java - TomEE - Unable to create annotation scanner for web module: null

Question

I'm sorry for the vagueness of the question title, but I'm not entirely sure what the question that I'm asking even is. I'm trying to deploy a sample application I built with GWT on TomEE, but deployment fails for some reason. I have a stacktrace, but that wall of text is completely meaningless to me. I know what an annotation scanner is, but I don't know why tomee fails to create one or how that relates to anything I have to do to fix it. The application is basically the StockWatcher one from here. I've done nothing other than to put the gwt output on the root of my war, and then add a web.xml like this (I'm not to the part where there's actual client server communication so I only add the default servlet to serve static content) (running this in linux, with oracle jdk 1.7)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<web-app xmlns="http://java.sun.com/xml/ns/javaee"
     xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
     xsi:schemaLocation="http://java.sun.com/xml/ns/javaee
      http://java.sun.com/xml/ns/javaee/web-app_2_5.xsd"
     version="2.5">
   <servlet>
        <servlet-name>default</servlet-name>
        <servlet-class>
            org.apache.catalina.servlets.DefaultServlet
        </servlet-class>
        <init-param>
            <param-name>debug</param-name>
            <param-value>0</param-value>
        </init-param>
        <init-param>
            <param-name>listings</param-name>
            <param-value>true</param-value>
        </init-param>
        <load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
    </servlet>

    <servlet-mapping>
        <servlet-name>default</servlet-name>
        <url-pattern>/</url-pattern>
    </servlet-mapping>
</web-app>

Here's the last output from catalina.out

Apr 07, 2014 9:45:39 PM org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig deployWAR
INFO: Deploying web application archive /home/hannes/apps/apache-tomee-plus-1.6.0/webapps/web.war
Apr 07, 2014 9:45:39 PM org.apache.tomee.catalina.TomcatWebAppBuilder init
INFO: ------------------------- localhost -> /web
Apr 07, 2014 9:45:39 PM org.apache.openejb.util.JarExtractor extract
INFO: Extracting jar: /home/hannes/apps/apache-tomee-plus-1.6.0/webapps/web.war
Apr 07, 2014 9:45:39 PM org.apache.openejb.util.JarExtractor extract
INFO: Extracted path: /home/hannes/apps/apache-tomee-plus-1.6.0/webapps/web
Apr 07, 2014 9:45:39 PM org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase addChildInternal
SEVERE: ContainerBase.addChild: start: 
org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: Failed to start component [StandardEngine[Catalina].StandardHost[localhost].StandardContext[/web]]
    at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:154)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.addChildInternal(ContainerBase.java:901)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.addChild(ContainerBase.java:877)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHost.addChild(StandardHost.java:633)
    at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployWAR(HostConfig.java:983)
    at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployApps(HostConfig.java:548)
    at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.check(HostConfig.java:1468)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:606)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.modeler.BaseModelMBean.invoke(BaseModelMBean.java:301)
    at com.sun.jmx.interceptor.DefaultMBeanServerInterceptor.invoke(DefaultMBeanServerInterceptor.java:819)
    at com.sun.jmx.mbeanserver.JmxMBeanServer.invoke(JmxMBeanServer.java:801)
    at org.apache.catalina.manager.ManagerServlet.check(ManagerServlet.java:1447)
    at org.apache.catalina.manager.HTMLManagerServlet.upload(HTMLManagerServlet.java:303)
    at org.apache.catalina.manager.HTMLManagerServlet.doPost(HTMLManagerServlet.java:210)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:647)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:728)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:305)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
    at org.apache.catalina.filters.CsrfPreventionFilter.doFilter(CsrfPreventionFilter.java:213)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:243)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
    at org.apache.tomcat.websocket.server.WsFilter.doFilter(WsFilter.java:51)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:243)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
    at org.apache.catalina.filters.SetCharacterEncodingFilter.doFilter(SetCharacterEncodingFilter.java:108)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:243)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:222)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:123)
    at org.apache.tomee.catalina.OpenEJBValve.invoke(OpenEJBValve.java:45)
    at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.AuthenticatorBase.invoke(AuthenticatorBase.java:611)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:171)
    at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:100)
    at org.apache.catalina.valves.AccessLogValve.invoke(AccessLogValve.java:953)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:118)
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:408)
    at org.apache.coyote.http11.AbstractHttp11Processor.process(AbstractHttp11Processor.java:1041)
    at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol$AbstractConnectionHandler.process(AbstractProtocol.java:603)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.JIoEndpoint$SocketProcessor.run(JIoEndpoint.java:312)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1145)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:615)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:724)
Caused by: org.apache.tomee.catalina.TomEERuntimeException: org.apache.openejb.OpenEJBException: Unable to create annotation scanner for web module web: null
    at org.apache.tomee.catalina.TomcatWebAppBuilder.loadApplication(TomcatWebAppBuilder.java:2049)
    at org.apache.tomee.catalina.TomcatWebAppBuilder.startInternal(TomcatWebAppBuilder.java:1091)
    at org.apache.tomee.catalina.TomcatWebAppBuilder.configureStart(TomcatWebAppBuilder.java:1051)
    at org.apache.tomee.catalina.GlobalListenerSupport.lifecycleEvent(GlobalListenerSupport.java:127)
    at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleSupport.fireLifecycleEvent(LifecycleSupport.java:119)
    at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.fireLifecycleEvent(LifecycleBase.java:90)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.startInternal(StandardContext.java:5322)
    at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150)
    ... 44 more
Caused by: org.apache.openejb.OpenEJBException: Unable to create annotation scanner for web module web: null
    at org.apache.openejb.config.DeploymentLoader.addWebModule(DeploymentLoader.java:838)
    at org.apache.openejb.config.DeploymentLoader.load(DeploymentLoader.java:219)
    at org.apache.tomee.catalina.TomcatWebAppBuilder.loadApplication(TomcatWebAppBuilder.java:2047)
    ... 51 more
Caused by: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException
    at org.apache.xbean.asm4.ClassReader.<init>(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.xbean.asm4.ClassReader.<init>(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.xbean.asm4.ClassReader.<init>(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.xbean.finder.AnnotationFinder.readClassDef(AnnotationFinder.java:1120)
    at org.apache.xbean.finder.AnnotationFinder.<init>(AnnotationFinder.java:139)
    at org.apache.xbean.finder.AnnotationFinder.<init>(AnnotationFinder.java:152)
    at org.apache.xbean.finder.AsynchronousInheritanceAnnotationFinder.<init>(AsynchronousInheritanceAnnotationFinder.java:43)
    at org.apache.openejb.config.FinderFactory.newFinder(FinderFactory.java:114)
    at org.apache.openejb.config.FinderFactory.create(FinderFactory.java:68)
    at org.apache.openejb.config.FinderFactory.createFinder(FinderFactory.java:57)
    at org.apache.openejb.config.DeploymentLoader.addWebModule(DeploymentLoader.java:830)
    ... 53 more

Apr 07, 2014 9:45:39 PM org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig deployWAR
SEVERE: Error deploying web application archive /home/hannes/apps/apache-tomee-plus-1.6.0/webapps/web.war
java.lang.IllegalStateException: ContainerBase.addChild: start: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: Failed to start component [StandardEngine[Catalina].StandardHost[localhost].StandardContext[/web]]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.addChildInternal(ContainerBase.java:904)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.addChild(ContainerBase.java:877)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHost.addChild(StandardHost.java:633)
    at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployWAR(HostConfig.java:983)
    at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployApps(HostConfig.java:548)
    at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.check(HostConfig.java:1468)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:606)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.modeler.BaseModelMBean.invoke(BaseModelMBean.java:301)
    at com.sun.jmx.interceptor.DefaultMBeanServerInterceptor.invoke(DefaultMBeanServerInterceptor.java:819)
    at com.sun.jmx.mbeanserver.JmxMBeanServer.invoke(JmxMBeanServer.java:801)
    at org.apache.catalina.manager.ManagerServlet.check(ManagerServlet.java:1447)
    at org.apache.catalina.manager.HTMLManagerServlet.upload(HTMLManagerServlet.java:303)
    at org.apache.catalina.manager.HTMLManagerServlet.doPost(HTMLManagerServlet.java:210)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:647)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:728)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:305)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
    at org.apache.catalina.filters.CsrfPreventionFilter.doFilter(CsrfPreventionFilter.java:213)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:243)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
    at org.apache.tomcat.websocket.server.WsFilter.doFilter(WsFilter.java:51)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:243)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
    at org.apache.catalina.filters.SetCharacterEncodingFilter.doFilter(SetCharacterEncodingFilter

Answer 1

Caused by: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException
    at org.apache.xbean.asm4.ClassReader.<init>(Unknown Source)

Are you trying to use Java 8-compiled classes? AFAICT, ASM4 only supports Java 7 bytecode (or older versions), and you need ASM5 for Java 8.

Try recompiling your classes targeting Java 7.