Tomcat 6 server creation using eclipse IDE on ubuntu

Question

I'm having a problem running tomcat 6 with eclipse 3 in ubuntu.

I installed tomcat 6 on my machine and when I tested it using http://localhost:8080, it worked fine.

But whenever i want to create a server in eclipse, i select Tomcat 6 , i get the following message "Cannot create a server using the selected type", and i can't click next.

Any idea why?

Answer 1

Have you been using the ubuntu-tomcat version (e.g. "aptitude install tomcat6")? If so, please download a plain vanilla version from tomcat.apache.org and use this. The Debian/Ubuntu version relocates some jars around and eclipse expects the "pure" version and jar locations.

(Also: see Eclipse bug 239179)

Answer 2

I have been having the same problem (on fedora 9). You have to change the permissions of the files inside the tomcat conf directory to rw (chmod a+rw tomcat6/conf/*). Solved it for me!

Answer 3

Not sure, but maybe your version of Eclipse does not support the latest Tomcat version? Try to update Eclipse. I have Eclipse 3.4 and there's no problem.

Answer 4

I wrote a patch for solving this problem and it has been merged in Ubuntu and Debian. Now its possible to configure tomcat6 inside Eclipse without any pains.

In Ubuntu 11.04 you can install tomcat6-user package. Then configure a user instance of tomcat6 by running this command

$tomcat6-instance-create ~/my-tomcat-dir

A user instance of tomcat6 will be configured in ~/my-tomcat-dir directory.

Now to add tomcat6 inside eclipse to setup your development environment, simply point eclipse towards this directory and you will be ready to go.

If you are running an older version of Ubuntu, then you can simply download the latest version of tomcat6-user package from the Debian FTP: http://packages.debian.org/hu/sid/all/tomcat6-user/download

Answer 5

You have to symlink various folders that are scattered across the file system to the desired tomcat6 main (or installation) folder.

tsaid suggested symlinking to /usr/share/tomcat6, I rather use /var/lib/tomcat6.

My /var/lib/tomcat6 directory (see the symlinks I've made):

$ ls -g -o /var/lib/tomcat6
lrwxrwxrwx 1   22 2010-07-20 18:15 bin -> /usr/share/tomcat6/bin
drwxr-xr-x 3 4096 2010-07-20 12:22 common
lrwxrwxrwx 1   12 2010-07-20 12:22 conf -> /etc/tomcat6
lrwxrwxrwx 1   22 2010-07-20 18:14 lib -> /usr/share/tomcat6/lib
lrwxrwxrwx 1   17 2010-07-20 12:22 logs -> ../../log/tomcat6
drwxr-xr-x 3 4096 2010-07-20 12:22 server
drwxr-xr-x 3 4096 2010-07-20 12:22 shared
drwxrwxr-x 3 4096 2010-07-20 12:22 webapps
lrwxrwxrwx 1   19 2010-07-20 12:22 work -> ../../cache/tomcat6

Also, don't forget to give full rw permission to your configuration files, in my case in /etc/tomcat6. Since you'll also need to symlink catalina.policy from Catalina/localhost/catalina.policy, don't forget giving execute permission to those folders. You can simplify with full permission to the conf folder, but it's only advised if you're the only user of the computer.

cd /var/lib/tomcat6/conf
chmod -R a+xrw *

Now, delete the entry in Eclipse under Window -> Preferences -> Server -> Runtime Environment and add a new server through Run on Server or anywhere else.

Answer 6

I had the same problem, i use ubuntu 9.04 and tomcat 6.

I installed the tomcat 6 for apt-get, installed also jre, jdk. (SUN)

In order to resolve the problem do:

• Close the Eclipse;
• Delete your workspace (save your files);
• stop the tomcat6 (/etc/init.d/tomcat6 stop)
• make a link to conf (ln -s /var/lib/tomcat6/conf /usr/share/tomcat6);
• ln -s /var/lib/tomcat6/catalina.policy /etc/tomcat6/
• init the eclipse
• In server tomcat configuration (/usr/share/tomcat6)

Answer 7

Go to window > preferences -- Go to runtime environments --- you will probably find the location of the old install of Tomcat. Changing it to the current location will help.

Answer 8

There’s a better workaround so you can keep Ubuntu’s Tomcat6 (taken from http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=8541057, by DisDis)

In a terminal:

sudo apt-get install tomcat6
cd /usr/share/tomcat6
sudo ln -s /var/lib/tomcat6/conf conf
sudo ln -s /etc/tomcat6/policy.d/03catalina.policy conf/catalina.policy
sudo ln -s /var/log/tomcat6 log
sudo chmod -R 777 /usr/share/tomcat6/conf

There. Now just go to Window/Preferences/Sever/Runtime Environments, add the Apache Tomcat6 Server and use /usr/share/tomcat6 as the installation directory!

Answer 9

I had the same problem but thanks to all your feedback I got it fixed. In summary...

I have Ubuntu 9.04, Eclipse Galileo (java EE developers platform 3.5.1).

I installed Tomcat as follows:

sudo tar zxvf apache-tomcat-6.0.20.tar.gz

sudo cp -R apache-tomcat-6.0.20 /usr/share/tomcat6

as explained at: http://www.ubuntugeek.com/tomcat-6-installation-on-ubuntu-feisty.html

Then I change permissions to the conf folder /usr/share/tomcat6/conf$ sudo chmod a+rw *

I removed it from Windows->Preferences->Server->Runtime Environment (but I don't think this step was necessary after all)

Voila!

Answer 10

I had the same problem, but with tomcat 5.5. Changing the permissions on the /etc/tomcat5.5/conf (symlink from /usr/share/tomcat5.5/conf) worked. Thanks!

Answer 11

Remove (or edit the apache tomcat v6.0 entry in) workspace.metadata.plugins\org.eclipse.core.runtime.settings\org.eclipse.jst.server.tomcat.core.prefs

I think you also need to restart

Answer 12

This one is working for me too Window -> Options -> Server -> Runtime Environments

Edit the existing runtime environment "Apache Tomcat v6.0" and select your tomcat's location.

Answer 13

I was suffering the same problem

I've got the lattest eclipse 3.4.1 GanyMede. Changed the Ubuntu Tomcat 6 install to the plain one from tomcat.apache.org

chmod 666 /usr/share/tomcat6/conf*

and the problem was solved

Answer 14

Window -> Options -> Server -> Runtime Environments

Edit the existing runtime environment "Apache Tomcat v6.0" and select your tomcat's location.

Answer 15

ok, so here's what worked for me: you must go to Window>Preferences

here, go to Server>Runtime Environments

remove the old server or add your server or change the server location...

(in my case, this problem arised when i changed the tomcat server location)

now you should be able to add new servers to your environment :)

Answer 16

I you have the newer version of eclipse, try to update the Web Tool Plateform plugins in Help/software Updates... If both eclipse and WTP are up to date I don't see were the problem can be...

PS : there is a "comment" button, do not post an answer to comment an answer ;)

Answer 17

If you can test it with http://localhost:8080 then the server is already running, and there's nothing for Eclipse to create. try closing down the server, and then setting up eclipse to point to the installation directory.