SEVERE: Exception org.springframework.web.util.Log4jConfigListener

Question

Getting the below severe exception when attempting to run tomcat in Spring Tool Suite:

SEVERE: Exception sending context initialized event to listener instance of class    org.springframework.web.util.Log4jConfigListener
java.lang.IllegalStateException: Cannot set web app root system property when WAR file is not expanded
at    org.springframework.web.util.WebUtils.setWebAppRootSystemProperty(WebUtils.java:143)
at    org.springframework.web.util.Log4jWebConfigurer.initLogging(Log4jWebConfigurer.java:117)
at    org.springframework.web.util.Log4jConfigListener.contextInitialized(Log4jConfigListener.java:45)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.listenerStart(StandardContext.java:4939)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.startInternal(StandardContext.java:5434)
at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1559)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1549)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:266)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1142)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:617)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745)

Answer 1

Don't use Log4jConfigListener within a WAR that is not expanded; we probably need to make that even clearer.

There's only two benefits that Log4jWebConfigurer gives you: - refreshes Log4J configuration when the Log4J config file changes; - allows to use log file paths relative to the web applicaiton root.

Both are not applicable when the WAR is not expanded, so there's no point in using Log4jWebConfigurer in such a scenario. Simply rely on Log4J's default initialization from a log4j.properties file in the root of the classpath.

BTW, you might have noticed that Log4jConfigListener is commented-out in Petclinic's and Countries' web.xml, for a related reason: To be able to deploy WARs that are not expanded, and to work without hassle in JBoss (which has its own special usage of Log4J).

Juergen

Answer 2

Log4jConfigListener only works if the WAR file is exploded. Read this article: http://community.jaspersoft.com/wiki/illegalstateexception-while-deploying-war-file-weblogic