How to use Tomcat 8.5.x and TomEE 7.x with Eclipse?

Question

I need to setup a Tomcat 8.5.x server version in Eclipse. When I try to create a server using Eclipse GUI, I get in Eclipse Luna as choice the latest version "Apache Tomcat v8.0". When I select it and I browse to my Tomcat 8.5.x server, I get this blocking error message:

The Apache Tomcat installation at this directory is version 8.5.0. A Tomcat 8.0 installation is expected.

The same error appears when trying TomEE 7.x, which is internally based on Tomcat 8.5.

In Eclipse Neon the latest version as choice is "Apache Tomcat v9.0" and it gives the same error. There isn't even a "Apache Tomcat v8.5" option.

Is there a way to use Tomcat 8.5 and TomEE 7.x in Eclipse? How?

Solution 1

You have to patch catalina.jar, as this is version number the WTP adapter looks at. It's a quite useless check, and the adapter should allow you to start the server anyway, but nobody has though of that yet.

For years and with every version of Tomcat this is always a problem.

To patch you can do the following:

• cd [tomcat or tomee home]/lib
• mkdir catalina
• cd catalina/
• unzip ../catalina.jar
• vim org/apache/catalina/util/ServerInfo.properties

Make sure it looks like the following (the version numbers all need to start with 8.0):

server.info=Apache Tomcat/8.0.0
server.number=8.0.0
server.built=May 11 2016 21:49:07 UTC

Then:

• jar uf ../catalina.jar org/apache/catalina/util/ServerInfo.properties
• cd ..
• rm -rf catalina

Solution 2

There is a patch for Eclipse:
https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/attachment.cgi?id=262418&action=edit

Download this patch and put it to the plugins directory of your Eclipse installation. It will replace the default "org.eclipse.jst.server.tomcat.core_1.1.800.v201602282129.jar".

NOTE
After you add this patch you must choose "Apache Tomcat v9.0" when adding a server runtime environment in the Eclipse (Preferences > Server > Runtime Environments).
I.e. this patch allows you to select either Tomcat version 9.x or Tomcat version 8.5.x when adding Apache Tomcat v.9.0 runtime environment.

---

More details on can be found on the related bug report page: https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=494936

Solution 3

For Tomcat 8.5.x users

You've to change the ServerInfo.properties file of Tomcat's /lib/catalina.jar file.

ServerInfo.properties file contains the following code

server.info=Apache Tomcat/8.5.4
server.number=8.5.4.0
server.built=Jul 6 2016 08:43:30 UTC

Just open the ServerInfo.properties file by opening the catalina.jar with winrar from your Tomcat's lib folder

ServerInfo.properties file location in catalina.jar is /org/apache/catalina/util/ServerInfo.properties

Notice : shutdown the Tomcat server(if it's already opened by cmd) before doing these things otherwise your file doesn't change and your winrar shows error.

Then change the following code in ServerInfo.properties

server.info=Apache Tomcat/8.0.8.5.4
server.number=8.5.4.0
server.built=Jul 6 2016 08:43:30 UTC

Restart your eclipse(if opened). Now it'll work...

Solution 4

As for now Eclipse Neon service release is available. So if someone is still encounters this trouble, just go to

Help → Check for Updates

and install provided updates.

Solution 5

This workaround worked for me. I edited the serverInfo.properties file as given below:

server.info=Apache Tomcat/8.0.0
server.number=8.0.0.0
server.built=Oct 6 2016 20:15:31 UTC

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