There are two possible approaches to explaining how to get and install all the necessary pieces of software.

One approach is to describe every step in great detail, with screenshots and extensive comments. However, I expect that many readers will find this approach too tedious, especially when the installation process is straightforward and is also described elsewhere (say, in the documentation that comes with the downloads).

The second approach, and the one that I am going to take, is to explain in detail only those steps in installation and configuration that are not trivial, and give only general directions for the trivial ones.

This second approach, although more efficient, leaves a possibility that some readers will be stuck with a problem of one sort or another. However, DevShed provides a discussion page where everyone can ask a question, and I will be always there to answer it. So I suggest that if you have a problem following my instructions, or any other problem indeed, ask a question at the discussion page, and I will give as detailed explanations there as might be needed.

We shall need the following three pieces of software:

• Java Development Kit (JDK). This one is needed to make your computer able to compile and run Java programs.
• An Integrated Development Environment (IDE). The two most popular free choices are NetBeans and Eclipse. I will cover Eclipse configuration in wide strokes, while more detailed instructions will be given for NetBeans configuration only.
• A servlet container. The most popular choice is Apache Tomcat, and it is also bundled with NetBeans, so this is exactly what we will use for this tutorial.

All of this software is available for free, so you can simply download and install it.

If you will follow my choice of IDE and decide to use NetBeans, there is a way to get everything installed in one go using a bundle. Refer to the instructions below.