How do I compile Tomcat mod_jk on a MacBook Pro M1 chip?

Question

I have Homebrew Apache installed and trying to connect Coldfusion Server 2016 with Tomcat mod_jk.

I downloaded the source code from https://tomcat.apache.org/download-connectors.cgi

I followed the directions to compile it, tried few different ways, but when I get to the "make" command, I keep getting the same error:

In file included from jk_ajp12_worker.c:26:
In file included from ./jk_ajp12_worker.h:26:
In file included from ./jk_logger.h:26:
In file included from ./jk_global.h:340:
./jk_types.h:56:2: error: Can not determine the proper size for pid_t
#error Can not determine the proper size for pid_t
 ^
./jk_types.h:62:2: error: Can not determine the proper size for pthread_t
#error Can not determine the proper size for pthread_t
 ^
2 errors generated.
make[1]: *** [jk_ajp12_worker.lo] Error 1
make: *** [all-recursive] Error 1

These are the different commands I've tried to compile:

./configure --with-apxs=/opt/homebrew/bin/apxs
./configure CFLAGS='-arch arm64e' APXSLDFLAGS='-arch arm64e' --with-apxs=/opt/homebrew/bin/apxs
./configure CFLAGS='-arch arm64e' APXSLDFLAGS='-arch arm64e' --with-apxs=/opt/homebrew/bin/apxs --host=arm

I recently got this new MacBook Pro 16" and migrated everything over from my 2017 MacBook Pro (Intel chip). I was running stock Apache with Coldfusion Server 2016, but when I tried to start up Apache on the new MacBook, it didn't like my mod_jk.so file and threw an error:

httpd: Syntax error on line 542 of /opt/homebrew/etc/httpd/httpd.conf: Syntax error on line 2 of /opt/homebrew/etc/httpd/mod_jk.conf: 
Cannot load /Applications/ColdFusion2016/config/wsconfig/2/mod_jk.so into server: dlopen(/Applications/ColdFusion2016/config/wsconfig/2/mod_jk.so, 0x000A): 
tried: '/Applications/ColdFusion2016/config/wsconfig/2/mod_jk.so' 
(mach-o file, but is an incompatible architecture (have 'x86_64', need 'arm64e'))

I appreciate any help or input. Thank you.

Answer 1

Running ColdFusion on a Mac is consistently a PITA. Doesn't matter if it's CF 9, 10, 11, all the way to current. Especially when you're dealing with a non-Intel based chipset. You are also trying to get an older and custom build of Toncat running on a chipset that likely isn't supported. You're also not the only one having this issue with CF 2016 on the M1 chip (they didn't find a solution either).

Try using CommandBox to run CF. It will download the server as a JAR file and run it on the Glassfish servlet container (IIRC). You won't need Apache either. It's really quite simple to get up and running.

https://commandbox.ortusbooks.com/embedded-server/multi-engine-support

Once you have it installed, go to your application's root folder in the CLI:

start cfengine=adobe@2016

It will download & install the server, then start the application.

Check the docs for more info.