Apache Tomcat
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Apache Tomcat Versions
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Different versions of Apache Tomcat are available for different versions
of the Servlet and JSP specifications. The mapping between the specifications
and the respective Apache Tomcat verisons is:
Servlet/JSP Spec
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Apache Tomcat version
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2.5/2.1
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6.0.x
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2.4/2.0
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5.5.x
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2.3/1.2
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4.1.x
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2.2/1.1
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3.3.x
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The releases are described in more detail below to help you determine
which one is right for you. More details about each release can be found in
the associated release notes.
Please note that alhough we offer downloads and documentation of older
releases, such as Apache Tomcat 3.x and 4.x, we strongly encourage users to use the
latest stable version of Apache Tomcat whenever possible. We recognize that upgrading
across major version may not be a trivial task, and some support is still
offered on the mailing list for users of old versions. However, because of the
community-driven support approach, the older your version the less people would
be interested or able to support you.
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Alpha / Beta / Stable
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Almost every Tomcat release is initially released as an Alpha release. After a week or
so of testing a vote is held to gather views on the stability of the release. If a
major issue is identified during testing, then the vote may not take place and the
release will remain as an Alpha release.
Stability is a subjective judgement and you should always read carefully the
release notes for any version you intend to make use of. If you are an early adopter
of a release, we would love to hear your opinion about its stability as part of the
vote: it takes place on the development mailing list.
Alpha releases may contain large amounts of untested/missing
functionality required by the specification and/or signifcant bugs and are not
expected to run stably for any length of time.
Beta releases may contain some untested functionality and/or a
number of relatively minor bugs. Beta releases are not expected to run stably.
Stable releases may contain a small number of relatively minor
bugs. Stable releases are intended for production use and are expected to run
stably for extended periods of time.
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Apache Tomcat 6.x
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Apache Tomcat 6.x. Apache Tomcat 6.x is the current focus of
development. It builds upon the improvements made in Tomcat 5.5.x and implements
the Servlet 2.5 and JSP 2.1
specifications. In addition to that, it includes the following improvements:
- Memory usage optimizations
- Advanced IO capabilities
- Refactored clustering
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Apache Tomcat 5.x
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Apache Tomcat 5.5.x. It supports the same Servlet and JSP
Specification versions as Apache Tomcat 5.0.x, there are significant changes
in many areas under the hood, resulting in improved performance, stability,
and total cost of ownership. Please refer to the Apache Tomcat 5.5 Changelog
for details.
Apache Tomcat 5.0.x. Apache Tomcat 5.0 improves on Apache Tomcat 4.1 in many
ways, including:
- Performance optimizations and reduced garbage collection
- Refactored application deployer, with an optional standalone deployer
allowing validation and compilation of a web application before putting
it in production
- Complete server monitoring using JMX and the manager web application
- Scalability and reliability enhancements
- Improved Taglibs handling, including advanced pooling and tag plugins
- Improved platform integration, with native Windows and Unix wrappers
- Embedding using JMX
- Enhanced Security Manager support
- Integrated session clustering
- Expanded documentation
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Apache Tomcat 4.x
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Apache Tomcat 4.x implements a new servlet container (called
Catalina) that is based on completely new architecture. The 4.x releases
implement the Servlet 2.3 and JSP 1.2
specifications.
Apache Tomcat 4.1.x. Apache Tomcat 4.1 is a refactoring
of Apache Tomcat 4.0.x, and contains significant enhancements, including:
- JMX based administration features
- JSP and Struts based administration web application
- New Coyote connector (HTTP/1.1, AJP 1.3 and JNI support)
- Rewritten Jasper JSP page compiler
- Performance and memory efficiency improvements
- Enhanced manager application support for integration with development
tools
- Custom Ant tasks to interact with the manager application directly
from build.xml scripts
Apache Tomcat 4.0.x. Apache Tomcat 4.0.6 is the old production
quality release. The 4.0 servlet
container (Catalina) has been developed from the ground up for flexibility and
performance. Version 4.0 implements the final released versions of the Servlet
2.3 and JSP 1.2 specifications. As required by the specifications, Apache Tomcat 4.0
also supports web applications built for the Servlet 2.2 and JSP 1.1
specifications with no changes.
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Apache Tomcat 3.x
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There are several versions of Apache Tomcat 3.x currently
available for download:
- Version 3.3 is the current production quality release for
the Servlet 2.2 and JSP 1.1 specifications. Apache Tomcat 3.3 is the latest
continuation of the Apache Tomcat 3.x architecture and it is more advanced then 3.2.4,
which is the 'old' production quality release.
- Version 3.2.4 is the 'old' production quality release and is now in
maintenance only mode.
- Version 3.1.1 is a legacy release.
All Apache Tomcat 3.x releases trace their heritage back to the
original Servlet and JSP implementations that Sun donated to the Apache
Software Foundation. The 3.x versions all implement the Servlet
2.2 and JSP 1.1 specifications.
Apache Tomcat 3.3.x. Version 3.3.2 is the current production
quality release. It continues the refactoring that was begun in version 3.2 and
carries it to its logical conclusion. Version 3.3 provides a much more modular
design and allows the servlet container to be customized by adding and removing
modules that control the processing of servlet requests. This version also
contains many performance improvements.
Apache Tomcat 3.2.x. Version 3.2 added few new features
since 3.1; the major effort was a refactoring of the internals to improve
performance and stability. The 3.2.1 release, like 3.1.1, was a security
patch. Version 3.2.2 fixed a large number of bugs and all known
specification compliance issues. Version 3.2.3 was a security update that
closes a serious security hole. Version 3.2.4 is a minor bug fix release.
All users of Apache Tomcat versions prior to 3.2.3 should updgrade as soon as
possible. With the exception of fixes for critical security related bugs,
development on the Apache Tomcat 3.2.x branch has stopped.
Apache Tomcat 3.1.x. The 3.1 release contained several
improvements over Apache Tomcat 3.0, including servlet reloading, WAR file
support and added connectors for the IIS and Netscape web servers. The
latest maintenance release, 3.1.1, contained fixes for security problems.
There is no active development ongoing for Apache Tomcat 3.1.x. Users of Apache Tomcat
3.1 should update to 3.1.1 to close the security holes and they are
strongly encouraged to migrate to the current production release, Apache Tomcat
3.3.
Apache Tomcat 3.0.x. Initial Apache Tomcat release.
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