If you are on a PC and would like to setup an environment for PHP, MySQL, CSS, JavaScript, AJAX, JAVA, GWT-EXT, Tomcat, and use Eclipse as your editor, here’s a step by step guide.  The instructions shouldn’t be very different for Linux except for some path changes and lack of *.exe files.

1. Though a bit unrelated unless you’re working with PHP, MySQL, as well, I like to install WAMP, which can be found here.  It’s pretty much the same thing as XAMP, but with a nice and friendly GUI and a lot easier to customize to match your server environment to your local environment.
2. Install JAVA Runtime Environment, found here.  You pretty much only need the first download, but if you would like to have command line ability, grab that as well.  You can always add it later on.
3. You’ll want to install Apache’s Tomcat, found here.  Grab the Windows Service installer for a quick and easy.  Through the install process, the wizard will ask you to point it at the JAVA Runtime Environment you installed in step 2. (more…)