Installing oracle over Red Hat 9.0 / Similar Linux

Introduction
This version of Oracle is easier to install than many of the previous ones. However there are still some traps and issues to get around. if you just need a database with transaction support, get Postgresql (www.postgresql.org) - it is very easy to install.
Before You Get Oracle
This release recommends 512 Mb of RAM, 1 GB of swap and 3 GB of disk ! You can get away with 320 MB, 750 Mb and 2.5 Gb respectively - provided you do not attempt to create a database at install time (wait until later !)

Do not attempt to install at all if you have less than 200 Mb of RAM as the installer will crash at link time ! (If you are an Oracle install pro then you can link manually to complete the process, but its a bit of a pest).

This release requires a 2.4.4 Kernel and Glibc 2.2.2. However you can install with 2.4.2 (Redhat 7.1) or 2.4.3 (Mandrake 8.0) Kernels.

There is an undocumented dependency on Binutils. The version that comes with Redhat 7.1 causes Oracle to be unlinkable. The solution is to use the version that comes with Redhat 7.0 (binutils-2.10.0.1 or Mandrake 8.0 (binutils-2.10.1.0.2).

The tested combinations were :

1. Redhat 7.0 with binutils-2.10.0.18
2. Mandrake 8.0 with binutils-2.10.1.0.2.

Getting Oracle
Visit www.oracle.com and click on "Oracle technology Network". The current URL for downloads is here. Select "9i Database" and then pick the "Linux" entry. You must then agree to the license before the actual download page appears.

There are three big files :

1. Linux9i_Disk1.cpio.gz (400Mb)
2. Linux9i_Disk2.cpio.gz (620 Mb)
3. Linux9i_Disk3.cpio.gz (80 Mb)

They are actually cpio archives ( not gzipped cpio archives ! ). You need fast internet access...or a friend with fast internet access.

Once downloaded then expand the archives somewhere where you have 2 GB of space :

# cd /var/bigspace
# cpio -idmv Linux9i_Disk1.cpio.gz
# cpio -idmv Linux9i_Disk2.cpio.gz
# cpio -idmv Linux9i_Disk3.cpio.gz

These expanded archives can be burned to three CDs to provide a convenient and professional looking installation.
Preparation
Decide where you want Oracle to be installed and create a directory for it ( I use /usr/oracle/[version] but its up to you). In addition create a group and user for Oracle (login as root for this) :

# groupadd dba
# useradd oracle
# mkdir /usr/oracle
# mkdir /usr/oracle/9.0
# chown -R oracle:dba /usr/oracle

Remember you need 3 GB or so !

In addition I usually create the file /etc/oratab used to record databases :

# touch /etc/oratab
# chown oracle:dba /etc/oratab

There is some folklore about setting a plethora of environment variables and a thing called "Optimal Flexible Architecture". This business is best summed up by saying : The procedure is neither optimal, flexible nor an architecture... but a way of laying out files that some Oracle folk like.

Ensure that you have installed X on your machine, as there is no longer a character mode installer.

Oracle, like most databases, needs to use IPC to create shared memory. Typically the default amount configured on most Linux distributions is minimal. To sort this out : ( as root here )

# sysctl -w kernel.shmmax=100000000
# echo "kernel.shmmax = 100000000" >> /etc/sysctl.conf

This enables a shared memory segment to be 100 Mb ( probably enough to start you off...)
Installation
Login as oracle and proceed to install :

$ cd /var/bigspace
$ cd Disk1
$ export ORACLE_HOME=/usr/oracle/9.0
$ ./runInstaller

The Java Gui installer will start and guide you through the process.

This part is now fairly easy - just pick "9i Database", then either of "Enterprise" or "Standard Edition" depending whether you want all the fancy bits or not ( bitmap indexes, partitions, transportable tablespaces etc require Enterprise Edition).

The next step asks about what database you want, I usually say "Software Only" and do the database later.

You will be asked where JDK is... if you don't have a JDK it does not matter ( unless you wish to do Java development of course).

Then click on install and wait for a while.

At some point you will be asked about the "other locations" for the remaining software archives.. its fairly straightforward what to be there ( if you have cut CDs, ensure your terminal window is not still cd'ed into the cdrom mount directory... )
Post Installation
Now comes creating a database. There is a reasonable Gui tool for this :

$ export PATH=$PATH:$ORACLE_HOME/bin
$ export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:$ORACLE_HOME/lib
$ dbca &

Additionally there is a network configuration tool with a similar UI :

$ netca &

However I will detail a command line creation and configuration of a database so that some understanding of what is happening can be gained:

Set up configuration for a database called db1 :

$ cat "db1:/usr/oracle/9.0:Y >> /etc/oratab"
$ cd $ORACLE_HOME/dbs
$ cat initdw.ora |sed s/"#db_name = MY_DB_NAME"/"db_name = db1"/|sed s/#control_files/control_files/ > initdb1.ora

Start and create database :

$ export PATH=$PATH:$ORACLE_HOME/bin
$ export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:$ORACLE_HOME/lib
$ export ORACLE_SID=db1
$ sqlplus /nolog < $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin/listener.ora
$ lnsrctl start
$ echo "DB1 = (DESCRIPTION = (ADDRESS_LIST = (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = <>)(PORT = 1521))) (CONNECT_DATA = (SERVICE_NAME = db1)))" > $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin/tnsnames.ora

These two commands tell the network listener where to listen, and clients were to send connection requests to. This can be tested by :

$ tnsping db1 1

This should return (ok) [number]
Housekeeping
It is easy to make Oracle start automatically. Create a script called oracle in /etc/init.d that is like : ( you need to be root here )

#!/bin/sh
#
# oracle This shell script takes care of starting and stopping
# the oracle services.
#
# chkconfig: 345 90 10
# description: Oracle server
#
# probe: true

# Source function library.
. /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions

# Source networking configuration.
if [ ! -f /etc/sysconfig/network ]; then
exit 0
fi

# Check for echo -n vs echo \c
if echo '\c' | grep -s c > /dev/null 2 > &1 ; then
ECHO_N="echo -n"
ECHO_C=""
else
ECHO_N="echo"
ECHO_C='\c'
fi



# See how we were called.
case "$1" in
start)
# Start server.
$ECHO_N "Starting Oracle: "$ECHO_C
su -l oracle -c sqlplus /nolog >/dev/null < /dev/null"
;;
stop)
# Stop server.
$ECHO_N "Stopping Oracle: "$ECHO_C
su -l oracle -c sqlplus /nolog > /dev/null < /dev/null"
;;
*)
echo $"Usage: $0 {start|stop}"
exit 1
;;
esac

exit 0

Then tell the system to run it : ( as root again )

# chkconfig --add oracle

It is nice to set up the Oracle .bash_profile to get ORACLE_SID and PATH working by default :

# .bash_profile

# Get the aliases and functions
if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then
. ~/.bashrc
fi

export BASH_ENV=$HOME/.bashrc

export ORAENV_ASK=NO
export ORACLE_SID=db1
if [ -f /usr/local/bin/oraenv ];then
. /usr/local/bin/oraenv
fi
ORAENV_ASK=YES
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:$ORACLE_HOME/lib

Finally a more sophisticated script to create a database in /var/oradata ( for example ) : ( as oracle )

#!/bin/bash
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
# file : createdb1.sql
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

DB=db1
DBPATH=/var/oradata
ORACLE_SID=$DB


mkinit()
{
export ORACLE_SID=$DB
export ORAENV_ASK=NO
. /usr/local/bin/oraenv
cp init$DB.ora $ORACLE_HOME/dbs
}

mkdb()
{
sqlplus /nolog <> $ORACLE_HOME/dbs/init$DB.ora
}

resp=n
echo -n "Create initial files ?"
read resp
case $resp in
y) echo "Creating initialization files"
mkinit
;;
esac


resp=n
echo -n "Create database ?"
read resp
case $resp in
y) echo "Creating $DB"
mkdb
;;
esac


resp=n
echo -n "Run database scripts ?"
read resp
case $resp in
y) echo "Running scripts for $DB"
scdb
;;
esac


resp=n
echo -n "Create tablespaces ?"
read resp
case $resp in
y) echo "Creating tablespaces for $DB"
mktb
;;
esac


resp=n
echo -n "Create objects ?"
read resp
case $resp in
y) echo "Creating some objects for $DB"
mkoj
;;
esac