How to Install JasperReports Server on Ubuntu Linux

Install Java OpenJDK

JasperReports runs on Java. You need to install the 💿 OpenJDK to support it.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install default-jdk

Verify the installation with java --version.

How to install OpenJDK on Ubuntu Linux

Install MariaDB

You need a database to store your report information. MariaDB is a reliable choice.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install mariadb-server
sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the prompts to secure your database instance. How to install MariaDB on Ubuntu Linux

Create database account

sudo mysql
CREATE DATABASE jasperserver;
CREATE USER 'jasperadmin'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED VIA unix_socket;
GRANT ALL ON jasperserver.* TO 'jasperadmin'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit;

Install Tomcat server

Tomcat (a web server that runs Java applications) must be installed on your system before you can set up JasperReports Server Ubuntu. You need to create a dedicated user, make an installation folder, and download the software files to your server using the terminal commands.

sudo groupadd tomcat
sudo useradd -s /bin/bash -g tomcat -d /opt/tomcat tomcat
sudo mkdir /opt/tomcat
wget https://dlcdn.apache.org/tomcat/tomcat-11/v11.0.0/bin/apache-tomcat-11.0.0.tar.gz
sudo tar -xzvf apache-tomcat-11.0.0.tar.gz -C /opt/tomcat --strip-components=1
sudo chown -R tomcat: /opt/tomcat
sudo sh -c 'chmod +x /opt/tomcat/bin/*.sh'

Create a systemd service config for Tomcat

A systemd service file (a configuration that tells Ubuntu how to run a program in the background) lets Tomcat start automatically when your computer boots up. You create this file in the system folder and add your Java paths so the web server runs correctly.

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/tomcat.service

Use this configuration, noting the dynamic path for Java:

[Unit]
Description=Tomcat servlet container
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=forking
User=tomcat
Group=tomcat
Environment="JAVA_HOME=$(dirname $(dirname $(readlink -f $(which java))))"
Environment="CATALINA_HOME=/opt/tomcat"
ExecStart=/opt/tomcat/bin/startup.sh
ExecStop=/opt/tomcat/bin/shutdown.sh

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl start tomcat

Install JasperReports server

JasperReports Server Community Edition gets installed on your Ubuntu machine by downloading the setup files and unpacking them inside your Tomcat directory. You switch to the Tomcat user account to make sure the server has the right permissions to run the software.

sudo su - tomcat
wget https://sourceforge.net/projects/jasperserver/files/JasperServer/JasperReports%20Server%20Community%20edition%209.0.0/TIB_js-jrs-cp_9.0.0_bin.zip
unzip TIB_js-jrs-cp_9.0.0_bin.zip
cd jasperreports-server-cp-9.0.0-bin/buildomatic
cp sample_conf/mysql_master.properties default_master.properties
nano default_master.properties

Update the default_master.properties file with your database credentials. Finally, run the installer:

./js-install-ce.sh

Access JasperReports portal

The JasperReports Server portal opens in any web browser once the service is running on your Ubuntu machine. Type your server address followed by port 8080 into the address bar, then log in using the default username jasperadmin and password jasperadmin.

Log in with the default credentials (username: jasperadmin, password: jasperadmin). Change these immediately after your first login.

For advanced setups, you can connect a reverse proxy to handle traffic more efficiently.

How to set up a reverse proxy with Nginx

How to set up a reverse proxy with Apache

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