Trouble Installing JForum on VPS

[Jeremy Severson]

Hey All,

So I installed JForum on my local tomcat server just fine but when I upload it to my Virtual Private Server and try to run the install I get the following,

type Exception report

message

description The server encountered an internal error () that prevented it from fulfilling this request.

exception

javax.servlet.ServletException: Servlet.init() for servlet install threw exception
org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(tomcat-http-5.5.17.jar.so)
org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11BaseProtocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.processConnection(tomcat-http-5.5.17.jar.so)
org.apache.tomcat.util.net.PoolTcpEndpoint.processSocket(tomcat-util-5.5.17.jar.so)
org.apache.tomcat.util.net.LeaderFollowerWorkerThread.runIt(tomcat-util-5.5.17.jar.so)
org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.ThreadPool$ControlRunnable.run(tomcat-util-5.5.17.jar.so)
java.lang.Thread.run(libgcj.so.7rh)
root cause

net.jforum.exceptions.ForumStartupException: Error while starting JForum
java.util.Hashtable.put(libgcj.so.7rh)
net.jforum.util.preferences.SystemGlobals.buildSystem(SystemGlobals.java:129)
net.jforum.util.preferences.SystemGlobals.initGlobals(SystemGlobals.java:108)
net.jforum.ConfigLoader.startSystemglobals(ConfigLoader.java:91)
net.jforum.JForumBaseServlet.init(JForumBaseServlet.java:112)
net.jforum.InstallServlet.init(InstallServlet.java:79)
org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(tomcat-http-5.5.17.jar.so)
org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11BaseProtocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.processConnection(tomcat-http-5.5.17.jar.so)
org.apache.tomcat.util.net.PoolTcpEndpoint.processSocket(tomcat-util-5.5.17.jar.so)
org.apache.tomcat.util.net.LeaderFollowerWorkerThread.runIt(tomcat-util-5.5.17.jar.so)
org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.ThreadPool$ControlRunnable.run(tomcat-util-5.5.17.jar.so)
java.lang.Thread.run(libgcj.so.7rh)
note The full stack trace of the root cause is available in the Apache Tomcat/5.5.17 logs.

Not sure where I should be looking to fix this issue. Hope someone out there can enlighten me to what my issue might be. Thanks for any input you can provide and also remember when describing the issue with me I have a very limited knowledge of Java/Tomcat/JSP so you might need to explain it to me like I am five .

[Ulf Dittmer]

Did you check the Tomcat logs for the root exception, like the error message suggests? It should be in the "logs" folder of the Tomcat installation, possibly named catalina....

[Jeremy Severson]

Well I am still having issues with this. I went through and did the manual installation that jforum has listed at their site but still no luck. I also got a hold of the log output but it seems like greek to me. Hope someone out there with more knowledge on this can help me out.

Here is the log output,

5-Oct-10 3:42:59 PM org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationContext log
INFO: Manager: list: Listing contexts for virtual host 'XXXXXXXXXXXXXX.com'
5-Oct-10 3:44:16 PM org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationContext log
INFO: Manager: install: Installing web application at '/jforum' from 'jforum.war'
java.io.FileNotFoundException: jforum.war (No such file or directory)
at gnu.java.nio.channels.FileChannelImpl.open(libgcj.so.7rh)
at gnu.java.nio.channels.FileChannelImpl.<init>(libgcj.so.7rh)
at gnu.java.nio.channels.FileChannelImpl.create(libgcj.so.7rh)
at java.io.FileInputStream.<init>(libgcj.so.7rh)
at org.apache.catalina.manager.ManagerServlet.copyInternal(catalina-manager-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.manager.ManagerServlet.copy(catalina-manager-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.manager.ManagerServlet.deploy(catalina-manager-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.manager.ManagerServlet.doGet(catalina-manager-5.5.17.jar.so)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(tomcat5-servlet-2.4-api-5.5.17.jar.so)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(tomcat5-servlet-2.4-api-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.AuthenticatorBase.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(tomcat-http-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11BaseProtocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.processConnection(tomcat-http-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.PoolTcpEndpoint.processSocket(tomcat-util-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.LeaderFollowerWorkerThread.runIt(tomcat-util-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.ThreadPool$ControlRunnable.run(tomcat-util-5.5.17.jar.so)
at java.lang.Thread.run(libgcj.so.7rh)
5-Oct-10 3:44:16 PM org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig deployWAR
INFO: Deploying web application archive jforum.war
5-Oct-10 3:44:20 PM org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationContext log
INFO: Manager: list: Listing contexts for virtual host 'XXXXXXXXXXXXXX.com'
log4j:ERROR Could not parse file [null/WEB-INF/log4j.xml].
java.io.FileNotFoundException: /usr/share/tomcat5/null/WEB-INF/log4j.xml (No such file or directory)
at gnu.java.nio.channels.FileChannelImpl.open(libgcj.so.7rh)
at gnu.java.nio.channels.FileChannelImpl.<init>(libgcj.so.7rh)
at gnu.java.nio.channels.FileChannelImpl.create(libgcj.so.7rh)
at java.io.FileInputStream.<init>(libgcj.so.7rh)
at gnu.java.net.protocol.file.Connection.connect(libgcj.so.7rh)
at gnu.java.net.protocol.file.Connection.getInputStream(libgcj.so.7rh)
at org.apache.xerces.impl.XMLEntityManager.setupCurrentEntity(xerces-j2-2.7.1.jar.so)
at org.apache.xerces.impl.XMLVersionDetector.determineDocVersion(xerces-j2-2.7.1.jar.so)
at org.apache.xerces.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(Unknown Source)
at org.apache.xerces.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(Unknown Source)
at org.apache.xerces.parsers.XMLParser.parse(Unknown Source)
at org.apache.xerces.parsers.DOMParser.parse(Unknown Source)
at org.apache.xerces.jaxp.DocumentBuilderImpl.parse(Unknown Source)
at javax.xml.parsers.DocumentBuilder.parse(xml-commons-apis-1.3.02.jar.so)
at org.apache.log4j.xml.DOMConfigurator$1.parse(DOMConfigurator.java:598)
at org.apache.log4j.xml.DOMConfigurator.doConfigure(DOMConfigurator.java:711)
at org.apache.log4j.xml.DOMConfigurator.doConfigure(DOMConfigurator.java:604)
at org.apache.log4j.xml.DOMConfigurator.configure(DOMConfigurator.java:733)
at net.jforum.JForumBaseServlet.init(JForumBaseServlet.java:108)
at net.jforum.JForum.init(JForum.java:91)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapper.loadServlet(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapper.allocate(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(tomcat-http-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11BaseProtocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.processConnection(tomcat-http-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.PoolTcpEndpoint.processSocket(tomcat-util-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.LeaderFollowerWorkerThread.runIt(tomcat-util-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.ThreadPool$ControlRunnable.run(tomcat-util-5.5.17.jar.so)
at java.lang.Thread.run(libgcj.so.7rh)
log4j:WARN No appenders could be found for logger (net.jforum.JForumBaseServlet).
log4j:WARN Please initialize the log4j system properly.
5-Oct-10 3:44:29 PM org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationContext log
SEVERE: StandardWrapper.Throwable
net.jforum.exceptions.ForumStartupException: Error while starting JForum
at java.util.Hashtable.put(libgcj.so.7rh)
at net.jforum.util.preferences.SystemGlobals.buildSystem(SystemGlobals.java:129)
at net.jforum.util.preferences.SystemGlobals.initGlobals(SystemGlobals.java:108)
at net.jforum.ConfigLoader.startSystemglobals(ConfigLoader.java:91)
at net.jforum.JForumBaseServlet.init(JForumBaseServlet.java:112)
at net.jforum.JForum.init(JForum.java:91)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapper.loadServlet(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapper.allocate(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(tomcat-http-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11BaseProtocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.processConnection(tomcat-http-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.PoolTcpEndpoint.processSocket(tomcat-util-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.LeaderFollowerWorkerThread.runIt(tomcat-util-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.ThreadPool$ControlRunnable.run(tomcat-util-5.5.17.jar.so)
at java.lang.Thread.run(libgcj.so.7rh)
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
at java.util.Hashtable.put(libgcj.so.7rh)
...19 more
5-Oct-10 3:44:29 PM org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve invoke
SEVERE: Allocate exception for servlet jforum
net.jforum.exceptions.ForumStartupException: Error while starting JForum
at java.util.Hashtable.put(libgcj.so.7rh)
at net.jforum.util.preferences.SystemGlobals.buildSystem(SystemGlobals.java:129)
at net.jforum.util.preferences.SystemGlobals.initGlobals(SystemGlobals.java:108)
at net.jforum.ConfigLoader.startSystemglobals(ConfigLoader.java:91)
at net.jforum.JForumBaseServlet.init(JForumBaseServlet.java:112)
at net.jforum.JForum.init(JForum.java:91)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapper.loadServlet(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapper.allocate(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(catalina-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(tomcat-http-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11BaseProtocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.processConnection(tomcat-http-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.PoolTcpEndpoint.processSocket(tomcat-util-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.LeaderFollowerWorkerThread.runIt(tomcat-util-5.5.17.jar.so)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.ThreadPool$ControlRunnable.run(tomcat-util-5.5.17.jar.so)
at java.lang.Thread.run(libgcj.so.7rh)
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
at java.util.Hashtable.put(libgcj.so.7rh)
...19 more

[Ulf Dittmer]

That sounds more like a problem with deploying .war files in general, than like a problem with JForum in particular. Are you able to deploy other .war files?

By the way, JForum expects to be run out of an exploded war file - if your servlet container runs .war files without exploding them, then it won't work.

[Jeremy Severson]

Thanks Ulf,

After doing some more investigating yesterday that was the solution I came to also. Turns out my VPS does not unpack the war files and changing the setting "unpackwar" in the server.xml to true did not resolve it since they have a custom setup so now I am sitting here waiting for them to fix the issue.

Its good to hear someone that is more knowledgeable have a similar thought on the solution, makes me more confidant in pursuing my VPS provider to get the setting fixed for me.