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ndchavan_kp
January 31, 2025
Solved

replacing javax.servlet with jakarta.servlet dependency for AEM Servlet

  • January 31, 2025
  • 4 replies
  • 5037 views

As javax.servlet dependency has been deprecated we are getting tidelift suggestions to upgrade to jakarta.servlet. However, when we update to that we are getting below error -

Error: /apps/runner/_work/jabcd/japp-name/core/pom.xml [0:0]: Class org.ab.web.appname.core.servlet.FetchPDF is not assignable to specified service jakarta.servlet.Servlet

 

Suggestions on this error asking again to revert back to javax.servlet. 

Just checking has anyone encountered this issue before? What solution has been implemented to address this. Pls share your experience. Thanks.

 

-Nilesh

Best answer by joerghoh

Currently the work started to allow the use of jakarta.servlet instead of javax.servlet, but I guess that it will take some time to get offically supported.

4 replies

Shiv_Prakash_Patel
Community Advisor
Shiv_Prakash_PatelCommunity Advisor
Community Advisor
February 1, 2025

 This issue commonly occurs when upgrading from javax.servlet to jakarta.servlet. The primary reason is that jakarta.servlet introduces breaking package changes, which require recompiling and updating dependencies accordingly. You can try below steps to resolve this issue:

1. If your project has dependencies that still rely on javax.servlet, they may not be compatible with jakarta.servlet.

  • Replace all javax.servlet dependencies with jakarta.servlet-compatible versions.
  • Run mvn dependency:tree to check if any transitive dependencies are still pulling in javax.servlet.tible with jakarta.servlet

2. Your FetchPDF class may still be compiled against javax.servlet.Servlet, causing class incompatibility.

  • Ensure your servlet class imports jakarta.servlet.* instead of javax.servlet.*.
  • Clean and rebuild your project (mvn clean install).

3. Some older servlet containers (e.g., Tomcat 9, Jetty 9) still use javax.servlet. Jakarta Servlet 5+ is only supported from Tomcat 10, Jetty 11, etc.

  • Upgrade your servlet container to Tomcat 10+ or Jetty 11+, which support jakarta.servlet.

4. If using Spring Boot, ensure you have updated dependencies properly:

  • Spring Boot 2.x still uses javax.servlet. To use jakarta.servlet, upgrade to Spring Boot 3.x.

Reference - https://foojay.io/today/migrating-from-java-ee-to-jakarta-ee-with-intellij-idea/ 

Regards,

Shiv Prakash
    AmitVishwakarma
    Community Advisor
    AmitVishwakarmaCommunity Advisor
    Community Advisor
    February 1, 2025

    1. Ensure Compatibility: AEM uses javax.servlet and may not fully support jakarta.servlet yet, especially in older versions.
    2. Revert to javax.servlet: If AEM doesn't support jakarta.servlet, revert to using javax.servlet in your pom.xml:

    <dependency> <groupId>javax.servlet</groupId> <artifactId>javax.servlet-api</artifactId> <version>4.0.1</version> <scope>provided</scope> </dependency>

    3. Update Servlets: If you're using jakarta.servlet, make sure your servlet code uses the correct import: 

    import jakarta.servlet.Servlet;

    4. Check AEM Version: If you're on a version that supports jakarta.servlet, update your servlets accordingly. If not, stick to javax.servlet.

      N
      ndchavan_kpAuthor
      February 3, 2025

      Thanks Amit. I believe AEM does not support jakarta.servlet yet (until version 6.5) as jakarta API is not compatible with OSGI services, hance wanted to check if there has been any workaround to make it work. For now I'll keep using javax api until we have an update from Adobe side to use jakarta api with compatible AEM vesion. 

      joerghoh
      Adobe Employee
      joerghohAdobe EmployeeAccepted solution
      Adobe Employee
      February 7, 2025

      Currently the work started to allow the use of jakarta.servlet instead of javax.servlet, but I guess that it will take some time to get offically supported.

        N
        ndchavan_kpAuthor
        February 7, 2025

        Thank you for the update. So we will continue using the javax.servlet until jakarta.servlet officially starts supporting it. 

        ksuren
        ksuren
        Level 3
        August 28, 2025

        @joerghoh @shiv_prakash_patel this may be a lot of work?

        Many projects built with AEM Archetype still use javax.* references

        1. javax.servlet
        2. javax.annotation
        3. javax.jcr

        https://github.com/adobe/aem-project-archetype/blob/develop/src/main/archetype/pom.xml 

        <!-- Servlet API --> <dependency> <groupId>javax.servlet</groupId> <artifactId>javax.servlet-api</artifactId> <version>3.1.0</version> <scope>provided</scope> </dependency> <dependency> <groupId>javax.servlet.jsp</groupId> <artifactId>jsp-api</artifactId> <version>2.1</version> <scope>provided</scope> </dependency> <dependency> <groupId>javax.annotation</groupId> <artifactId>javax.annotation-api</artifactId> <version>1.3.2</version> <scope>provided</scope> </dependency> <!-- JCR --> <dependency> <groupId>javax.jcr</groupId> <artifactId>jcr</artifactId> <version>2.0</version> <scope>provided</scope> </dependency>

         

        joerghoh
        Adobe Employee
        joerghohAdobe Employee
        Adobe Employee
        August 28, 2025

        We will update the archetype as soon as soon as the jakarta API is supported.

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