Apache Tomcat startup error with Eclipse

Question

I am using Eclipse Luna (4.4) on a Mac along with Java 1.8 and Tomcat 7. When setting up Tomcat with Eclipse with or without an application configured, I am unable to get it to start up.

I see the following stack trace in the Eclipse console


    Jul 13, 2015 2:02:42 PM org.apache.catalina.core.AprLifecycleListener init
    INFO: The APR based Apache Tomcat Native library which allows optimal performance in production environments was not found on the java.library.path: /Users/apadmanabhan/Library/Java/Extensions:/Library/Java/Extensions:/Network/Library/Java/Extensions:/System/Library/Java/Extensions:/usr/lib/java:.
    Jul 13, 2015 2:02:42 PM org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.SetPropertiesRule begin
    WARNING: [SetPropertiesRule]{Server/Service/Engine/Host/Context} Setting property 'source' to 'org.eclipse.jst.jee.server:RESTfulPhoneBook' did not find a matching property.
    Jul 13, 2015 2:02:42 PM org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol init
    INFO: Initializing ProtocolHandler ["http-bio-8080"]
    Jul 13, 2015 2:02:42 PM org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol init
    INFO: Initializing ProtocolHandler ["ajp-bio-8009"]
    Jul 13, 2015 2:02:42 PM org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina load
    INFO: Initialization processed in 593 ms
    Jul 13, 2015 2:02:42 PM org.apache.catalina.core.StandardService startInternal
    INFO: Starting service Catalina
    Jul 13, 2015 2:02:42 PM org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngine startInternal
    INFO: Starting Servlet Engine: Apache Tomcat/7.0.55
    Jul 13, 2015 2:02:42 PM org.apache.tomcat.util.descriptor.DigesterFactory locationFor
    WARNING: The XML schema [javaee_web_services_1_2.xsd] could not be found. This is very likely to break XML validation if XML validation is enabled.
    Jul 13, 2015 2:02:42 PM org.apache.tomcat.util.descriptor.DigesterFactory locationFor
    WARNING: The XML schema [web-app_3_0.xsd] could not be found. This is very likely to break XML validation if XML validation is enabled.
    Jul 13, 2015 2:02:42 PM org.apache.tomcat.util.descriptor.DigesterFactory locationFor
    WARNING: The XML schema [web-fragment_3_0.xsd] could not be found. This is very likely to break XML validation if XML validation is enabled.
    Jul 13, 2015 2:02:42 PM org.apache.tomcat.util.descriptor.DigesterFactory locationFor
    WARNING: The XML schema [web-common_3_0.xsd] could not be found. This is very likely to break XML validation if XML validation is enabled.
    Jul 13, 2015 2:02:42 PM org.apache.tomcat.util.descriptor.DigesterFactory locationFor
    WARNING: The XML schema [javaee_6.xsd] could not be found. This is very likely to break XML validation if XML validation is enabled.
    Jul 13, 2015 2:02:42 PM org.apache.tomcat.util.descriptor.DigesterFactory locationFor
    WARNING: The XML schema [javaee_web_services_1_3.xsd] could not be found. This is very likely to break XML validation if XML validation is enabled.
    Jul 13, 2015 2:02:42 PM org.apache.tomcat.util.descriptor.DigesterFactory locationFor
    WARNING: The XML schema [javaee_web_services_client_1_3.xsd] could not be found. This is very likely to break XML validation if XML validation is enabled.
    Jul 13, 2015 2:02:42 PM org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase startInternal
    SEVERE: A child container failed during start
    java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: Failed to start component [StandardEngine[Catalina].StandardHost[localhost].StandardContext[]]
        at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.report(FutureTask.java:122)
        at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.get(FutureTask.java:192)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.startInternal(ContainerBase.java:1123)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHost.startInternal(StandardHost.java:816)
        at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1575)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1565)
        at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:266)
        at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1142)
        at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:617)
        at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745)
    Caused by: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: Failed to start component [StandardEngine[Catalina].StandardHost[localhost].StandardContext[]]
        at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:154)
        ... 6 more
    Caused by: java.lang.NoSuchMethodError: javax.servlet.ServletContext.getClassLoader()Ljava/lang/ClassLoader;
        at org.apache.catalina.startup.WebappServiceLoader.load(WebappServiceLoader.java:90)
        at org.apache.catalina.startup.ContextConfig.processServletContainerInitializers(ContextConfig.java:1546)
        at org.apache.catalina.startup.ContextConfig.webConfig(ContextConfig.java:1268)
        at org.apache.catalina.startup.ContextConfig.configureStart(ContextConfig.java:876)
        at org.apache.catalina.startup.ContextConfig.lifecycleEvent(ContextConfig.java:374)
        at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleSupport.fireLifecycleEvent(LifecycleSupport.java:117)
        at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.fireLifecycleEvent(LifecycleBase.java:90)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.startInternal(StandardContext.java:5378)
        at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150)
        ... 6 more

There are a bunch more of these similar errors. I have tried a few things like editing permissions to have full access to the tomcat installation directory, playing around with different tomcat v.s. java installs but none seem to help.

Any ideas?

Ramesh PVK · Accepted Answer · 2015-07-13T22:38:29.613

3

This method javax.servlet.ServletContext.getClassLoader()Ljava/lang/ClassLoader is introduced in Servlet 3.0. And, the Tomcat 7.0 should be having that Servlet 3.0 API jar.

But, you should be having an older servlet-api.jar somewhere else in your classpath.

Verify your classpath to see if there are any other references to servlet-api.jar

Pass the -verbose:class argument to java executable. It will print something like this:

[Loaded javax.servlet.Servlet from file:/home:/.../lib/servlet-api.jar]

edited Jul 13 '15 at 22:38

answered Jul 13 '15 at 21:40

Ramesh PVK

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I tried Tomcat 8, and based on the manifest file for servlet-api.jar file in the lib folder it is using version 3.1. I do not see any other servlet jar file in the tomcat installation directory – avinash Jul 13 '15 at 22:08
I am saying there is older servlet-api.jar somewhere else in your classpath that is taking precedence. – Ramesh PVK Jul 13 '15 at 22:16
Thanks for your patience. I have cleaned up the m2 repo and removed any other instance of this jar file. How do I check what Tomcat is using in its classpath? – avinash Jul 13 '15 at 22:30
Thanks, your updated answer helped. I have deleted the other jar files and now able to start Tomcat – avinash Jul 13 '15 at 22:54

Apache Tomcat startup error with Eclipse

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