36684_Calish - Oracle



Oracle on Linux Installation for Non-DBAs

Sheryl Calish, Blue Heron Consulting

It is no secret that Linux is becoming more popular as a platform for serving Oracle software as well as many other software products. Like DBAs and system administrators, developers are discovering the advantages of open source software. With a bit of preparation and background research, those who normally do not deal with systems issues can also take full advantage of this dynamic open-source operating system in their own environments.

Why. then. would a nonDBA/developer want to install Oracle on Linux? In my case, I needed a way to get back up to speed with Oracle and to study for the OCP exam after a period of years working in an area that did not use Oracle. My previous experience had been with Oracle on a Unix environment and I knew that most of the large Oracle shops are running on Linux. In addition, Linux was, and still is, a relatively new and exciting area and I just wanted to experiment with it.

This paper provides advice and guidelines for installing both Linux and the Oracle database on a PC. Rather than providing a step-by-step guide for one of the many possible permutations of systems, I will focus on the most important issues involved in these processes so that they can be applied in more global manner. The paper will, however, refer specifically to my personal experiences installing Oracle 9.2.0.2.0 (Oracle 9i Release 2) on SuSE Professional 8.0, Oracle 9.0.1 on SuSE 7.2, and Oracle 8.1.7 on Red Hat 6.2. It will, though, provide general and current information on the installation of Oracle on other Linux distributions as well. Specfic topics to be covered include:

1) How to install Linux on a PC, with special emphasis on issues that will affect your installation of Oracle down the road.

2) How to prepare for an Oracle installation.

3) How to deal with common installation issues.

4) Recommendations for a smooth installation.

Linux Installation

The good news is that with each successive version of the Linux operating system, advances in development of the installation software have been making this process easier and easier. In my case, the experience gained from each installation, also made the process significantly easier each time. However, there are still a few simple but important preparatory steps that will help ensure a smooth installation.

Hardware and System Considerations

Dealing with hardware issues turned out to be the biggest hurdle during my first installation of Red Hat Linux 6.2, mostly because the 2.2.x kernel was not capable of dealing with some of my components. I had originally planned to install Red Hat 6.2 on a IBM Thinkpad 1200, but quickly found out that this was not going to work, since the values for the horizontal and vertical scan rates were unavailable for this system. I then decided to install Linux on an HP Pavilion XE763. Though I eventually succeeded in getting a working version up and running, it required upgrading my kernel to 2.2.16 to obtain support for the integrated video card on this system. I was only able to get sound capabilities when I installed SuSE 7.2, which had support for my sound card within the 2.4.x kernel.

To avoid similar problems, you will need some information on certain system components before beginning a Linux installation. The reasons for this requirement can be enumerated as follows:

1) To check for compatibility with Linux, especially for the GUI environment, needed to run the Oracle Universal Installer.

2) To ensure proper configuration of your system.

3) To enable others to help you, in the event something goes wrong.

Most of the Linux installers are better at detecting the components these days, but just in case you should collect the necessary information on your system. Both the Red Hat 6.2 Installation Guide and Roderick W. Smith's Linux Hardware Handbook were useful in helping me understand the hardware issues discussed below. Here is a list of the hardware and system information you will need to collect before installing Linux:

Monitor: Make, model, manufacturer, the horizontal and vertical scan rate for each resolution. Ex: Pavilion V50, Hewlett Packard, 640x480(31.5 -37.5 kHz/40-75 Hz), 800x600(35.2-53.7 kHz/56-85 Hz) Most modern monitors can correct for incorrect values but, according to the Linux Hardware Handbook, setting the refresh rate too high can damage a monitor on some older systems.

Video Card: Make, chipset, model number and VRAM. Ex: Intel 810, 11MB; NVIDIA GeForce 256. The availability of Linux drivers for a video chipset determines how or whether you will be able to run Xfree86, the GUI system most used in Linux distributions. Although you do not necessarily need a GUI environment to run Linux, you do need a GUI environment to run the Oracle Universal Installer. Here are a few of the manufacturers and chipsets supported as of this writing: NVIDIA GeForce 256 and others; 3dfx Voodoo, Velocity and Banshee; ATI. Check with your chosen Linux distribution for the latest information.

Sound Card: Make, chipset and model number. Ex: Intel 82810 AC'97, Creative Labs. Luckily, you don't need sound to install or run Oracle, which was fortunate for me when I was running Oracle 8.1.7 on the 2.2.x kernel.

Modem: Type, port number. Most Windows modems (WinModems) are software modems and, as of this writing, are not supported by Linux. You will probably need to purchase an internal or external hardware modem.

Memory: The amount of RAM installed on your system can affect the speed of your Oracle installation. Although 64MB is more than enough memory for most Linux installations, a minimum of 512M is required for Oracle9i. For Oracle 8.1.x, you could get by with 128M, but 256M is preferred.

Hard Drive(s): Number, size, type. Ex: IDE hda=1.2G. Oracle9i Release 2 requires 3.5G for a standard database installation (not custom). In addition, you will need 1G for the seed database, if you want to use it. Both releases of Oracle9i require another 1G for a swap space. Swap partitions will be discussed in greater detail in the section entitled "Swap Space". Oracle 9i requires 3G, 1.3G minimum for Oracle software mount point and database mount point.

Oracle 8.1.7 requires 800 M for Oracle software, but you can get away with a smaller swap space if your RAM is less than 512M. The installation and system may run slower, but they will run.

CD-ROM: Interface type. Ex: SCSI, IDE (ATAPI).

SCSI Adapter: If you have one, you will need to know the make and model number. Ex: BusLogic SCSI Adapter, Adap-tec 2940UW.

Mouse: Type, protocol, and number of buttons. Ex: PS/2 mouse, MouseMan 2 button serial mouse.

Network Information: If you are going to be on a network, check with your network administrator for the following information: IP Address, Netmask, Gateway IP address, one or more name server IP Addresses, Domain name, and Name of your Organization.

Hostname: Name of your computer. If you are not on a network, you get to decide!

Partitions: You will need to plan for your partitions and mount points before you install Linux. This means a bit of planning for a future installation of the Oracle database. Ex: /dev/hda1=/home, /dev/hda2=/(root). Both Red Hat and SuSE offer default partitioning, that usually includes little more than a boot sector and /(root) as an option during the installation. The aspects of concern involved in partitioning your hard drive are discussed below under "Partitioning Issues".

Which Linux Distribution?

Factors to consider in choosing which Linux platform to install include whether you need or want a certified distribution, and whether you are going to run a production system or a development and testing system. For development and testing, certification is not crucial. In the past, I have preferred to select a certified to an uncertified version of the operating system when one was available. However, I have also found that using a distribution that has the same, or close, versions of the kernel, binutils and glibc can also result in a relatively smooth installation.

If you have access to Oracle MetaLink, you can check there for certification information before purchasing a Linux distribution. From now on, SuSE will no longer certify the Professional Edition but will certify SuSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES). This also seems to be the case for versions of Red Hat that are not part of the Advanced Server editions. Check with SuSE: Oracle at SuSE Website, SuSE.de/en/support/oracle/certified.html, or Red Hat for more information. Here is the latest information that I have from a publication entitled Certification Matrix . This is available on the Linux Technical Center at otn.tech/linux/tech_wp.html.

Oracle9i Release 2, including RAC, is certified on SLES7, SLES8 and Red Hat 2.1 AS.

Oracle9i Release 1, including RAC is certified on SLES7, SuSE 7.1, SuSE 7.2, Red Hat 2.1AS, Red Hat 7.1, Caldera OU8.

Oracle 8.1.7 is certified on SLES7, SuSE 7.1, SuSE 7.2, Red Hat 21. AS, Red Hat 7.1, and Caldera OU8.

Oracle 8.1.7 with Apps is certified on Red Hat 2.1 AS.

Partitioning Issues

Before installing Linux on your PC, you will need to shrink or eliminate your Windows partition. Most people use Partition Magic, but recently I have used YAST2, the installation tool included with SuSE. In the past, I have also used FIPS, a tool that came with the Red Hat 6.2 installation media. FIPS did the job but hung afterward for some reason. Before installing Oracle 8.1.7, I tried using GNU Parted to rearrange my partitions and to enlarge my swap partition. GNU Parted is free from , worked fine, was fairly easy to use, and did not hang.

In my personal opinion, partitioning a hard drive is a lot like arranging the furniture in your home. You will always want to rearrange things, but the effort and confusion associated with making the changes usually result in the decision to leave well enough alone. Here are two fairly good general discussions on how to partition your hard drive and the rationale for the partitioning schema:

1) "How to Partition the Hard Drive" at

ENpart.htm and,

2) "4.3. Partitioning Hard Drive(s) " at

LDP/lame/LAME/linux-admin-made-easy/install-partitioning.html

Below are some of the partition tables I have used on my 15G hard drive.

My current partition table on SuSE 8.0, that contains Oracle9i Release 2 and Oracle9i Developer Suite, and is as follows:

/dev/hda1 2.2G /windows/C

/dev/hda2 Extended:

/dev/hda5 14M /boot

/dev/hda6 4.0G /

/dev/hda7 1.0G /swap

/dev/hda8 6.0G /opt

/dev/hda9 915M /home

My previous partition table for Oracle9i on SuSE 7.2 was:

/dev/hda1 7.3G /windows/C

/dev/hda2 Extended:

/dev/hda6 1.9G /

/dev/hda11 758M /home

/dev/hda10 4.2G /opt

/dev/hda12 243M /u02

/dev/hda13 243M /u03

/dev/hda7 1.2G /usr

/dev/hda8 243M /usr/local

When I installed Red Hat 6.2, I set up the partition table like this:

/dev/hda5 4.2G root

/dev/hda2 21M /boot

/dev/hda7 1003M /home

/dev/hda6 1.7G /usr

/dev/hda8 954M /usr/local

/dev/hda1 7.3G /mnt/dos

/dev/hda9 1G /swap

Optimal Flexible Architecture

For optimal performance, Oracle recommends that you create four separate mount points (/u01, /u02, /u03, /u04) each in its own partition. The first mount point, /u01 is where the Oracle software is installed, the rest are used for database files.

To install Oracle 8.1.7 on Red Hat 6.2, I followed the instructions at jordan.oracle/817.html and faked OFA compliance by making four mount points. In a production environment, you will probably not get good performance from this configuration though that may not be an issue for your first installation. When I installed 9i on SuSE 7.2, I used /opt/oracle/, /opt/u02, /opt/u03 for my mount points. For my present partition table, I once again faked the OFA structure.

For more information and perspectives on how to partition your hard drive for Oracle, I would refer you to "Installation Instructions for Oracle 9i Release 2 (9.2.0.x) on United Linux 1.0 based Linux systems". It is available from oracle. Similarly, the paper "Tips for Installing and Configuring Oracle9i Database on Red Hat Linux" was presented at OracleWorld 2003 and is available from otn.oracleworld/ow_linux.html.

Swap Space

One other consideration when partitioning your hard drive in preparation for an Oracle installation is swap space. For installation of both Oracle 8.1.7 and Oracle 9i, you need twice as much swap space as RAM, or at least 400 MB, whichever is greater. And since you need 512MB of RAM for Oracle9i, you essentially need at least 1G of swap space for optimal performance. This requirement can be met with a temporary swap file. Details can be found at en/support/oracle/db/9i_71_72.html.

Run Linux Installer

There are a few Linux-related issues beyond the scope of this paper that you will need to resolve before running the Linux installer. These include:

1) The desktop environment you want to install: GNOME, KDE, both, or other.

2) Method of loading Linux: Master Boot Record (LILO or GRUB), loadlin, etc.

3) Scope of installation. For example on SuSE 8.0: minimal or text based (Unless you are going to run this as a server and install remotely, forget about it!), minimal graphical, default system, default system with StarOffice.

Running the Linux installer is simply a matter of following the instructions that come with your Linux distribution. Red Hat 6.2 uses a program called Disk Druid and SuSE uses YAST2, which is a GUI installer. YAST, by the way, is the acronym for Yet Another Setup Tool.

Once this step is complete, you may need to configure some of your components: hardware modem or network card, printer, sound card, graphics card and screen. Now you are ready to begin planning for your Oracle installation.

Installing Oracle

Compared to the trials and tribulations involved with my first installation of Linux, the Oracle installation went quite smoothly. I was very happy and relieved with the outcome of this process. Having learned my lesson on preparation from my first installation of Linux, I actually took quite a bit of time to research and plan for my first installation of Oracle. This , at least in part, contributed to the success of the installation process.

Preparation Tasks

There are several useful resources available to help prepare for an Oracle installation. The Oracle9i Installation Guide Release2, available from docs., and Installation Instructions for Oracle 9i (9.0.1) on SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 7, available from oracle, were two of the most useful resources for installing Oracle9i Release 2 on SuSE 8.0.

To prepare for previous Oracle installations, I have used several other resources. For Oracle 8.1.7 on Red Hat 6.2, I followed the steps listed on Tom Bissett's Website jordan.oracle. To install Oracle 9i, I followed instructions provided by Werner Puschitz at OracleOnLinux.shtml. As these instructions were written for an installation of Oracle9i on Red Hat 7.1 and 7.2, however, I supplemented this with information from Oracle on SuSE at SuSE.de/in/support/oracle and the Oracle 9i Quick Installation Procedure, that is available from docs..

The major preparation steps are as follows:

Obtain the Appropriate JDK

This step is actually not necessary for Oracle9i Release 2 as the Oracle Universal Installer comes with and installs both Sun Java 1.3.1 and Blackdown 1.1.8v3 versions of JDK. However, for 8.1.7 and 9i use JDK 1.1.8 v3 from Blackdown. If you go to , you can simply download jdk118_v3-glibc-2.1.3.tar.bz2. (Shift click to download from here.) Then, as root:

bzip2 -dc jdk118_v3-glibc-2.1.3.tar.bz2 | tar xf - -C /usr/local

ln -s /usr/local/jdk118_v3 /usr/local/java

The IBM version of the JDK that comes with some versions of Linux is not compatible with Oracle.

Verify Required Software has been installed

The Linux operating system is composed of a "triumvirate" of parts: the kernel, the glibc and the binutils. These three must be compatible with each other and your chosen version of Oracle if the installation of the Oracle software and the Oracle software itself are to run smoothly. According to the Oracle9i Installation Guide, the minimum configuration needed is kernel version 2.4.7 with glibc version 2.2.2 (SLES7). However, I was able to install Oracle9i Release 2 on SuSE 8.0 which has kernel version 2.4.18-58, glibc version 2.2.5-158 and binutils version 2.11.920.10-89.

If you will be using the ProC/C++ Precompiler, you will also need the make version 3.79.1-292 and GNU gcc version 2.95.3. The gcc version 3.x that comes as the default in some of the newer versions of the operating systems, Red Hat 9.0 for example, is not compatible with Oracle9i Release 2. However, you will probably not experience any problems until you use your ProC/C++ code. With UL1.0/SLES8, SuSE 8.1 and SuSE 8.2, you can install gcc-old when you install the operating system.

Create the Database Administrator Groups and Oracle User

You will need to create at least three database administrator groups (oinstall, dba and oper). These can now be created two ways in SuSE 7.2 and 8.0, using either the command line or the "Configuration Tool" available in the menu. To use the tool available on the KDE Desktop in SuSE:

System -> Configuration -> Create group

To use this tool, you will need the root password. You can also use the command line method as the root user and just enter:

groupadd oinstall

groupadd dba

groupadd oper

You can also use the KDE Desktop tool "Create user" (System -> Configuration -> Create user) to create the oracle user with oinstall as the primary group and dba and oper as the secondary groups, with the command:

useradd oracle -g oinstall -G dba,oper

Mount Points

If you did not create the partitions for Oracle when you installed Linux, you will need to create your mount points now. If you will be running or testing Oracle with database files, a minimum of two mount points is required to install Oracle -- one for Oracle software and a second for the database files. Since I am running Oracle for development purposes only, I am using only one mount point for the Oracle software. You will also need to change the owner and group permissions on these mount points as the root user:

chown oracle:dba /u01 (run same command for /u02, /u03 and /u04 if you have them)

chmod 775 /u01 (run same command for /u02, /u03 and /u04 if you have them)

Kernel Parameters

This step appears to be much easier with the .2.4.x kernels as it previously required recompiling the kernel. It can now be accomplished simply by modifying a few files in the directory /proc/sys/kernel. The Oracle documentation warns of possible installation or production problems if these settings are insufficient but I did not change these for my first two Oracle installations (Oracle 8.1.7 and Oracle 9i ) and managed to complete them successfully. However, it is highly recommended that SHMMAX be set for your installation. The other parameters are important for performance.

There is a package called orarun9i.rpm that is available for download from SuSE. This package can be used to set your environment variables, kernel parameters, and start/shut Oracle at startup/shutdown. More information and the download are available from en/support/oracle/db/9i_71_72.html .

The new version of orarun for SLES8 and SuSE Pro 8.1 is called orarun1.42SL80_81.noarch.rpm, the major difference being the location of the oracle.(c)sh file. It also appears that there is a similar tool for Red Hat users, called Oracle9i RHL Run Package, that is put out by Guru Labs at downloads. I have no personal experience with this tool, but am including it here for the sake of completeness.

Environment Variables

You will need to set the environment variables for each user. This can be done by setting them in the /home/"username" in the .profile of each user on your system. (SuSE recommends this be done in the .bashrc file.) This can also be accomplished by setting these variables at the global level with either the orarun or the RHL Run Package. I used orarun to install both releases of Oracle9i and was satisfied with the results.

Installing Oracle 8.1.7, I manually entered the variables posted at jordan. with satisfactory results upon installation. For the Oracle 9i installation, I followed the instructions in the Oracle 9i:Quick Installation Procedure Guide. You can also check with Oracle Metalink for the latest information on how to set your environment variables. Below are my current environment variables, set by orarun, to install and run Oracle 9i Release 2:

# Oracle Environment

ORACLE_HOME=/opt/oracle/product/oracle

ORACLE_SID=oral

TNS_ADMIN=/opt/oracle/product/oracle/network/admin

NLS_LANG=AMERICAN_AMERICA.UTF8

ORA_NLS33=/opt/oracle/product/oracle/ocommon/nls/admin/data

LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/oracle/product/oracle/lib:/opt/oracle/product/oracle/ctx/lib:/opt/oracle/product/oracle/lib:/opt/oracle/product/oracle/ctx/lib

# Set shell search paths:

PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/bin:/usr/games:/opt/gnome/bin:/opt/kde3/bin:/usr/lib/java/bin:/opt/oracle/product/oracle/bin

# CLASSPATH must include the following JRE locations:

CLASSPATH=/opt/oracle/product/oracle/JRE:/opt/oracle/product/oracle/jlib:/opt/oracle/product/oracle/rdbms/jlib:/opt/oracle/product/oracle/network/jlib

Run Oracle Installer

As in the installation of Linux, this step requires following the onscreen instructions. You may be instructed, from time to time, to bring up another window and run a command. Do so. Additionally, if the linker of the Oracle Universal Installer reports something is missing, you may also be able to fix the problem in another window and then hit the "RETRY" button in the OUI window.

You can reference the Oracle9i Quick Installation Guide for more information. I also found the Installation Instructions for Oracle 9i (9.0.1) on SuSE Linux Enterprose Server7 to be useful for the Oracle 9i Release 2 installation on SuSE Pro 8.0.

The installation process took about 45 minutes for Oracle9i Release 2, one hour for Oracle 9i, but only about 15 minutes for Oracle 8.1.7.

Reported Installation Issues

1) Inability to access something in your /home/"username" directory after an Oracle installation that was previously available before the installation (e.g., Netscape.) A possible solution is to add $PATH before you enter the other path variables.

Instead of this:

PATH=/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/etc:/opt/bin:/usr/ccs/bin:/usr/openwin/bin:

/opt/local/GNU/bin

PATH=$PATH:/opt/local/bin:/opt/NSCPnav/bin:$ORACLE_HOME/bin

PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/samba/bin:/usr/ucb:

export PATH

Do this:

PATH=$PATH:/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/etc:/opt/bin:/usr/ccs/bin:/usr/ipenwin/bin:/opt/local/GNU/bin

PATH=$PATH:/opt/local/bin:/opt/MSCPnav/bin:$ORACLE_HOME/bin

PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/samba/bin:/usr/ucb:

export PATH

2) Incompatibilities between glibc or binutils and Oracle. In general, there are issues between newer versions of the Linux OS distributions and Oracle 9i, and vice versa. For example, there are some known glibc issues between Red Hat 7.0 and Oracle 8.1.7, and a binutil issue between Red Hat 7.1/7.2 and Oracle 9i, as well as between Oracle9i Release 2 and Red Hat AS 2.1. (An Oracle White Paper is available from otn., on this specific issue.) The issues involve incompatibilities between the Linux and Oracle versions of these packages. The solution, in most cases, involves downgrading your Linux packages. Make sure you have the right version of glibc or binutils before you begin your Oracle installation. Check with your Linux distribution, Oracle and the Websites mentioned elsewhere in this paper to prepare for these issues. If you choose to use Sun's JDK 1.3.1 on SuSE 7.2, which you can do, instead of Blackdown JDK 1.1.8 v3, you will also need to download a glibc patch from SuSE.

There are two makefile errors that occur with Oracle 9i Release 2: one on Red Hat 8.0 and the other on SuSE8.0.

On Red Hat 8.0, a makefile error, reported by Werner Puschitz at , occurs which is similar to the following:

"Error in invoking target install of makefile: /opt/oracle/product/9.2.0/ctx/lib/ins_ctx.mk"

The solution involves editing the file $ORACLE_HOME/ctx/lib/env_ctx.mk. You then need to find the line which begins with "INSO_LINK =", and add "$(LDLIBFLAG)dl" to the line and save it.

On SuSE 8.0, I experienced a similar error when I was installing Developer Suite 9i. Others have reported a similar error when installing other Oracle tools. The error message looks like this:

"Error in invoking target ntcrontab.o of makefile: /opt/oracle/product/oracle/network/lib/ins_int_client.mk"

The solution, found on the suse-oracle mailing list, includes two steps. First, in the file $ORACLE_HOME/sysliblist, edit the line:

L/usr/lib/gcc-lib/i486-suse-linux/2.95.3 -lgcc

So that it looks like this:

L/usr/lib/gcc-lib/i486-suse-linux/2.95.3 -lgcc -ldl -lm -lpthread

Second, look in: $ORACLE_HOME/install/make.log for linker errors such as "ld: cannot find -lclntsh" If this error exists, go to $ORACLE_HOME/bin and run the command 'genclntsh' (as user oracle)

3) Some people have reported that the Oracle Universal Installer hangs during installation. I did not experience this problem during any of my installations but, for some, this problem is reportedly solved by entering:

unset LANG

and then running the installer.

4) Mounting and unmounting cdroms during installation can be a problem if you try to run the Installer from the cdrom directory. One solution is simply not to run the Installer from the cdrom directory. If you do run from the cdrom directory, you will need to kill the Oracle Installer process to unmount the cdrom. I ran the Installer from the Oracle User home directory and so was able to mount and unmount the disks as follows:

mount /media/cdrom

unmount /media/cdrom

Recommendations for Novices:

1) Decide on the version of Oracle you want to install and work backward. Find out which distribution and version of Linux works best with your chosen Oracle version and install that one. Oracle 9i Release 2 is reported to install smoothly on Red Hat 7.3 and 8.0 and SuSE 8.1 and 8.2. From experience, I can say that an installation on SuSE 8.0 also runs very smoothly. There is a possible glibc issue between Oracle 9i Release 2 and Red Hat 9.0. If you are contemplating using this combination, I would refer you to for more information.

2) Make sure your hardware is supported by your chosen Linux distribution. This is especially important for the GUI environment that you will need to run the Oracle Universal Installer.

3) Make sure you have enough disk space and RAM.

4) Check for any patches you may need from your Linux distribution or Oracle. This may be hardware dependent. Although, I initially needed a patch to install Red Hat 6.2, no patches were needed to install Oracle Release 3 (8.1.7) on Red Hat 6.2, or for Oracle 9i on SuSE 7.2.

5) Make sure you have the right glibc (rpm -q glibc) for your chosen versions of Oracle and Linux.

6) Make sure you have the right JRE.

Conclusions

The two most important things you can do to assure the smoothest installation of Oracle9i Release 2 on Linux are: 1) verify that your hardware is compatible with your chosen distribution of Linux and 2) choose a distribution of Linux that is most compatible with your desired version of Oracle. A certified platform is the safest bet, though it is possible to achieve a smooth installation on an uncertified version if you do your homework.

Given an adequate amount of preparation, even a nonDBA, a.k.a. developer, can achieve a successful installation of Oracle on a Linux platform. As a novice, my initial installation of Linux was the most challenging step in the entire process. Others have reported the most difficulty with this step as well. As stated above, the most important step here is to evaluate the compatibility of your hardware.

I am continually improving and updating this paper and would seriously appreciate hearing about your own experiences installing Oracle on Linux. Feel free to e-mail me, scalish@, with any information you would be willing to share.

Some Useful References and Resources

• Linux SIG available to IOUG members

• Your Linux Distributor

• Oracle: OTN, MetaLink, Oracle Forums (forums)

• listserve groups: suse-oracle, oracle-on-linux@

• books and websites:

Oracle Product Documentation, .

Oracle White Paper, Tips and Techniques: Install and Configure Oracle9i on Red Hat Linux Advanced Server, Aug 2002, otn.tech/linux/content.html

Petersen, Richard, The Complete Reference: Red Hat Linux,Osborne/McGraw-Hill, 2000.

Puschitz, Werner, Installing Oracle 9i on RedHat Linux 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 8.0, 9 and on Red Hat Advanced Server 2.1,

Red Hat CD-ROM documentation.

Smith, Roderick W., Linux Hardware Handbook, Sams Publishing, 2000.

SuSE printed manuals and website: Oracle at SuSE

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