How to Install and Setup Apache Tomcat 8 on CentOS 7 / RHEL 7

Apache Tomcat is an open-source Java Servlet and JavaServer Pages implementation that provides a pure Java HTTP web server environment for running Java code. It is widely used for deploying and running Java-based web applications. In this step-by-step guide, we will show you how to install and set up Apache Tomcat 8 on CentOS 7 or RHEL 7.

Step 1: Install Java Development Kit (JDK)

Apache Tomcat requires the Java Development Kit (JDK) to run. First, install the JDK using the following commands:

sudo yum install -y java-1.8.0-openjdk-devel

After installation, verify the installed JDK version:

java -version

Step 2: Create Tomcat User

For security reasons, it’s recommended to create a separate user to run the Tomcat service:

sudo useradd -m -U -d /opt/tomcat -s /bin/false tomcat

Step 3: Download and Install Apache Tomcat

Download the latest version of Apache Tomcat 8 from the official website (replace the version number if needed):

wget http://www-eu.apache.org/dist/tomcat/tomcat-8/v8.5.73/bin/apache-tomcat-8.5.73.tar.gz

Extract the downloaded archive and move it to the /opt/tomcat directory:

sudo tar xf apache-tomcat-8.5.73.tar.gz -C /opt/tomcat --strip-components=1

Step 4: Configure Tomcat User Permissions

Set the proper ownership and permissions for the Tomcat directory:

sudo chown -R tomcat:tomcat /opt/tomcat
sudo chmod -R g+r /opt/tomcat/conf
sudo chmod g+x /opt/tomcat/conf

Step 5: Create a Systemd Service File

To manage the Tomcat service easily, create a systemd service file:

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

Add the following content to the file:

[Unit]
Description=Apache Tomcat 8 Servlet Container
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=forking
User=tomcat
Group=tomcat
Environment="JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/jre"
Environment="CATALINA_BASE=/opt/tomcat"
Environment="CATALINA_HOME=/opt/tomcat"
Environment="CATALINA_PID=/opt/tomcat/temp/tomcat.pid"
Environment="CATALINA_OPTS=-Xms512M -Xmx1024M -server -XX:+UseParallelGC"
ExecStart=/opt/tomcat/bin/startup.sh
ExecStop=/opt/tomcat/bin/shutdown.sh
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Save and close the file.

Step 6: Start and Enable Tomcat Service

Reload the systemd daemon and start the Tomcat service:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl start tomcat
sudo systemctl enable tomcat

Step 7: Adjust Firewall Rules

If you have a firewall enabled, allow traffic to the default Tomcat port (8080):

sudo firewall-cmd --zone=public --permanent --add-port=8080/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Step 8: Verify Tomcat Installation

To verify that the Tomcat installation was successful, open a web browser and access the Tomcat server using the following URL:

http://your_server_ip:8080

You should see the Apache Tomcat default welcome page.

Step 9: Secure the Tomcat Manager

By default, the Tomcat Manager and Host Manager web applications are not secured. To restrict access, edit the tomcat-users.xml file:

sudo vi /opt/tomcat/conf/tomcat-users.xml

Add the following lines before the closing </tomcat-users> tag:

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

Replace your_username and your_password with your desired credentials.

Save and close the file. Restart the Tomcat service for the changes to take effect:

sudo systemctl restart tomcat

Now, you can access the Tomcat Manager and Host Manager using the following URLs:

http://your_server_ip:8080/manager/html
http://your_server_ip:8080/host-manager/html

Conclusion

In this guide, we have shown you how to install and set up Apache Tomcat 8 on a CentOS 7 or RHEL 7 system. You can now deploy and manage your Java-based web applications using the Tomcat servlet container.

Remember to keep your system and Tomcat installation up-to-date with the latest security patches and updates. Additionally, maintain good security practices by regularly reviewing and updating user access, permissions, and credentials.

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