Problem installing and configuring Tomcat

Question

Hi
I am quite new with Java and feel like a typical dumb blonde. OK, I am using an 'ancient ' version of the Java Development Kit, which is j2sdk1.4.1_01 (for the purpose of my studies, though I know there is a newer version available).
I am also using Windows XP Professional Edition.
I need to install Tomcat for my studies and asignmentd and have a CD which was given via my training institution. This is Apache Tomcat version 4.1.18 (yes, i know there are newer version available).
I have followed the installation steps they have given, installed it to C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Tomcat 4.1
I have set the JAVA_HOME as follow to C:\j2sdk (in the envir0nment variables)
and
CLASSPATH as follow to: .;C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Tomcat 4.1\common\lib\servlet.jar
(or append \common\lib\servlet.jar to the location where you installed Tomcat) _
what do they mean by this and where, how ?
Interesting enough they say the above CLASPATH should show as System variables, but mine does not appear there, but instead as user variables for me.
OK. I installed everything and got the shortcuts icons for "Start Tomcat" and "Stop Tomcat"
Now I needed to test the Tomcat Installation. I was asked to double click the "Start Tomcat "icon. Minimize the command prompt window opened by Tomcat, then to start my web browswer ( I am using Internet Explorer version 7). Don't know if one should be online or oflline ? When the browser windows open, type http://localhost:8080/ in the Adress box and then press the ENTER key.
I should have received a webpage showing Apache Jakarta Project indicating setup for Tomcat was sucessful.
Well, i don;t get it.
First of all, when clicking the shortcut icon "Start Icon" it gives a message and tries to locate java.exe. I don;t know where this should be located.
Thenthey browswer does not give me a page to say setup is sucessful. instead i get
the following error message :
"Apache Tomcat/4.1.18 - Error reportHTTP Status 500 -
type Exception report
message
description The server encountered an internal error () that prevented it from
fulfilling this request.
exception
org.apache.jasper.JasperException: Unable to compile class for JSP
An error occurred at line: -1 in the jsp file: null
Generated servlet error:
[javac] Compiling 1 source file
     at org.apache.jasper.compiler.DefaultErrorHandler.javacError(DefaultErrorHandler.java:130)
     at org.apache.jasper.compiler.ErrorDispatcher.javacError(ErrorDispatcher.java:293)
     at org.apache.jasper.compiler.Compiler.generateClass(Compiler.java:340)
     at org.apache.jasper.compiler.Compiler.compile(Compiler.java:352)
     at org.apache.jasper.JspCompilationContext.compile(JspCompilationContext.java:474)
     at org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServletWrapper.service(JspServletWrapper.java:184)
     at org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServlet.serviceJspFile(JspServlet.java:295)
     at org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServlet.service(JspServlet.java:241)
     at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:853)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:247)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:260)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:643)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:480)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.invoke(ContainerBase.java:995)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:191)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:643)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:480)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.invoke(ContainerBase.java:995)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.invoke(StandardContext.java:2415)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:180)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:643)
     at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorDispatcherValve.invoke(ErrorDispatcherValve.java:170)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:641)
     at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:172)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:641)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:480)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.invoke(ContainerBase.java:995)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:174)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:643)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:480)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.invoke(ContainerBase.java:995)
     at org.apache.coyote.tomcat4.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:223)
     at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(Http11Processor.java:432)
     at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Protocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.processConnection(Http11Protocol.java:386)
     at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.TcpWorkerThread.runIt(PoolTcpEndpoint.java:534)
     at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.ThreadPool$ControlRunnable.run(ThreadPool.java:530)
     at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:536)
Apache Tomcat/4.1.18 "
Can anyone please help ?

Answer 1

newy wrote:
Hi there
Thanks for your input.
Phew, things are getting more complicated :(
OK, I did a search for the JRE. It is located at C:\j2sdk1.4.1_01No, that's the JDK, but that's what JAVA_HOME should point to.
My Apache Tomcat is in C:\Program Files\Apache GroupTrouble. I try not to install things in directory names with spaces in them. Just my personal quirk.
My j2sdk which contains a doc file is in C:\What?
My j2sdk1.4.1_01 is in C:\What? You said it was in C:\j2sdk1.4.1_01 above.
My environment variables for:
JAVA_HOME is C:\j2sdkOK.
CLASSPATH is .;C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Tomcat 4.1\common\lib\servlet.jar
(but with this CLASSPATH ,I cant get to appear in the system variables. It only wants to appear in the user variables for myself. Should it be in the system variable, and if so, how do I get it there?)Wrong. Delete it. You don't need a system CLASSPATH environment variable. Tomcat ignores it, as does every Java EE app server. Every IDE ignores it, too. Useless. Worse than useless, because it deceives noobs into thinking that their CLASSPATH is "right".
OK, and if I had to set the CLASSPATH for CATALINA, the ni did it as C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Tomcat 4.1\server\lib
don't know if this is correct. It too, only appears in my user variables and not in system variables.Wrong.
OK, I as said I have a short cut created on my desktop, "Start Tomcat" as well as "Stop Tomcat".No, open up a command shell, navigate to the Tomcat /bin directory, and run the start script. You'll be able to see the error messages that way.
Arrrgggghhh, why is Tomcat such hell ?Why are you using such an old JDK and an old version of Tomcat? You have JDK 1.4 and Tomcat 4.x. We're up to 6 and 6, respectively. Why are you staying two versions behind?
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