Identifying Your Tomcat Version

Identifying Your Tomcat Version

Apache Tomcat is a widely used open-source Java servlet container. Knowing the version of Tomcat running your web applications is crucial for troubleshooting, compatibility checks, and applying security updates. This tutorial outlines several methods to determine your Tomcat version, catering to different access levels and configurations.

1. Accessing the Tomcat Manager Web Application

The simplest way to check your Tomcat version is through the manager web application.

• Open a web browser and navigate to http://localhost:8080/. (Replace localhost and 8080 with your server’s address and port if different).
• Tomcat will display a welcome page that prominently shows the running version at the top. For example, you might see "Apache Tomcat/7.0.42".

Important Considerations:

• This method assumes Tomcat is running and accessible via a web browser.
• The default port is 8080. If you’ve configured a different port, use that instead.
• If you’re unable to access the welcome page, ensure your Tomcat server is running and that your firewall isn’t blocking access to port 8080 (or your configured port).

2. Using the Tomcat Manager Application (Detailed)

If simply viewing the welcome page isn’t sufficient or you need more detailed information, the Tomcat Manager application provides further details.

• Access the Manager application by navigating to http://localhost:8080/manager/status in your web browser.
• This page displays a list of deployed applications and server status information, including the Tomcat version.

3. Executing the version.sh or version.bat Script

Tomcat includes a script specifically designed to output version information. The script to use depends on your operating system.

• Linux/macOS: Open a terminal and navigate to the bin directory within your Tomcat installation. Then, execute ./version.sh.
• Windows: Open a command prompt and navigate to the bin directory within your Tomcat installation. Then, execute version.bat.

The output will display comprehensive information about your Tomcat installation, including the version number, operating system details, and JVM version. For example:

Server version: Apache Tomcat/7.0.42
Server built:   Jul 2 2013 08:57:41
Server number:  7.0.42.0
OS Name:        Linux
OS Version:     2.6.32-042stab084.26
Architecture:   amd64
JVM Version:    1.7.0_21-b11
JVM Vendor:     Oracle Corporation

4. Inspecting catalina.jar

If you have access to the Tomcat installation files but can’t access it through a browser or execute scripts, you can inspect the catalina.jar file.

• Locate catalina.jar within the lib directory of your Tomcat installation.
• You can use a JAR archive explorer (like 7-Zip, WinRAR, or jar xf catalina.jar on the command line) to extract the contents of the JAR file.
• Navigate to org/apache/catalina/util/lib/. Inside this directory, locate the ServerInfo.properties file.
• Open ServerInfo.properties and find the server.info property. The value of this property will indicate the Tomcat version.

5. Using a JSP File

You can deploy a simple JavaServer Pages (JSP) file to your Tomcat server and use it to output the Tomcat version.

• Create a file named tomcat_version.jsp with the following content:

Tomcat Version : <%= application.getServerInfo() %><br>
Servlet Specification Version : <%= application.getMajorVersion() %>.<%= application.getMinorVersion() %><br>
JSP version : <%=JspFactory.getDefaultFactory().getEngineInfo().getSpecificationVersion() %><br>

• Deploy this JSP file to your web application.
• Access the JSP file through your web browser (e.g., http://localhost:8080/tomcat_version.jsp).
• The output will display the Tomcat version, Servlet specification version, and JSP version.

By utilizing these methods, you can reliably identify your Tomcat version, enabling you to effectively manage and maintain your Java web applications.