Getting Your Local Java Development Environment Set Up

Although there are numerous different web servers and servlet engines to choose from, in my example I am going to walk you through setting things up using Apache and Tomcat on a Windows platform.  The reasons are twofold.  Firstly, both are open-source software, so anyone can use them, even those on a shoestring budget.  Secondly, it is the environment I am currently involved with migrating our intranet to, so I am most knowledgeable about it (relatively speaking).

To start, you will need to install the latest Java Development Kit (JDK).  It is available from the source for all things Java website at http://java.sun.com/.  Simply download and follow their installation instructions and set your PATH and CLASSPATHS accordingly as I described in my previous article.

Once you have the Java environment installed and configured, it is time to obtain, install, and configure the web server pieces. 

Get the Software

First, download, and save to a convenient place on your local machine, Apache and Tomcat from http://www.apache.org.  For this test, I downloaded Apache HTTP Server version 1.3.22 for Windows (http://www.apache.org/dist/httpd/binaries/win32/apache_1.3.22-win32-x86.exe).  Note I only downloaded the binaries as I have no need (or desire) to peruse the source code or do my own build.  For Tomcat, I downloaded version 3.3

(http://jakarta.apache.org/builds/jakarta-tomcat/release/v3.3/bin/jakarta-tomcat-3.3a.zip). 

You also need to download the files needed to create the Communication Bridge between Apache and Tomcat.  In my example I downloaded the JServ module which consists of the ApacheModuleJServ.dll.  You can find that at http://jakarta.apache.org/builds/jakarta-tomcat/release/v3.3/bin/win32/i386/ and you can either download the .DLL file directly or a zip file which contains it. 

Install the Software

The goal here is to first install and test both Tomcat and Apache separately before performing any integration configurations.

Tomcat

1.        Extract the jakarta-tomcat-3.3a.zip file to the root of your local machine.  The extract will automatically make a jakarta-tomcat-3.3a folder for you.  I renamed the folder to make it simple jakarta-tomcat (without the version number) for simplicity sake.

2.        You can either set your system environment variables manually, or create a handy-dandy batch file to run from your desktop.  The main key is that you want to set the following variables to what exists on your machine:

JAVA_HOME=c:\jdk1.3.1

TOMCAT_HOME=c:\\jakarta-tomcat

3.        Start Tomcat.  Again, a handy-dandy batch file to run from your desktop is the way to go because you will be starting and stopping both Apache and Tomcat a lot.  The commands looks thusly:

cd c:\jakarta-tomcat\bin

CALL startup

4.        Open your browser and type http://localhost:8080.  (By default Tomcat runs on port 8080).  This will bring up the default page that comes with the Tomcat installation.  If you see the following screen, you have Success!

5.        Stop Tomcat using a batch file or following commands:

cd c:\jakarta-tomcat\bin

CALL shutdown

Apache

1.        Execute the apache .exe file you downloaded.  This will launch Windows Installer which makes Apache installation a breeze.

2.        Accept all the defaults.

3.        When you see the following screen, enter information specific to your machine. I chose not to run it as a service, but rather start it manually.

4.        Set your environment variables (see # 2 under the Tomcat installation)

5.        Start Apache. Again, a batch file will make your life easier. The commands are as follows:

cd C:\program files\Apache group\Apache\bin

start "Apache 1.3.12" Apache.exe

6.        Open your browser and type http://localhost.  This will load the default home page as installed by Apache.

7.        If you see the following screen, you have Success!

8.        Stop Apache using a batch file or with the following commands:

cd C:\program files\Apache group\Apache\

Apache -k shutdown

Onto Page II -

Configure

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