[FIXED] URL rewrite is not working in version Apache Tomcat 9.0.30. Why?

Issue

When I make RewriteEngine on in rewrite.config, tomcat is terminating automatically on startup.

Why is it happening ?

The rewrite.config is given below :

    RewriteEngine On  
    RewriteCond %{DOCUMENT_ROOT}%{REQUEST_URI} -f [OR]  
    RewriteCond %{DOCUMENT_ROOT}%{REQUEST_URI} -d  
    RewriteRule ^ - [L]
    RewriteRule ^ /index.html

I am configuring tomcat for url rewriting . I have added below statement in conf/context.xml

  <Valve className="org.apache.catalina.valves.rewrite.RewriteValve" />
  <JarScanner scanClassPath="false" />

and I have kept rewrite.config in apache-tomcat-9.0.30\webapps\ROOT\WEB-INF folder

what else configuration need to be done.

with above configuration i am getting below exception on start up of tomcat

     java.lang.IllegalStateException: Error starting child
            at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.addChildInternal(ContainerBase.java:720)
            at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.addChild(ContainerBase.java:690)
            at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHost.addChild(StandardHost.java:705)
            at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployDirectory(HostConfig.java:1133)
            at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig$DeployDirectory.run(HostConfig.java:1867)
            at java.util.concurrent.Executors$RunnableAdapter.call(Executors.java:511)
            at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:266)
            at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.InlineExecutorService.execute(InlineExecutorService.java:75)
            at java.util.concurrent.AbstractExecutorService.submit(AbstractExecutorService.java:112)
            at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployDirectories(HostConfig.java:1045)
            at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployApps(HostConfig.java:429)
            at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.start(HostConfig.java:1576)
            at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.lifecycleEvent(HostConfig.java:309)
            at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.fireLifecycleEvent(LifecycleBase.java:123)
            at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.setStateInternal(LifecycleBase.java:423)
            at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.setState(LifecycleBase.java:366)
            at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.startInternal(ContainerBase.java:936)
            at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHost.startInternal(StandardHost.java:841)
            at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:183)
            at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1384)
            at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1374)
            at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:266)
            at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.InlineExecutorService.execute(InlineExecutorService.java:75)
            at java.util.concurrent.AbstractExecutorService.submit(AbstractExecutorService.java:134)
            at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.startInternal(ContainerBase.java:909)
            at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngine.startInternal(StandardEngine.java:262)
            at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:183)
            at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardService.startInternal(StandardService.java:421)
            at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:183)
            at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardServer.startInternal(StandardServer.java:930)
            at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:183)
            at org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina.start(Catalina.java:633)
            at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
            at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
            at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
            at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
            at org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.start(Bootstrap.java:343)
            at org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.main(Bootstrap.java:474)
    Caused by: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: Failed to start component [RewriteValve[StandardEngine[Catalina].StandardHost[localhost].StandardContext[]]]
            at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.handleSubClassException(LifecycleBase.java:440)
            at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:198)
            at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.startInternal(StandardPipeline.java:176)
            at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:183)
            at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.startInternal(StandardContext.java:5063)
            at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:183)
            at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.addChildInternal(ContainerBase.java:717)
            ... 37 more
    Caused by: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: rewriteValve.invalidLine
            at org.apache.catalina.valves.rewrite.RewriteValve.parse(RewriteValve.java:642)
            at org.apache.catalina.valves.rewrite.RewriteValve.parse(RewriteValve.java:221)
            at org.apache.catalina.valves.rewrite.RewriteValve.startInternal(RewriteValve.java:173)
            at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:183)
            ... 42 more

Solution

My best bet is: You're placing an Apache httpd rewrite configuration into a location where Tomcat expects its own format. If you check Tomcat's documentation, you won't find any RewriteEngine directive documented anywhere, and your error message mentions invalid.line. Here's your hint.

On top, tagging the question with apache is quite misleading. Pay attention to your tags (e.g. read the tag's documentation by hovering the mouse)

Answered By - Olaf Kock