How to install Tomcat on Ubuntu

Installing Apache Tomcat from the Ubuntu package archive gives a server the packaged servlet container, service unit, default connector, and Java runtime dependencies without building a separate /opt/tomcat tree by hand.

Current Ubuntu LTS packages provide the servlet container through the tomcat10 package and manage it with tomcat10.service. The package keeps configuration under /etc/tomcat10, runtime files under /usr/share/tomcat10, web applications under /var/lib/tomcat10/webapps, and the default HTTP connector on port 8080.

A working install should show the tomcat10 service active and return an HTTP response from http://127.0.0.1:8080/. Remote clients need a firewall rule for port 8080 only when the host is meant to expose the Tomcat connector directly; many production deployments put Tomcat behind Apache or Nginx instead.

1. Open a terminal with sudo privileges.
2. Refresh the local APT package index.

   $ sudo apt update

3. Install the Tomcat package.

   $ sudo apt install tomcat10

   The package creates the tomcat service user, installs tomcat10.service, and pulls in a compatible OpenJDK runtime when one is not already installed.

4. Enable Tomcat at boot and start it now.

   $ sudo systemctl enable --now tomcat10

   Ubuntu may start the service during package installation, but running this command makes the current and boot-time state explicit.

   Related: How to start and stop Tomcat with systemd

5. Confirm the service is active.

   $ systemctl is-active tomcat10
   active

   If the command does not return active, inspect sudo journalctl -u tomcat10 before changing ports or deploying applications. Related: How to troubleshoot Tomcat startup failures with systemd

6. Confirm the installed Tomcat build.

   $ /usr/share/tomcat10/bin/version.sh
   Server version: Apache Tomcat/10.1.40 (Ubuntu)
   Server built:   Jun 9 2026 12:08:21 UTC
   ##### snipped #####

   The exact package version changes with Ubuntu security updates. The important result is that the packaged script reports an Apache Tomcat build from the installed tomcat10 package.

   Related: How to check the Tomcat version on Linux

7. Verify the default connector on localhost.

   $ curl --include --silent http://127.0.0.1:8080/
   HTTP/1.1 200
   ##### snipped #####
   Content-Type: text/html
   Content-Length: 1905
   ##### snipped #####

   An HTTP response from 127.0.0.1:8080 proves the local connector is listening and serving the packaged default web application.

8. If UFW protects the host and remote clients must reach Tomcat directly, allow TCP port 8080.

   $ sudo ufw allow 8080/tcp

   Do not expose the default connector to untrusted networks unless the application, manager access, and reverse-proxy plan are already designed for that exposure.

   Related: How to configure Nginx as a reverse proxy for Tomcat
   Related: How to configure Apache as a reverse proxy for Tomcat