Oracle® Database

1 Reviewing Information About this Guide

This guide describes how to complete a default installation of Oracle Database Client on a system that does not have any Oracle software installed on it. It describes how to install one of the following installation types:

• Administrator: Enables applications to connect to an Oracle Database instance on the local system or on a remote system. It also provides tools that enable you to administer Oracle Database.

• Runtime: Enables applications to connect to an Oracle Database instance on the local system or on a remote system.

• Instant Client: Enables you to install only the shared libraries required by Oracle Call Interface (OCI), Oracle C++ Call Interface (OCCI), Pro*C, or Java database connectivity (JDBC) OCI applications. This installation type requires much less disk space as compared to the other Oracle Database Client installation types.

This guide does not describe how to install the Custom installation type.

Where to Get Additional Installation Information

For more detailed information about installing Oracle Database Client, refer to Oracle Database Client Installation Guide for Linux x86.

This guide is available on the product disc. To access it, use a Web browser to open the welcome.htm file located in the top-level directory of the installation media, and then select the Documentation tab.

2 Logging In to the System as root

Before you install Oracle Database Client, you must complete several tasks as the root user. To log in as the root user, complete one of the following procedures:

• If you are installing the software from an X Window System workstation or X terminal, then:

  1. Start a local terminal session, for example, an X terminal (xterm).

  2. If you are not installing the software on the local system, then enter the following command to enable the remote host to display X applications on the local X server:

     $ xhost fully_qualified_remote_host_name
     
     

     For example:

     $ xhost somehost.us.acme.com
     
     

  3. If you are not installing the software on the local system, then use the ssh, rlogin, or telnet command to connect to the system where you want to install the software:

     $ telnet fully_qualified_remote_host_name
     
     

  4. If you are not logged in as the root user, then enter the following command to switch user to root:

     $ su - root
     password:
     #
     
     

• If you are installing the software from a PC or other system with X server software installed, then:

  
  

  Note: If necessary, refer to the X server documentation for more information about completing this procedure. Depending on the X server software that you are using, you may need to complete the tasks in a different order.

  
  

  1. Start the X server software.

  2. Configure the security settings of the X server software to permit remote hosts to display X applications on the local system.

  3. Connect to the remote system where you want to install the software and start a terminal session on that system, for example, an X terminal (xterm).

  4. If you are not logged in as the root user on the remote system, then enter the following command to switch user to root:

     $ su - root
     password:
     #
     

3 Checking the Hardware Requirements

The system must meet the following minimum hardware requirements:

• 512 MB of physical RAM

• The following table gives the swap space requirement in terms of available RAM.

  Available RAM	Swap Space Required
  Up to 512 MB	3 times the size of RAM
  Between 257 MB and 512 MB	2 times the size of RAM
  Between 513 MB and 726 MB	1.5 times the size of RAM
  More than 726 MB	0.75 times the size of RAM

  
  

• The minimum client installation TMP space required is 115 MB. The minimum disk space requirement in the /tmp directory depends on the installation type you have selected. The following table lists the minimum disk space requirements for the /tmp directory in each type of installation.

  Installation Type	Disk Space Required for the /tmp Directory (MB)
  Admin	850
  Runtime	470
  Custom (all components selected)	780
  Instant	150

  
  

• The disk space requirement for each installation type is given in the following table.

  Installation Type	Requirement for Software Files (MB)
  Instant Client	130
  Administrator	850
  Runtime	495
  Custom (maximum)	790

  
  
  
  

  Note: If you want to configure only the Instant Client Light component of Instant Client, you need 34 MB of disk space to store the related files. To configure Instant Client Light, refer to the Oracle Database Client Installation Guide for Linux x86.

  
  

To ensure that the system meets these requirements:

1. To determine the physical RAM size, enter the following command:

   # grep MemTotal /proc/meminfo
   
   

   If the size of the physical RAM installed in the system is less than the specified value, then you must install more memory before continuing.

2. To determine the size of the configured swap space, enter the following command:

   # grep SwapTotal /proc/meminfo
   
   

   If necessary, refer to your operating system documentation for information about how to configure additional swap space.

3. To determine the amount of free disk space available in the /tmp directory, enter the following command:

   # df -k /tmp
   
   

   If there is less than 400 MB of disk space available in the /tmp directory, then complete one of the following steps:

   • Delete unnecessary files from the /tmp directory to meet the disk space requirement.

   • Set the TMP and TMPDIR environment variables when setting the oracle user's environment (described later).

   • Extend the file system that contains the /tmp directory. If necessary, contact your system administrator for information about extending file systems.

4. To determine the amount of free disk space available on the system, enter the following command:

   # df -k
   
   

   This command displays the disk space usage on all mounted file systems. You must identify a file system with sufficient disk space.

5. To determine whether the system architecture can run the software, enter the following command:

   # grep "model name" /proc/cpuinfo
   
   

   This command displays the processor type. Verify that the processor architecture matches the Oracle software release that you want to install. If you do not see the expected output, then you cannot install the software on this system.

4 Checking the Software Requirements

The system must meet the following minimum software requirements.

make-3.79.1
gcc-3.2.3-34
glibc-2.3.2-95.20
compat-db-4.0.14-5
compat-gcc-7.3-2.96.128
compat-gcc-c++-7.3-2.96.128
compat-libstdc++-7.3-2.96.128
compat-libstdc++-devel-7.3-2.96.128
openmotif21-2.1.30-8
setarch-1.3-1

binutils-2.15.92.0.2-13.EL4
compat-db-4.1.25-9
compat-libstdc++-296-2.96-132.7.2
control-center-2.8.0-12
gcc-3.4.3-22.1.EL4
gcc-c++-3.4.3-22.1.EL44
glibc-2.3.4-2.9
glibc-common-2.3.4-2.9
gnome-libs-1.4.1.2.90-44.1
libstdc++-3.4.3-22.1
libstdc++-devel-3.4.3-22.1
make-3.80-5
pdksh-5.2.14-30
sysstat-5.0.5-1
xscreensaver-4.18-5.rhel4.2
setarch-1.6-1

binutils-2.15.90.0.1.1-32.5
gcc-3.3.3-43.24
gcc-c++-3.3.3-43.24
glibc-2.3.3-98.28
gnome-libs-1.4.1.7-671.1
libstdc++-3.3.3-43.24
libstdc++-devel-3.3.3-43.24
make-3.80-184.1
pdksh-5.2.14-780.1
sysstat-5.0.1-35.1
xscreensaver-4.16-2.6

To ensure that the system meets these requirements:

1. To determine which version of the operating system is installed, enter the following command:

   # cat /etc/issue
   

   
   

   Note: Only the distributions and versions listed earlier in this section are supported. Do not install the software on other versions of Linux.

   
   

2. To determine whether the required kernel is installed, enter the following command:

   # uname -r
   
   

   On a Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.0 system, the output may be as follows:

   2.4.21-27.EL
   
   

   In this example, the output shows the kernel version (2.4.21) and errata level (27.EL). If the errata level is less than 27, then install the latest kernel update. Kernel updates are available from the Red Hat Network.

   On a SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 system, the output may be as follows:

   2.6.5-7.97
   
   

   In this example, the output shows the kernel version on the system. If the kernel version is less than 2.6.5-7.97, then contact SUSE for information about obtaining and installing the kernel updates.

3. To determine whether the required packages are installed, enter commands similar to the following:

   # rpm -q package_name
   
   

   If a package is not installed, or if the version is lower than the required version, then install it from your Linux distribution media or download the required package from your Linux vendor's Web site.

5 Creating Required Operating System Group and User

The following local operating system group and user must exist on the system:

• The Oracle Inventory group (oinstall)

• The Oracle software owner (oracle)

To determine if this group and user already exist, and if required, to create them, follow these steps:

1. To determine if the oinstall group exists, enter the following command:

   # more /etc/oraInst.loc
   
   

   If the output of this command shows the oinstall group name, then the group already exists.

   If the oraInst.loc file exists, then the output from this command is similar to the following:

   inventory_loc=/u01/app/oracle/oraInventory
   inst_group=oinstall
   
   

   The inst_group parameter shows the name of the Oracle Inventory group (oinstall).

2. If necessary, enter the following command to create the oinstall group:

   # /usr/sbin/groupadd oinstall
   
   

3. To determine whether the oracle user exists and belongs to the correct groups, enter the following command:

   # id oracle
   
   

   If the oracle user exists, then this command displays information about the groups to which the user belongs. The output should be similar to the following, indicating that oinstall is the primary group:

   uid=440(oracle) gid=200(oinstall) groups=201(dba),202(oper)
   
   

4. If necessary, complete one of the following actions:

   • If the oracle user exists, but its primary group is not oinstall, then enter a command similar to the following, where the -g option specifies oinstall as the primary group and the -G option specifies any existing groups to which the oracle user belongs:

     # /usr/sbin/usermod -g oinstall [-G dba] oracle
     
     

   • If the oracle user does not exist, then enter the following command to create it:

     # /usr/sbin/useradd -g oinstall [-G dba] oracle
     
     

     This command creates the oracle user and specifies:

     • oinstall as the primary group

     • dba as an optional secondary group

5. Enter the following command to set the password of the oracle user:

   # passwd oracle
   

6 Creating an Oracle Base Directory

To create the Oracle base directory:

1. Enter the following command to display information about all mounted file systems:

   # df -h
   
   

   This command displays information about all the file systems mounted on the system, including:

   • The physical device name

   • The total amount, used amount, and available amount of disk space

   • The mount point directory for that file system

2. From the display, identify either one or two file systems that meet the disk space requirements mentioned earlier in this section.

3. Note the name of the mount point directory for each file system that you identified.

4. Enter commands similar to the following to create the recommended subdirectories in the mount point directory that you identified and set the appropriate owner, group, and permissions on them:

   # mkdir -p /mount_point/app/oracle_sw_owner
   # chown -R oracle:oinstall /mount_point/app/oracle_sw_owner
   # chmod -R 775 /mount_point/app/oracle_sw_owner
   
   

   For example, if the mount point you identify is /u01 and oracle is the user name of the Oracle software owner, then the recommended Oracle base directory path is as follows:

   /u01/app/oracle
   

7 Configuring the oracle User's Environment

You run Oracle Universal Installer from the oracle account. However, before you start Oracle Universal Installer, you must configure the environment of the oracle user. To configure the environment, you must:

• Set the default file mode creation mask (umask) to 022 in the shell startup file.

• Set the DISPLAY environment variable.

To set the oracle user's environment:

1. Start a new terminal session, for example, an X terminal (xterm).

2. Enter the following command to ensure that X Window applications can display on this system:

   $ xhost fully_qualified_remote_host_name
   
   

3. Complete one of the following steps:

   • If the terminal session is not connected to the system where you want to install the software, then log in to that system as the oracle user.

   • If the terminal session is connected to the system where you want to install the software, then switch user to oracle:

     $ su - oracle
     
     

4. To determine the default shell for the oracle user, enter the following command:

   $ echo $SHELL
   
   

5. Open the oracle user's shell startup file in any text editor:

   • Bash shell (bash) on Red Hat:

     $ vi .bash_profile
     
     

   • Bourne shell (sh), Bash shell on SUSE (bash), or Korn shell (ksh):

     $ vi .profile
     
     

   • C shell (csh or tcsh):

     % vi .login
     
     

6. Enter or edit the following line in the shell startup file, specifying a value of 022 for the default file mode creation mask:

   umask 022
   
   

7. If the ORACLE_SID, ORACLE_HOME, or ORACLE_BASE environment variable is set in the file, then remove the corresponding lines from the file.

8. Save the file, and exit from the editor.

9. To run the shell startup script, enter the following command:

   • Bash shell on Red Hat:

     $ . ./.bash_profile
     
     

   • Bourne shell, Bash shell on SUSE, or Korn shell:

     $ . ./.profile
     
     

   • C shell:

     % source ./.login
     
     

10. If you are not installing the software on the local system, then enter a command similar to the following to direct X applications to display on the local system:

    • Bourne, Bash, or Korn shell:

      $ DISPLAY=local_host:0.0 ; export DISPLAY
      
      

    • C shell:

      % setenv DISPLAY local_host:0.0
      
      

    In this example, local_host is the host name or IP address of the system that you want to use to display Oracle Universal Installer (your workstation or PC).

11. If you determined that the /tmp directory had insufficient free disk space when checking the hardware requirements, then identify a file system with the required amount of free space and set the TMP and TMPDIR environment variables as follows:

    1. Use the df -h command to identify a suitable file system with sufficient free space.

    2. If necessary, enter commands similar to the following to create a temporary directory on the file system that you identified, and set the appropriate permissions on the directory:

       $ su - root
       # mkdir /mount_point/tmp
       # chmod a+wr /mount_point/tmp
       # exit
       
       

    3. Enter commands similar to the following to set the TMP and TMPDIR environment variables:

       Bourne, Bash, or Korn shell:

       $ TMP=/mount_point/tmp
       $ TMPDIR=/mount_point/tmp
       $ export TMP TMPDIR
       
       

       C shell:

       % setenv TMP /mount_point/tmp
       % setenv TMPDIR /mount_point/tmp
       
       

12. Enter the following commands to ensure that the ORACLE_HOME and TNS_ADMIN environment variables are not set:

    Bourne, Bash, or Korn shell:

    $ unset ORACLE_HOME
    $ unset TNS_ADMIN
    
    

    C shell:

    % unsetenv ORACLE_HOME
    % unsetenv TNS_ADMIN
    
    

13. To verify that the environment has been set correctly, enter the following commands:

    $ umask
    $ env | more
    
    

    Verify that the umask command displays a value of 22, 022, or 0022 and the environment variables that you set in this section have the correct values.

8 Mounting the Product Disc

On most Linux systems, the product disc mounts automatically when you insert it into the drive. If the disc does not mount automatically, then follow these steps to mount it:

1. Switch user to root:

   $ su - root
   
   

2. If necessary, enter a command similar to the following to eject the currently mounted disc, then remove it from the drive:

   • Red Hat:

     # eject /mnt/dvd
     
     

   • SUSE:

     # eject /media/dvd
     
     

   In these examples, /mnt/dvd and /media/dvd are the mount point directories for the disc drive.

3. Insert the disc into the disc drive.

4. To verify that the disc mounted automatically, enter a command similar to the following:

   • Red Hat:

     $ ls /mnt/dvd
     
     

   • SUSE:

     $ ls /media/dvd
     
     

5. If this command fails to display the contents of the disc, then enter a command similar to the following:

   • Red Hat:

     # mount -t iso9660 /dev/dvd /mnt/dvd
     
     

   • SUSE:

     # mount -t iso9660 /dev/dvd /media/dvd
     
     

   In these examples, /mnt/dvd and /media/dvd are the mount point directories for the disc drive.

9 Installing Oracle Database Client

After configuring the oracle user's environment, start Oracle Universal Installer and install the Oracle software as follows:

1. To start Oracle Universal Installer, enter the following command:

   $ /mount_point/client/runInstaller
   
   

   If Oracle Universal Installer does not start, then refer to Oracle Database Installation Guide for Linux x86 for information about how to troubleshoot X display problems.

2. The following table describes the recommended action for each Oracle Universal Installer screen. Use the following guidelines to complete the installation:

   • If you need more assistance, or if you want to choose an option that is not a default, then click Help for additional information.

   • If you encounter errors while installing or linking the software, then refer to Oracle Database Client Installation Guide for Linux x86 for information about troubleshooting.

   
   

   Note: If you have completed the tasks listed previously, then you can complete the installation by choosing the default values on most screens.

   
   

   Screen	Recommended Action
   Welcome	Click Next.
   Select Installation Type	Select InstantClient, Administrator, or Runtime. Then, click Next.
   Specify Home Details	Specify the name and directory path of the Oracle home.
   Product-Specific Prerequisite Checks	Verify that all of the prerequisite checks have succeeded, and then click Next. Oracle Universal Installer checks the system to verify that it is configured correctly to run Oracle software. If you have completed all of the preinstallation steps in this guide, then all of the checks should pass. If a check fails, then review the cause of the failure listed for that check on the screen. If possible, rectify the problem and rerun the check. Alternatively, if you are satisfied that your system meets the requirements, then you can select the check box for the failed check to manually verify the requirement.
   Summary	Review the information displayed on this screen, and then click Install.
   Install	This screen displays status information while the product is being installed.
   Configuration Assistants	This screen is displayed only if you select Administrator or Runtime on the Select Installation type screen. This screen displays status information for the Oracle Net Configuration Assistant that configures Oracle Net. When the message is displayed at the end of this process, click OK to continue.
   Oracle Net Configuration Assistant: Welcome	This screen is displayed only if you select Administrator or Runtime on the Select Installation Type screen. Review the information on this screen, and then click Next. The Oracle Net Configuration Assistant configures the easy connect naming method. For more information about this naming method, click Help.
   Oracle Net Configuration Assistant: Done	Click Finish to continue.
   Execute Configuration Scripts	When prompted, read the instructions and then run the script mentioned on this screen. Click OK to continue.
   End of Installation	To exit from Oracle Universal Installer, click Exit, and then click Yes.

   
   

10 What to Do Next?

After you have successfully installed Oracle Database Client, refer to Oracle Database Client Installation Guide for Linux x86 for information about required and optional postinstallation steps.

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