I'm busy with developing a project with java in linux this month. I'll note something learned from this project. The software configuration of the project is tomcat5.5+jdk5+debian3.1+eclipse3.2+windowsXP.
    I'm coding mainly on the windows and write some shell scripts in the linux. The linux system operation is running on the virtual machine. I share the folder named WebContent in the workspace of the eclipse on windows at first. Then , I connect to the shared network folder in the linux and map it to the webapps folder of the tomcat. What's we should do is install a tool called smbfs in the linux. You just type the command 'apt-get install smbfs' to do the job.  After the smbfs tool installed, mount the shared folder to the linux. Now you can write the codes with the eclipse on windows and restart the tomcat in the linux. If you just debug the UI of the project, shutdown the tomcat of the linux and start the tomcat on the window.
    The following shell command is the way to connect to the shared folder of the windows.
    mount -t smbfs -o username=guest,password=guest //192.168.190.1/webcontent /usr/local/apache-tomcat-5.5.25/webapps