Install Oracle 11g on Ubuntu Linux 7.04

My current production and testing database are using Oracle 10g but I would really like to try out the new Oracle 11g. Unfortunately Oracle only release their latest 11g for linux platform only and I only have an ubuntu box in my office. So I begin to have an adventure of trying to install it on my ubuntu box. It is a great experience but in the end at least learn something out of it. So here I will reveal all the steps to avoid the hair pulling experience like I had. Enjoy!

Very important: get Java running before trying to move on. My guess is that almost any JRE (java runtime) or JDK (java development kit) will work. I’m not sure which is the minimum version required: I used Sun JDK 1.6. Next, make sure your system is up-to-date. A simple

apt-get update
followed by a

apt-get upgrade
will do the trick, although you may prefer using the GUI Synaptic Package Manager -- it’s entirely up to you what method you choose.


Step One

Install some system requirements. There are a few packages that I had to install on this box (it was a recently installed system which didn’t have all these packages). After several attempts of installing Oracle, the equivalent command-line for installing all the necessary packages at once was something like this:

# apt-get install gcc make binutils lesstif2 libc6 libc6-dev rpm libmotif3 libaio libstdc++5 gawk alien libg++2.8.1.3-glibc2.2 ksh gcc-3.3 g++-3.3 libstdc++5
It’s possible that when installing the packages mentioned above, the installer will install some other prerequisites as well, as these packages themselves may have prerequisites.

Step Two

Choose where you are going to install your Oracle 11g server and create the

ORACLE_BASE
directory. This is the place where Oracle will be installed. Make sure there is at least 3 GB on the partition/mount point before moving to the next step. After installed, my basic installation took about 3.4 GB on disk (without the starter database!). As your database grows, it will need more space. Reserve a total of at least 6 GB for the unpacked installer and the basic installation. You can get rid of the installer files afterwards.

# mkdir -p /u01/app/oracle
Step Three
Add a few users and change groups to make the installer more comfortable. Remember, we are tricking the installer to think it’s installing on a Red Hat box.

# addgroup oinstall
# addgroup dba
# addgroup nobody
# useradd -g oinstall -G dba -p password -d /home/oracle -s /bin/bash oracle
# usermod -g nobody nobody
The usermod command is needed since because when running, the installer looks for a user called nobody which is part of a group named nobody (in Ubuntu, the user nobody it’s assigned to nogroup by default).

Step Four
Make some symlinks. Apparently, the installer uses absolute paths, so it must find the binaries in the right places.

# ln -s /usr/bin/awk /bin/awk
# ln -s /usr/bin/rpm /bin/rpm
# ln -s /usr/bin/basename /bin/basename
Step Five
We need to mimic the /etc/rc.d directory structure of a Red Hat box. We do this with more symlinks:

# mkdir /etc/rc.d
# ln -s /etc/rc0.d /etc/rc.d/rc0.d
# ln -s /etc/rc2.d /etc/rc.d/rc2.d
# ln -s /etc/rc3.d /etc/rc.d/rc3.d
# ln -s /etc/rc4.d /etc/rc.d/rc4.d
# ln -s /etc/rc5.d /etc/rc.d/rc5.d
# ln -s /etc/rc6.d /etc/rc.d/rc6.d
# ln -s /etc/init.d /etc/rc.d/init.d
Step Six
I’ve created a file called /etc/redhat-release and put only one line on it. The same can be achieved by issuing the following as root:

echo “Red Hat Linux release 4″ > /etc/redhat-release
Step Seven
We tweak the system default limits on a few items. The shared-memory are specially important, since Oracle relies on shared memory for process communications. There is a file called /etc/sysctl.conf and it should have these lines on it:

fs.file-max = 65535
kernel.shmall = 2097152
kernel.shmmax = 2147483648
kernel.shmmni = 4096
kernel.sem = 250 32000 100 128
net.ipv4.ip_local_port_range = 1024 65000
net.core.rmem_default = 1048576
net.core.rmem_max = 1048576
net.core.wmem_default = 262144
net.core.wmem_max = 262144
Now that they are in a config file, these limits will be issued automatically at the next boot sequence. For now, we need to make the system re-read the config file:

# sysctl -p
Now, what do those parameters and values actually mean?

fs.file-max
sets the maximum number of open files that can be handled by the Linux kernel.

kernel.shmall
determines the total amount of shared memory to be allocated in pages. In this example, I’ve set it to 8GB, which is way above the amount of memory I can handle in my box, even with swap.

kernel.shmmax
controls the maximum amount of memory to be allocated for shared memory which in this example is 2GB.

kernel.shmmni
defines the maximum number of segments system-wide.

net.core.rmem_default
and

net.core.rmem_max
define the default and maximum read buffer queue for network operations (1 MB in this example)

net.core.wmem_default
and

net.core.wmem_max
define the default and maximum write buffer queue for network operations (256 KB in this example)

net.ipv4.ip_local_port_range
tells the kernel the port ranges that will be used for outbound connections.

kernel.sem
has four parameters:

SEMMSL
- semaphores per array

SEMMNS
- max semaphores system-wide (

SEMMNI*SEMMSL
)

SEMOPM
- max operations per semop call

SEMMNI
- max number of semaphore arrays

To check your current semaphores configuration, you can run

cat /proc/sys/kernel/sem
or

ipcs -ls
. On my machine, after the modifications on

sysctl.conf
, these commands output:

# cat /proc/sys/kernel/sem
250 32000 100 128
# ipcs -ls

---- Semaphore Limits -----
max number of arrays = 128
max semaphores per array = 250
max semaphores system wide = 32000
max ops per semop call = 100
semaphore max value = 32767
Step Eight
Add these lines to /etc/security/limits.conf, letting the oracle user use more resources than the defaults allowed. You may notice that all these values are a power of 2 minus one. When soft limits are exceeded, you’ll get a warning; the hard limits can’t be exceeded in any situation: you’ll get an error. I’m not completely sure, but I think these limits apply to each session/login (and since Oracle doesn’t exactly log in to the machine, my best guess is these limits apply per instance running).

oracle soft nproc 2047
oracle hard nproc 16383
oracle soft nofile 1023
oracle hard nofile 65535
Step Nine
Make sure the limits.conf is being interpreted as the oracle user logs in by adding these lines to /etc/pam.d/login. You will want to make sure that is actually happening, since the defaults are way lower and you may get all sorts of problems.

session required /lib/security/pam_limits.so
session required pam_limits.so
Step Ten
Unpack and prepare the installation.

# cd /path/to/zipfile
# unzip linux_11gR1b5_database.zip
# chown -R oracle:oinstall database
# chown -R oracle:oinstall /u01/app/oracle
Step Eleven
Fire up the installer as the oracle user itself. This is what you will probably see on the output window:

# su
# xhost +
# exit
# su - oracle
$ export DISPLAY=:0.0
$ cd /path/to/extracted/zip/file
$ ./runInstaller
Starting Oracle Universal Installer…
Checking Temp space: must be greater than 80 MB. Actual 58633 MB Passed
Checking swap space: must be greater than 150 MB. Actual 2900 MB Passed
Checking monitor: must be configured to display at least 256 colors. Actual 16777216 Passed
Preparing to launch Oracle Universal Installer from /tmp/OraInstall2007-07-11_04-38-56PM. Please wait …
Oracle Universal Installer, Version 11.1.0.2.0 Production
Copyright (C) 1999, 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

ulimit: 1: Illegal option -u
ulimit: 1: Illegal option -u
rpm: To install rpm packages on Debian systems, use alien. See README.Debian.
error: cannot open Packages index using db3 - No such file or directory (2)
error: cannot open Packages database in /var/lib/rpm
rpm: To install rpm packages on Debian systems, use alien. See README.Debian.
error: cannot open Packages index using db3 - No such file or directory (2)
error: cannot open Packages database in /var/lib/rpm

There are a few errors that can be safely ignored: the ulimit and the RPM-related errors, since the limits don’t restrict the installer and since we actually don’t have a RPM database on the machine -- we are running on Ubuntu, remember?

After a few moments, you will be prompted to choose where to install the Oracle server. You’ll notice that I asked the installer to not create a starter database -- I did that later. Choose the Oracle Base and correct the group if needed. I personally recommend sticking with the defaults if you are a newbie like me.


As you press the Next button, you will be prompted where to install the Inventory -- leave it that way unless you know what you are doing (if this were the case, you wouldn’t be reading this text anyways). Also correct the OS group name if needed and hit Next.



Since I’ve chosen to install the server in the same directory as the

oracle
user’s

HOME
directory, the installer will issue a warning. I simply ignored it and continued with the installation.



After that warning, I tried to perform some prerequisite tests, and yes -- some will fail. Just mark the failed boxes and hit Next (after trying a few times to fix those issues, I’ve decided to call the installer’s bluff and… it worked!)



After all this warning stuff, it’ll ask you to check the list of products to be installed. I was amazed when I read that 122 different products would be installed on my box. Hit Next.



At some point, it will ask you to run some commands as

root
. Do that when it asks, since the install depends on a few modifications on the base system (like creating the

/etc/oratab
file).

$ sudo -s
Password:
# /u01/app/oracle/oraInventory/orainstRoot.sh
Changing permissions of /u01/app/oracle/oraInventory to 770.
Changing groupname of /u01/app/oracle/oraInventory to oinstall.
The execution of the script is complete

# /u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0/db_1/root.sh
Running Oracle 11g root.sh script…

The following environment variables are set as:
ORACLE_OWNER= oracle
ORACLE_HOME= /u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0/db_1
[: 185: ==: unexpected operator
[: 189: ==: unexpected operator
Copying dbhome to /usr/local/bin …
Copying oraenv to /usr/local/bin …
Copying coraenv to /usr/local/bin …

Creating /etc/oratab file…
Entries will be added to the /etc/oratab file as needed by
Database Configuration Assistant when a database is created
Finished running generic part of root.sh script.
Now product-specific root actions will be performed.
Finished product-specific root actions.
After these scripts finish their execution (the errors seem to be ignorable), hit the OK button and you’ll have a window that (probably) will look like this one:

Just hit OK to get out the installer. The basic installation is… not over yet.

To allow Oracle start on boot-up, create a file called oracledb (or whatever name you want to call it) and put it in /etc/init.d with the contents below. It will read the /etc/oratab and fire up any instances it finds.

#!/bin/bash

#

# /etc/init.d/oracledb

#

# Run-level Startup script for the Oracle Instance, Listener, and Web Interfaceexport ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/oracle

export PATH=$PATH:$ORACLE_HOME/bin

ORA_OWNR="oracle"

# if the executables do not exist -- display error

if [ ! -f $ORACLE_HOME/bin/dbstart -o ! -d $ORACLE_HOME ]

then

echo "Oracle startup: cannot start"

exit 1

fi

# depending on parameter -- startup, shutdown, restart

# of the instance and listener or usage display

case "$1" in

start)

# Oracle listener and instance startup

echo -n "Starting Oracle: "

su $ORA_OWNR -c "$ORACLE_HOME/bin/lsnrctl start"

su $ORA_OWNR -c $ORACLE_HOME/bin/dbstart

touch /var/lock/oracle

su $ORA_OWNR -c "$ORACLE_HOME/bin/emctl start dbconsole"

echo "OK"

;;

stop)

# Oracle listener and instance shutdown

echo -n "Shutdown Oracle: "

su $ORA_OWNR -c "$ORACLE_HOME/bin/lsnrctl stop"

su $ORA_OWNR -c $ORACLE_HOME/bin/dbshut

rm -f /var/lock/oracle

su $ORA_OWNR -c "$ORACLE_HOME/bin/emctl stop dbconsole"

echo "OK"

;;

reload|restart)

$0 stop

$0 start

;;

*)

echo "Usage: `basename $0` start|stop|restart|reload"

exit 1

esac

exit 0After saving the file, make it executable

# chmod a+x /etc/init.d/oracledb
and if you want, make it run at every boot:

# update-rc.d oracledb defaults 99
Adding system startup for /etc/init.d/oracledb …
/etc/rc0.d/K99oracledb -> ../init.d/oracledb
/etc/rc1.d/K99oracledb -> ../init.d/oracledb
/etc/rc6.d/K99oracledb -> ../init.d/oracledb
/etc/rc2.d/S99oracledb -> ../init.d/oracledb
/etc/rc3.d/S99oracledb -> ../init.d/oracledb
/etc/rc4.d/S99oracledb -> ../init.d/oracledb
/etc/rc5.d/S99oracledb -> ../init.d/oracledb
Before finishing, add the following lines to your /etc/profile . Be careful, since these values are valid system-wide. So make sure the paths are set according to your particular setup (if you have been doing everything according to this text, you should be fine).

export ORACLE_BASE=/u01/app/oracle
export ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0/db_1
export ORACLE_SID=ORCL
export PATH=$PATH:/u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0/db_1/bin
Last operation: add yourself to the dba group. You can use usermod or just edit the /etc/group file and add your username at the end of the line that starts with dba (my username is ‘vpire’):

dba:x:1002:oracle,vpire
If you chose to not create a starter database during your install, you’ll have to do two extra steps. You should create a listener (with netca) and after that, create the starter database (also with netca). If you chose to have the installer create a database for you, then you should be fine, since when doing that, it asks for a password for the default accounts (SYS, SYSTEM, and DBSNMP, SYSMAN if you choose to install it with the enterprise manager option selected).

If everything has gone well, open a terminal window and, as the oracle user, type:

$ sqlplus
SQL*Plus: Release 11.1.0.5.0 - Beta on Wed Jul 11 17:11:53 2007

Copyright (c) 1982, 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Enter user-name:

If you see these messages (and I sincerely hope you do) you’re all set! That means that you have finished a quite long install of Oracle 11g and you are ready to begin destroying it, just as I plan to as I take my first steps with Oracle.

Anyway, I would greatly appreciate your feedback, especially if we can improve this tutorial so that more people can benefit from it.