Summary

Bamboo fails to start and shows the following error in the <bamboo-install>/logs/catalina.out file:

java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina

Environment

All supported versions of Bamboo.

Diagnosis

Bamboo fails to start, either from the command line or as a service, and the following errors can be seen in the <bamboo-install>/logs/catalina.out file: 

NOTE: Picked up JDK_JAVA_OPTIONS: --add-opens=java.base/java.lang=ALL-UNNAMED --add-opens=java.base/java.io=ALL-UNNAMED --add-opens=java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED --add-opens=java.base/java.util.concurrent=ALL-UNNAMED --add-opens=java.rmi/sun.rmi.transport=ALL-UNNAMED
java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina
at java.base/java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(URLClassLoader.java:476)
at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:589)
at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:522)
at org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.init(Bootstrap.java:262)
at org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.main(Bootstrap.java:445)

Cause

This can be caused by missing permissions or by starting Bamboo from the home directory using a symbolic link to the install directory.

Solution

1. Ensure the user account which runs Bamboo has full access and permissions to the <bamboo-install> and <bamboo-home> directories, including all sub-directories and files.
2. If there is a symbolic link from the <bamboo-home> to the <bamboo-install> directory, the startup will fail since the startup scripts will look for some install folder files in the home directory.
   Remove the symlink and start Bamboo from its <bamboo-install> directory instead.