Oracle 8i on Linux RH7.X Installation HOWTO
Krastio Atanassov <st201789@educ.di.unito.it> , and Luca Roversi
<roversi@di.unito.it>
v0.1, 2002-07-15
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Following this HOWTO you should be able to get "Oracle 8i, version 8.1.7,
Enterprise Edition for Linux" installed on a RedHat 7.X distribution (and, we
hope, on distributions based/derived from it.) You will also have some few
hints at how to create a database. We decide to write this notes because we did
not manage to get through the installation, simply following the already
existing "Oracle 8 for Linux" HOWTOs, and Oracle documentation and we found
people on the net experiencing our problems.
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1. Introduction
1.1 What's in here?
A sequence of steps that brought us to let Oracle 8i, and Linux RedHat 7.2
working together.
1.2 Who is this HOWTO for?
This document is for people who want to install Oracle 8i version 8.1.7
Enterprise edition on Linux RedHat 7.2. At the time Luca Roversi tried to
combine the twos, he could only find people on the net who was wandering why
previous HOWTOs could not lead them to a successful installation.
We have not yet realized the points where this HOWTO substantially differs from
previous HOWTOs on the same subject; however, it lists operations that seems to
be correct.
1.3 Current versions of this document
The web site where this document can be found is: author's_web_site
1.4 Disclaimer
You get what you pay for. We offer no warranty of any kind, implied or
otherwise. May be we shall help you where we can, but, legally, you are on your
own.
1.5 Credits and Thanks
This HOWTO has been written by Krastio Atanassov and Luca Roversi. The very
first version could not have been created without the initial support the
second author obtained from various mailing lists.
Also, the very first revision was written exploiting Stephen Darlington's
<stephen@zx81.org.uk> "Oracle for Linux Installation HOWTO" sgml source as a
template.
We welcome any constructive feedback on this HOWTO and any general Linux or
Oracle issues. Email us at st201789@educ.di.unito.it or/and
roversi@di.unito.it.
1.6 License
This document is copyright 2002 Krastio Atanassov and Luca Roversi.
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the
terms of the GNU_Free_Documentation_License, Version 1.1 or any later version
published by the Free Software Foundation.
2. Starting off
2.1 Prerequisites
At least 800M free on your hard disk. Type:
bash$ df -h
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/hda2 5.3G 3.6G 1.4G 72% /
and read the field Avail.
Hardware
The steps we are going to describe allow to have Oracle 8i, version 8.1.7
running on:
* a laptop Toshiba Satellite 2800-100 with 128Mb RAM and a 600 Mhz Intel
Celeron;
* others ....
In any case, never underestimate Oracle's system prerequisites.
2.2 Linux setup
Distribution
We focus on a Linux RedHat 7.2 distribution, since we had problems with it and
we wanted to use it. The steps we are going to describe should work on any Red
Hat 7.2 based Linux distribution.
Distribution Setup
We assume you have your Linux RedHat 7.2 box installed and working in a
reasonable way for you. In any case, 'base' packages, X Windows (the
installation routine is a Java GUI) and the development tools regardless of
whether you intend doing any coding or not is what you need.
Setting users and groups
Login as root:
$ su - root
and type whatever password you decided root must have.
Create groups:
bash# groupadd oinstall
bash# groupadd dba
bash# groupadd oper
Create oracle user and set its password:
bash# useradd oracle -g oinstall -G dba,oper
bash# passwd oracle (to change password)
Installing the right Java Virtual Machine
The only Java Virtual Machine compatible with Oracle 8i, version 8.1.7, is:
ftp://sunsite.dk/mirrors/java-linux/JDK-1.1.8/i386/v3/jdk118_v3-glibc-
2.1.3.tar.bz2.
Do not think: "newer versions will be less buggy", as the installer probably
won't work. And don't think.
Once downloaded it, move it:
bash# mv jdk118_v3-glibc-2.1.3.tar.bz2 /usr/local
untar it:
bash# tar xvIf jdk118_v3-glibc-2.1.3.tar.bz2
and create a symbolic link to the folder the command here above has just
created:
bash# ln -s /usr/local/jdk118_v3 /usr/local/java
Kernel parameters
Oracle documentation suggests that you make changes to the Linux kernel so you
can get more shared memory. If you decide to follow that way, keep the
instructions in the Oracle documentation and the Linux_Kernel_HOWTO at hand to
build your new kernel.
In fact, the required changes can be made by setting some parameter in a
suitable initialization file. Just follow some steps:
*
bash# cd /etc
and create a new file rc.config, if it does not exists. Inside rc.config copy
the following four lines:
cd /proc/sys/kernel
echo 250 32000 100 128 > sem
echo 4294967295 > shmmax
echo 4096 > shmmni
* Edit the file /etc/rc and add the line:
/etc/rc.config
In any case, if you want just to start playing with Oracle 8i, version 8.1.7,
Linux RedHat 7.2 default settings can work fine, and you do not need to set any
kernel parameter, as just described.
Setting up some libraries
There may be some compatibility problems between Oracle 8i and gcc versions >=
2.1. If you experience them, download these rpms:
compat-egcs-6.2-1.1.2.14.i386.rpm
compat-glibc-6.2-2.1.3.2.i386.rpm
compat-libs-6.2-3.i386.rpm
install them, as usual, by:
$ rpm -Uvh compat-egcs-6.2-1.1.2.14.i386.rpm compat-glibc-6.2-
2.1.3.2.i386.rpm compat-libs-6.2-3.i386.rpm
and, finally set a symbolic link because there is a small installation bug in
one of the packages just installed:
bash# ln -s /bin/id /usr/bin/id
Final step
Reboot your machine and keep reading...
3. Installing Oracle 8i, version 8.1.7
3.1 Setting up oracle's shell
Login as oracle user, edit the file .bash_profile and copy the following lines
into it:
# +------------------------------------------------------------+
# | FILE : .bash_profile |
# +------------------------------------------------------------+
umask 022
EDITOR=vi; export EDITOR
TERM=xterm; export TERM
TMPDIR=/tmp; export TMPDIR
# +--------------------------+
# | SETUP ORACLE ENVIRONMENT |
# +--------------------------+
export ORACLE_SID=O817DB
export ORACLE_BASE=/u01/app/oracle
export ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$ORACLE_HOME/lib:/lib:/usr/lib:/usr/local/lib
export TNS_ADMIN=$ORACLE_HOME/network/admin
export NLS_LANG=AMERICAN_AMERICA.WE8ISO8859P1
export ORA_NLS33=$ORACLE_HOME/ocommon/nls/admin/data
export ORACLE_OWNER=oracle
export ORACLE_TERM=xterm
# +--------------------------+
# | LINUX STUFF |
# +--------------------------+
export LD_ASSUME_KERNEL=2.2.5
source /usr/i386-glibc21-linux/bin/i386-glibc21-linux-env.sh
# +--------------------------+
# | SETUP SEARCH PATH |
# +--------------------------+
PATH=$ORACLE_HOME/bin:/opt/bin:/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/
X11R6/bin:/usr/local/java/bin:.
export PATH
# +--------------------------+
# | SETUP JAVA ENVIRONMENT |
# +--------------------------+
export JAVA_HOME=/usr/local/java
export CLASSPATH=/u01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7/jdbc/lib/classes12.zip:/u01/
app/oracle/product/8.1.7/JRE:/u01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7/jlib:/u01/app/
oracle/product/8.1.7/rdbms/jlib:/u01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7/network/jlib:.
# +-------------+
# | "GREETINGS" |
# +-------------+
echo ".bash_profile executed"
Save the new version of .bash_profile and re-read it, by issuing:
bash$ source .bash_profile
Finally, if you have not any window manager running, it is time to let it
running.
3.2 Starting the installer
We shall work under the hypothesis that you want to install cdrom Oracle
distribution. Mount the cdrom with:
bash$ mount /mnt/cdrom
and move to the directory that contains the installer:
bash$ cd /mnt/cdrom/install/linux
Then, launch the installer by:
bash$ ./runInstaller
and follow the steps on the GUI it should appear:
1. after a first click on NEXT verify that the proposed path is:
/u01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7
and click NEXT again;
2. fill in the filed Unix Group Name with the value:
oinstall
If, for any reasons, this is not your first attempt to install Oracle, you
will not be prompted for the Unix Group Name. In this case jump to step 4,
below.
3. A pop-up window will ask you to run a script as root user, so, open a
terminal emulator and type in:
bash$ su
bash# cd $ORACLE_HOME
bash# ./orainstRoot.sh
When you're done click Retry on the pop-up window.
4. You are now given the option of what to install. Choose Oracle Enterprise
Edition, and click Next.
It should now allow you to choose what you install with much finer
granularity. Unless you're particularly constrained by disk space or know
exactly what you need, choose Typical and click Next.
5. When it asks you the Global database name, if you do not have any
particular needs you can type in oracle.localdomain. Also, verify that the
values of SID is set to:
O817DB
Then, click Next.
6. The next step is to set the location of the database. Type in:
/u01
and click Next.
7. Finally, you are asked to indicate the location where you put java. If you
followed our suggestions the path is already:
/usr/local/java
Since it is fine, click Next, and, then Install.
8. The installation completes by a pop-up windows that asks you to run a
script as root. If you closed the previously opened terminal open one
again and type:
bash$ su
bash# cd $ORACLE_HOME
bash# ./root.sh
After the script completes, click OK on the pop-up window.
9. Oracle Net8 Configuration starts. Choose Perform typical configuration and
click Next.
10. The configuration tool that starts is the Database Configuration
Assistant.
It may signal errors like:
ORA-03114: not connected to ORACLE
The temporary solution is to just click on Abort. These kinds of errors
will be recovered in a few!!
When the Database Configuration Assistant concludes its tasks, just click
on Next and the installation concludes.
If you needed to click on Abort, you must:
o Download the patch: glibc-2.1.3-stubs.tar.gz
o move it into ORACLE_HOME by:
bash$ mv ./glibc-2.1.3-stubs.tar.gz $ORACLE_HOME
and let ORACLE_HOME your working directory:
bash$ cd $ORACLE_HOME
o uncompress and untar the patch:
bash$ gunzip glibc-2.1.3-stubs.tar.gz
bash$ tar xvf glibc-2.1.3-stubs.tar
o run the patch script:
bash$ ./setup_stubs.sh
When it stops you are done!
4. Creating a database
We just typed:
bash$ dbassist
and we played around with the default options. This allowed us to generate an
instance of Oracle 8i we could use for teaching purposes, during an
undergraduate course on the foundational principles of data bases. If you need
more professional-oriented instances, consult other HOWTOs or read Oracle
documentation.
In any case, at this point, what you should be able to do is to let interactive
Oracle sql interpreter SQL*Plus run, by issuing:
bash$ sqlplus
and by choosing one of the following two default account/passwd pairs that
Oracle creates by default. The first pair is:
user-name:sys
password:change_on_install
while the second is:
user-name:system
password:manager
However, if you, just for example, want to connect from/to another machine we
address you to other HOWTOs; for example, Stephen Darlington's "Oracle for
Linux Installation HOWTO" covers this subjects and gives other useful hints in
its final sections.
5. Final Words
Our goal was to write a short list of steps to have Oracle 8i, version 8.1.7,
running on RedHat 7.2. We think we have gotten to our goal, so we stop here.
We think that it would be nice merge all HOWTOs, related to some Oracle
installation on some Linux distribution could be very helpful. This is not in
our coming projects. Any volunteer?
5.1 Some Internet Resources
To conclude, we have copied here, with some minor changes, the list of Internet
resources Stephen Darlington's "Oracle for Linux Installation HOWTO" lists,
just for easy of use:
* Oracle_Technet. This is Oracle's public and free support website. Lot's of
very useful information there.
* Oracle_Metalink. Oracle's private (you need a support contract) support
website. Only slightly more useful than Technet!
* Oracle_Fans. Editorials and support forums. No official connection to Oracle.
* OraFaq. A site full of questions and answers regarding Oracle on all
platforms.
* Oracle Linux mailing list (Send a mail to ListGuru@fatcity.com with the words
'SUBSCRIBE ORACLE-LINUX-L' in the body.