Which Java EE server should I use?

Question

OK, this is a little unusual, because ANY Java EE container can do the simple things I want to do (XML processing, JPA, Hibernate, SOAP/REST web services, etc). This is for personal use, more to gain skills than to accomplish essential functionality. I have my own Linux server (Ubuntu Jaunty x86_64) with business class internet, so I can install pretty much anything.

I use Tomcat a lot now, however, I ran into a few situations lately job hunting where they were looking for experience in a specific Java EE container (which defeats the whole purpose of having a standard), and of course not the same one each time.

So what I'm looking for is a Java EE server that:

1. Is in demand in the marketplace right now
2. Is free (or
3. Is not too horrendous (disk space, time) to install and to deploy applications on
4. Runs on Ubuntu x86_64

I've been able to glean some information via Indeed's keyword search, and that tells me to stay away from Jetty/Glassfish, even though they fit "lightweight" and "free". I also see from this SO post that WebSphere is a steaming pantload of bloatware that's hard to deploy/configure, but I don't know if that's accurate or current. I like Tomcat (completely FOSS, smallish, easy to deploy, plenty of docs/users), but it's less in demand than some of the bigger boys.

So what would you recommend I install? Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

My personal recommendation is JBoss. Not only is this a solid server, but there are other JBoss Platforms and Frameworks that easily integrate into JBoss. One example is JBoss ESB.