Tomcat is the servlet/JSP reference implementation. Download the package, extract the contents, run the start script, and you're ready to install webapp's.

JanneJalkanen: While Tomcat is not the fastest, and arguably not the most stable, it has one important edge: it's the official reference implementation, endorsed by Sun. It's probably a good idea to start with Tomcat, and then move to other containers such as Resin, WebSphere, WebLogic, etc. as your demands and experience grows.

Courtesy of Andrew Jaquith, we've begun to document TomcatAuthentication.

Connecting Apache to Tomcat

Configuring Apache to allow Tomcat to serve webapps is a common question. Take a look at Apache Tomcat connection.

Fixing Tomcat 4.1.12

The latest version of this popular Web container can make your apps stop working. Learn how to fix this problem, and how to install and run your Web app with Tomcat 4.1.12.

Article from JavaPro Online, 11/08/2002 http://www.fawcette.com/javapro/2002_11/online/servletsjsp_bkurniawan_11_08_02/