--- HostConfig.java.orig	2005-05-25 09:41:00.242654400 +0200
+++ HostConfig.java	2005-05-25 11:32:49.740438400 +0200
@@ -384,14 +384,34 @@
         }
 
         File file = new File(host.getAppBase());
-        if (!file.isAbsolute())
+        boolean makeRelative = false;
+        if (!file.isAbsolute()) {
+            makeRelative = true;
             file = new File(System.getProperty("catalina.base"),
-                            host.getAppBase());
+                            host.getAppBase());}
         try {
             appBase = file.getCanonicalFile();
         } catch (IOException e) {
             appBase = file;
         }
+        if (log.isInfoEnabled()) {
+            if (!appBase.exists()) {
+                String extraInfo = "";
+                if (makeRelative) {
+                    extraInfo = " neither absolute, nor in \"" +file.getAbsolutePath() + "\"";
+                }
+                log.info("no app-base of host \"" + host.getName() + 
+                		"\" exists for declared \""
+                        + host.getAppBase() + "\"" +extraInfo
+                        		);
+            } else {
+            if (!appBase.isDirectory()) {
+                log.info("app-base for host \"" + host.getName() + 
+                		"\" must be a directory \""
+                        + host.getAppBase() + "\"; WAR files go into the \"Context\"'s \"docBase\" atrribute.");
+                //see http://jakarta.apache.org/tomcat/tomcat-5.5-doc/config/host.html#Attributes
+            }}
+        } 
         return (appBase);
 
     }