Introduction
Apache Tomcat is an open-source implementation of the Java Servlet, JavaServer Pages, Java Expression Language, and Java WebSocket technologies. Nginx is a high-performance web server that can also be used as a reverse proxy. This tutorial will guide you through the process of installing Apache Tomcat 10 with Nginx acting as a reverse proxy on Debian 12.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have:
- A Debian 12 server
- Root or sudo access to the server
- Basic knowledge of Linux command line
Step 1: Install Java Development Kit (JDK)
Apache Tomcat requires Java to be installed on your system. Install OpenJDK 11:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install default-jdk -y
Step 2: Install Apache Tomcat
Download and install Apache Tomcat 10:
cd /tmp
wget https://downloads.apache.org/tomcat/tomcat-10/v10.0.16/bin/apache-tomcat-10.0.16.tar.gz
sudo tar -xf apache-tomcat-10.0.16.tar.gz -C /opt
Step 3: Configure Apache Tomcat
Configure Apache Tomcat to run as a service:
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/tomcat.service
Add the following content:
[Unit]
Description=Apache Tomcat Web Application Container
After=network.target
[Service]
Type=forking
Environment=JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/default-java
Environment=CATALINA_PID=/opt/apache-tomcat-10.0.16/temp/tomcat.pid
Environment=CATALINA_HOME=/opt/apache-tomcat-10.0.16
Environment=CATALINA_BASE=/opt/apache-tomcat-10.0.16
ExecStart=/opt/apache-tomcat-10.0.16/bin/startup.sh
ExecStop=/opt/apache-tomcat-10.0.16/bin/shutdown.sh
User=root
Group=root
Restart=always
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
Save and close the file, then reload systemd:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
Start and enable Apache Tomcat:
sudo systemctl start tomcat
sudo systemctl enable tomcat
Step 4: Install and Configure Nginx
Install Nginx:
sudo apt install nginx -y
Create a new server block configuration file:
sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/tomcat
Add the following content:
server {
listen 80;
server_name your_domain.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://localhost:8080/;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
}
}
Activate the server block by creating a symbolic link:
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/tomcat /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
Test Nginx configuration for syntax errors:
sudo nginx -t
If the test is successful, reload Nginx to apply the changes:
sudo systemctl reload nginx
Step 5: Access Apache Tomcat via Nginx
Open your web browser and navigate to http://your_domain.com. You should see the Apache Tomcat default landing page, indicating that Nginx is successfully acting as a reverse proxy for Apache Tomcat.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have successfully installed Apache Tomcat 10 with Nginx acting as a reverse proxy on Debian 12. You can now deploy your Java web applications and access them via Nginx.
