FATAL ERROR in native method: JDWP No transports initialized, jvmtiError=AGENT_ERROR_TRANSPORT_INIT(197)

Can you explain what this error is (and secondly why I am getting it)?

FATAL ERROR in native method: JDWP No transports initialized, jvmtiError=AGENT_ERROR_TRANSPORT_INIT(197)

P.S. It may be related to Known Tomcat 6.0 and JDK 1.7.0_02 issues?, as I only started getting it after upgrading from JDK 1.7.0 to 1.7.0 update 2, with no other upgrades to other software.

I am running:

  • Eclipse Indigo 3.7
  • JDK 1.7.0_0u2 (JDK 7 update 2)
  • Tomcat 6.0
  • Windows 7
  • Apache HTTP Server (although not using it yet)

When I start Tomcat I started getting this error, but not all the time. Rebooting just now fixed it. Some mornings I come to work without a reboot and it fixes it even though it failed the day before. It's sporadic. To debug this I need to understand. Can you help explain it?

EDIT : I have two Tomcat servers, for two different projects, on the same port. The other (first) server is "stopped" but remains "synchronized", in case this matters. I've quickly tried changing all the ports up one (8080 to 8081) and the error reproduces. This may not be a proper test of changing ports, however.

EDIT 2: I just had this problem, and rebooting "fixed" the issue. The workstation was on all weekend and Tomcat worked on Friday and Eclipse was shutdown at the end of the day. I will keep taking notes like this as I run into it to remove guesswork.

EDIT 3: Today it gave me this error from an unrebooted system that worked yesterday, programs shut down yesterday and restarted today. I rebooted, and the error is gone. Most notably is that the error always occurs at 23% compilation. It hits 23%, waits a bit and this is when I know it won't succeed, and then popups a window. I'll capture what the window says next time. Then it gives the above error to the Console.

EDIT 4: I am running Windows 7 and Apache HTTP Server (although not using it yet). I'll add these to the list above.

EDIT 5: The popup window mentioned in edit #3 is (and note my Tomcat is named Server Tomcat v6.0 Server at localhost):

Problem Occurred

'Server Tomcat v6.0 Server at localhost' has encountered a problem.

Server Tomcat v6.0 Server at localhost  failed to start.

OK << Details

Server Tomcat v6.0 Server at localhost  failed to start.

EDIT 6: I just got a new problem, which is Cannot connect to VM com.sun.jdi.connect.TransportTimeoutException popup window error and the same main error that this question asks about in the Console window.

EDIT 7: Just restarting Eclipse, not rebooting the whole computer, solved the error this morning.


This error typically comes up when the necessary port is taken by another program.

You said that you have changed the HTTP connector port from 8080 to 8081 so the two Tomcats do not clash, but have you also changed the <Server port="..." in tomcat/conf/server.xml to be different between your Tomcats?

Are there any other connectors ports which may possibly clash?


Does your HOSTS file have an entry for localhost? Some other situations this error is seen in seem to have this as a problem resolution.

Make sure you have 127.0.0.1 localhost set in it...

(from this and this)


Encountered this. all I did was to kill all the java process(Task Manager) and run again. It worked!