Server installation problem

[David Manners]

Hello,

 

I am installing Xnat for the first time and I have hit a problem that I cannot resolve. The installation is on a remote server, and the service is available (in theory) on XX.XX.XX.XX:8080/xnat. I can see and enable the service from the tomcat manager page, but when I try to access the xnat page I get the error message:

 

[http://XX.XX.XX.XX:8080/xnat/app/template/Login.vm]

XNAT has encountered an error with your request:

Status: Unknown status

URI: Unknown URI

Message: Unknown error occurred

If this error continues to occur, please contact your system administrator with information about how to recreate the problem.

 

Looking in the logfiles, the only one of interest is $XNAT_HOME/logs/turbine.log:

 

2025-07-09 15:34:31,138 [http-nio-8080-exec-28] ERROR org.apache.turbine.Turbine - Turbine.handleException:

java.lang.NullPointerException: null

        at java.base/java.util.Objects.requireNonNull(Objects.java:233)

        at java.base/sun.nio.fs.UnixFileSystem.getPath(UnixFileSystem.java:296)

        at java.base/java.nio.file.Path.of(Path.java:148)

        at java.base/java.nio.file.Paths.get(Paths.java:69)

        at org.nrg.xdat.services.impl.ThemeServiceImpl.checkThemeFileExists(ThemeServiceImpl.java:142)

        at org.nrg.xdat.services.impl.ThemeServiceImpl.getThemePage(ThemeServiceImpl.java:114)

        at org.nrg.xdat.services.impl.ThemeServiceImpl.getThemePage(ThemeServiceImpl.java:98)

        at org.nrg.xnat.turbine.modules.screens.Login.doBuildTemplate(Login.java:35)

        at org.nrg.xdat.turbine.modules.screens.Login.doBuildTemplate(Login.java:90)

        at org.apache.turbine.modules.screens.TemplateScreen.doBuild(TemplateScreen.java:103)

        at org.apache.turbine.modules.Screen.build(Screen.java:60)

        at org.apache.turbine.modules.ScreenLoader.eval(ScreenLoader.java:110)

        at org.apache.turbine.modules.layouts.VelocityOnlyLayout.doBuild(VelocityOnlyLayout.java:95)

        at org.apache.turbine.modules.Layout.build(Layout.java:56)

        at org.apache.turbine.modules.LayoutLoader.exec(LayoutLoader.java:104)

        at org.apache.turbine.modules.pages.DefaultPage.doBuild(DefaultPage.java:149)

        at org.apache.turbine.modules.Page.build(Page.java:56)

        at org.apache.turbine.modules.PageLoader.exec(PageLoader.java:104)

        at org.apache.turbine.Turbine.doGet(Turbine.java:796)

        at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:529)

        at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:623)

        at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:199)

        at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144)

        at org.apache.tomcat.websocket.server.WsFilter.doFilter(WsFilter.java:51)

        at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168)

        at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144)

        at net.bull.javamelody.MonitoringFilter.doFilter(MonitoringFilter.java:239)

        at net.bull.javamelody.MonitoringFilter.doFilter(MonitoringFilter.java:215)

        at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168)

        at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:337)

        at org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.invoke(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:115)

        at org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.doFilter(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:81)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:346)

        at org.springframework.security.web.access.ExceptionTranslationFilter.doFilter(ExceptionTranslationFilter.java:122)

        at org.springframework.security.web.access.ExceptionTranslationFilter.doFilter(ExceptionTranslationFilter.java:116)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:346)

        at org.springframework.security.web.session.SessionManagementFilter.doFilter(SessionManagementFilter.java:126)

        at org.springframework.security.web.session.SessionManagementFilter.doFilter(SessionManagementFilter.java:81)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:346)

        at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AnonymousAuthenticationFilter.doFilter(AnonymousAuthenticationFilter.java:109)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:346)

        at org.nrg.xnat.security.XnatInitCheckFilter.doFilterInternal(XnatInitCheckFilter.java:67)

        at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:117)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:346)

        at org.springframework.security.web.servletapi.SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter.doFilter(SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter.java:149)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:346)

        at org.springframework.security.web.savedrequest.RequestCacheAwareFilter.doFilter(RequestCacheAwareFilter.java:63)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:346)

        at org.nrg.xnat.security.XnatExpiredPasswordFilter.doFilterInternal(XnatExpiredPasswordFilter.java:112)

        at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:117)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:346)

        at org.nrg.xnat.security.XnatBasicAuthenticationFilter.doFilterInternal(XnatBasicAuthenticationFilter.java:117)

        at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:117)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:346)

        at org.springframework.security.web.session.ConcurrentSessionFilter.doFilter(ConcurrentSessionFilter.java:147)

        at org.springframework.security.web.session.ConcurrentSessionFilter.doFilter(ConcurrentSessionFilter.java:125)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:346)

        at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.doFilter(AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.java:223)

        at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.doFilter(AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.java:217)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:346)

        at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.doFilter(AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.java:223)

        at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.doFilter(AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.java:217)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:346)

        at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.logout.LogoutFilter.doFilter(LogoutFilter.java:103)

        at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.logout.LogoutFilter.doFilter(LogoutFilter.java:89)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:346)

        at org.springframework.security.web.header.HeaderWriterFilter.doHeadersAfter(HeaderWriterFilter.java:90)

        at org.springframework.security.web.header.HeaderWriterFilter.doFilterInternal(HeaderWriterFilter.java:75)

        at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:117)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:346)

        at org.springframework.security.web.context.SecurityContextPersistenceFilter.doFilter(SecurityContextPersistenceFilter.java:112)

        at org.springframework.security.web.context.SecurityContextPersistenceFilter.doFilter(SecurityContextPersistenceFilter.java:82)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:346)

        at org.springframework.security.web.context.request.async.WebAsyncManagerIntegrationFilter.doFilterInternal(WebAsyncManagerIntegrationFilter.java:55)

        at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:117)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:346)

        at org.springframework.web.filter.RequestContextFilter.doFilterInternal(RequestContextFilter.java:100)

        at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:117)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:346)

        at org.springframework.security.web.access.channel.ChannelProcessingFilter.doFilter(ChannelProcessingFilter.java:133)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:346)

        at org.springframework.security.web.session.DisableEncodeUrlFilter.doFilterInternal(DisableEncodeUrlFilter.java:42)

        at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:117)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:346)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy.doFilterInternal(FilterChainProxy.java:221)

        at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:186)

        at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.invokeDelegate(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:354)

        at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.doFilter(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:267)

        at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168)

        at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144)

        at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:168)

        at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:90)

        at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.AuthenticatorBase.invoke(AuthenticatorBase.java:482)

        at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:130)

        at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:93)

        at org.apache.catalina.valves.AbstractAccessLogValve.invoke(AbstractAccessLogValve.java:656)

        at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:74)

        at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:346)

        at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.service(Http11Processor.java:397)

        at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProcessorLight.process(AbstractProcessorLight.java:63)

        at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol$ConnectionHandler.process(AbstractProtocol.java:935)

        at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.NioEndpoint$SocketProcessor.doRun(NioEndpoint.java:1826)

        at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.SocketProcessorBase.run(SocketProcessorBase.java:52)

        at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1189)

        at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:658)

        at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.TaskThread$WrappingRunnable.run(TaskThread.java:63)

        at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:1583)

 

My set-up is:

tomcat version: apache-tomcat-9.0.106 (sudo java -cp apache-tomcat-9.0.106/lib/catalina.jar org.apache.catalina.util.ServerInfo)

Server version: Apache Tomcat/9.0.106

Server built:   Jun 5 2025 19:02:30 UTC

Server number:  9.0.106.0

OS Name:        Linux

OS Version:     6.8.0-63-generic

Architecture:   amd64

JVM Version:    21.0.7+6-Ubuntu-0ubuntu124.04

JVM Vendor:     Ubuntu

java version:  (java -version)

openjdk version "21.0.7" 2025-04-15

OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 21.0.7+6-Ubuntu-0ubuntu124.04)

OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 21.0.7+6-Ubuntu-0ubuntu124.04, mixed mode, sharing)

xnat version:

Manifest-Version: 1.0

Application-Name: XNAT

Implementation-CleanTag: false

Implementation-Branch: master

Build-Date: Fri Jun 13 14:31:12 CDT 2025

Build-Number: 17

Implementation-Version: 1.9.2

Thanks for the help you could offer.

[Mohana Ramaratnam]

Hello,

The error that you are encountering is trying to look up a file in

TOMCAT_HOME/webapps/ROOT/themes 

Does this folder exist and is it owned by the user that is launching the tomcat process?

Regards,
Mohana Ramaratnam,

 moh...@xnatworks.io
 xnatworks.io | Find us on LinkedIn! 

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[Moore, Charlie]

Additionally, XNAT is designed (at least for the time being), to work with Java 8, not Java 21.

Thanks,

Charlie

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Sent: Friday, July 11, 2025 9:53 AM
To: xnat_di...@googlegroups.com <xnat_di...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [XNAT Discussion] Server installation problem

 

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[David Manners]

Thanks for the reply.

> ‎Does the folder TOMCAT_HOME/webapps/ROOT/themes exist?

No, because xnat is installed at  TOMCAT_HOME/webapps/xnat. This folder and its subfolders ARE owned by user xnat, the user that launched the tomcat process. In the themes folder are two directories xnat-sample and none, and what seems like a newly created file, judging by the timestamp, theme.json.

As a check, I tried copying the themes folder to ROOT and restarting the xnat service, but this gives the same error messages as before.

> ‎Additionally, XNAT is designed (at least for the time being), to work with Java 8, not Java 21.

I installed Java 8 and set it as the default. I re-made tomcat using this version, restarted the service, and the error message does not change when I attempt to go to the xnat homepage.

[Pasquale]

Hi Charlie,
Thank you for the information. Could you share if there’s an estimated timeline for when a new XNAT version that no longer requires Java 8 will be released? 

Best regards,
Pasquale 

[Rick Herrick]

Hi Pasquale,

We are currently working on the Java 21-compatible version of XNAT, which will be v1.10. We just started on the release roadmap for this so don't have a specific date but we're hoping to release it by the end of September or early October.

Rick Herrick 

Senior Software Developer

ri...@xnatworks.io

https://xnatworks.io | Find us on LinkedIn! 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/xnat_discussion/ffb770c4-319a-4606-b3e8-6791822bb596n%40googlegroups.com.