.

Please note that these instructions are provided as a general guideline and may vary depending on your specific system and setup. It is always a good idea to carefully read the documentation and follow best practices when installing and configuring software on your system.