Okay, I'm feeling like an idiot now...

I've used Tomcat before but now I can't get the thing to install correctly. Here's the situation:

I recently tore apart the server (as in "reformatted the disk") and installed RedHat 8 (used to be on 7). I then downloaded the Java SDK, which appears to be working (as in I can compile and run Java programs).

I then have tried pulling down and installing the following:

Tomcat 4.1.24 LE edition RPM
Tomcat 4.1.24 Edition RPM
Tomcat 4.1.24 tar/gz LE edition
Tomcat 4.1.24 tar/gz edition.

NONE of them can I get to work.

The tar/gz versions tell me that, 'Directory /usr/java/jakarta-tomcat-4.1.24/lib does not exist'.

The RPM versions tell me that no servlet container could be found.

Anyone have any ideas?

I dint install 4x versions. but i had installes 3x. sometime earlier.. i think it was the problem with the access permissions of the directories i created .. i am not sure abt the rpm.. but i had the .tar.gz file deflated into /usr/tomcat . i changed the access permissions and it woked properly.. hope this helps

Now I'm REALLY feeling like an idiot - it turns out that reinstalling Java (i.e. completely wiping the /usr/java directory and starting over) fixed the problem.

Tomcat's up and running again!

Hey shadowbird, are you installing Tomcat from source or using an rpm? I'm having trouble installing the thing myself. I've reinstalled java, and tomcat about 3 times each and still get the 500 error page when I try to pull up the default tomcat page in the browser.

Please let me know, if you don't mind, what steps you took.

Thanks a lot!

Leo.

P.S. This is what I get:

HTTP Status 500 - No Context configured to process this request

Okay, that error means that you ARE contacting the Tomcat server - i.e. tomcat is running for you.

What you probably do NOT have correct is the tomcat configuration file. The "context" that's being referred to is the web application context. For example, if I have a JSP application called "MyApp", I generally will get to it through the URL of:

http://myserver.mydomain:8080/MyApp/somefile.jsp

"/MyApp" from the above URL is called a "context" in Tomcat.

A full-blown installation with all the bells and whistles will often define a context of "/" that gets you to a default Tomcat welcome page - but it doesn't have to. See if you can deploy a simple JSP application. If it works, then you're set.

Sure enough! Now it works. I promise that I have tried creating a sample jsp file and accessing it via the browser and I got the error every time, but now it works!

All is well and I thank you shadowbird!

hey guys i am having the same problem I installed a tomcat rpm package in RH 9
how do you configure the tomcat4.conf to work

Ok I've got tomcat working as part of apache, but my problem is I cant load servlets? Currently my context loads webapps/ROOT/index.html when the address is put in now how do I get it to load a servlet?