Chapter 2. Installing JBoss Web Server on Red Hat Enterprise Linux

1. Subscribe your Red Hat Enterprise Linux system to the appropriate channel:

   • OpenJDK:

     • rhel-7-server-rpms

   • Oracle:

     • rhel-7-server-thirdparty-oracle-java-rpms

   • IBM:

     • rhel-7-server-supplementary-rpms

1. Run the following commands as the root user to ensure the correct JDK is in use:

   # alternatives --config java

   # alternatives --config javac

   These commands return lists of available JDK versions with the selected version marked with a plus (+) sign. If the selected JDK is not the desired one, change to the desired JDK as instructed in the shell prompt.

   Important

   All software that use the java and javac commands uses the JDK set by alternatives. Changing Java alternatives may impact on the running of other software.

Removing the tomcatjss Package

1. As the root user, run the following command to remove tomcatjss:

   # yum remove tomcatjss

Downloading JBoss Web Server

1. Open a browser and log in to the Red Hat Customer Portal.
2. Click Downloads.
3. Click Red Hat JBoss Web Server in the Product Downloads list.
4. Select the correct JBoss Web Server version from the Version drop-down menu.

5. Click Download for each of the following files, ensuring that you select the correct platform and architecture for your system:

   • Red Hat JBoss Web Server 3.1 Application Server (jws-application-servers-3.1.0-<platform>-<architecture>.zip)

Extracting JBoss Web Server

1. Unzip the downloaded ZIP files to your installation directory.

   The directory created by extracting the ZIP archives is the top-level directory for JBoss Web Server. This is referred to as JWS_HOME.

1. In a shell prompt as the root user, change directory to JWS_HOME.

2. Run the following command to create the tomcat user group:

   # groupadd -g 53 -r tomcat

3. Run the following command to create the tomcat user in the tomcat user group:

   # useradd -c "Tomcat" -u 53 -g tomcat -s /bin/sh -r tomcat

4. Check that the tomcat user group and the tomcat user were created correctly:

   $ grep tomcat /etc/group
   
   tomcat:x:53
   
   $ grep tomcat /etc/passwd
   
   tomcat:x:53:53:Tomcat:/home/tomcat:/bin/sh

5. From JWS_HOME, run the following command to assign the ownership of the Tomcat directories to the tomcat user to allow the user to run the Tomcat service:

   # chown -R tomcat:tomcat tomcat<VERSION>

   Replace <VERSION> with the respective Tomcat version number (7 or 8).

   You can use ls -l to verify that the tomcat user is the owner of the directory.

6. Ensure that the tomcat user has execute permissions to all parent directories. For example:

   # chmod -R u+X tomcat<VERSION>

1. Change directory to JWS_HOME/extras/:

   # cd JWS_HOME/extras/

2. Copy log4j-eap6.jar and log4j.properties from JWS_HOME/extras/ to JWS_HOME/lib.

   # cp log4j.properties log4j-eap6.jar ../tomcat<VERSION>/lib/

   Replace <VERSION> with the Tomcat version number (7 or 8).

3. Change directory to JWS_HOME/tomcat<VERSION>/extras/:

   # cd ../tomcat<VERSION>/extras/

4. Copy tomcat-juli-adapters.jar from JWS_HOME/tomcat<VERSION>/extras to JWS_HOME/tomcat<VERSION>/lib.

   # cp tomcat-juli-adapters.jar ../lib/

5. Replace JWS_HOME/tomcat<VERSION>/bin/tomcat-juli.jar with JWS_HOME/tomcat<VERSION>/extras/tomcat-juli.jar:

   # cp tomcat-juli.jar ../bin/

Starting Tomcat

1. Run the following command as the tomcat user with your respective Tomcat version (7 or 8):

   $ sh JWS_HOME/tomcat<VERSION>/bin/startup.sh

   Important

   Although there are multiple methods of starting Tomcat, it is recommended that you use the startup.sh script. To start Tomcat as a service using Jsvc, see the Jsvc chapter.

Stopping Tomcat

1. To stop Tomcat, run the following command as the root user with your respective Tomcat version (7 or 8):

   # sh JWS_HOME/tomcat<VERSION>/bin/shutdown.sh

1. Log in to the Red Hat Subscription Manager.
2. Click on the Systems tab.
3. Click on the Name of the system to add the subscription to.
4. Change from the Details tab to the Subscriptions tab, then click Attach Subscriptions.
5. Select the check box beside the subscription to attach, then click Attach Subscriptions.

Installing JBoss Web Server from RPM packages using YUM

1. On a command line, subscribe to the JBoss Web Server CDN repositories for your operating system version using subscription-manager:

   # subscription-manager repos --enable <repository>

   • For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7:

     • jws-3-for-rhel-7-server-rpms
     • jb-coreservices-1-for-rhel-7-server-rpms

1. Issue the following command as the root user to install JBoss Web Server:

   # yum groupinstall jws3

   Note

   • Although not recommended, instead of using the group install, you can install each of the packages and their dependencies individually.
   • The Red Hat JBoss Core Services repositories above are required for the installation of JBoss Web Server.

Starting Tomcat

1. In a shell prompt as the root user, start the Tomcat service. Replace <VERSION> with the desired Tomcat version (7 or 8):

   1. For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7:

      # systemctl start tomcat<VERSION>.service

1. To verify that Tomcat is running, the output of the service status command should be reviewed. This can be executed as any user.

   1. For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7:

      # systemctl status tomcat<VERSION>.service

Stopping Tomcat

1. In a shell prompt as the root user, stop the Tomcat service. Replace <VERSION> with the desired Tomcat version (7 or 8):

   1. For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7:

      # systemctl stop tomcat<VERSION>.service

2. To verify that Tomcat is no longer running, the output of the service status command should be reviewed. This can be executed as any user.

   1. For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7:

      # systemctl status tomcat<VERSION>.service

1. Install the selinux-policy-devel package:

   yum install -y selinux-policy-devel

2. Execute the .postinstall.selinux script:

   cd <JWS_home>/tomcat<version>
   sh .postinstall.selinux

   Where tomcat<version> refers to tomcat7 or tomcat8.

3. Make and install the SELinux module:

   cd selinux
   make -f /usr/share/selinux/devel/Makefile
   semodule -i tomcat<version>.pp

4. Apply the SELinux contexts for JBoss Web Server:

   restorecon -r <JWS_home>/tomcat<version>/

5. Add access permissions to the required ports for JBoss Web Server:

   semanage port -a -t http_port_t -p tcp 8005
   semanage port -a -t http_port_t -p tcp 8080
   semanage port -a -t http_port_t -p tcp 8009
   semanage port -a -t http_port_t -p tcp 8443

6. Start the Tomcat service:

   <JWS_home>/bin/startup.sh

7. Check the context of the running process expecting tomcat_<version>__t:

   ps -eZ | grep tomcat | head -n1

8. To verify the contexts of the Tomcat directories, for example:

   ls -lZ <JWS_home>/tomcat<version>/logs/