Skip Headers

Oracle® Universal Installer and OPatch User's Guide 10g Release 2 (10.2) for Windows and UNIX Part Number B16227-02 |
Home | Book List | Contents | Index | Master Index | Feedback

Previous | Next
| View PDF

# 5 Installing Products Using Oracle Universal Installer

This chapter includes the following sections:

- Checking Pre-Requisites Before Installation

- Installing Oracle Products

- De-installing Oracle Products

- Running Oracle Universal Installer After Installation

- About Oracle Universal Installer Log Files

## Checking Pre-Requisites Before Installation

Before installation, Oracle Universal Installer checks the environment to see whether it meets the requirements for successful installation. Early detection of problems with the system setup reduces the chances of encountering problems during installation; for instance, problems with insufficient disk space, missing patches, inappropriate hardware, and so on.

Oracle Universal Installer is required to perform all pre-requisite checks defined for the installation before installing any software, whether they are Oracle Universal Installer-specific tests, or tests defined for a specific product. Specific pre-requisite checks are defined for each operating system on which Oracle Universal Installer runs. All pre-requisite check parameters must be defined in the `oraparam.ini` file (or another `*.ini` file that you define). All the results are logged in the `install Actions<timestamp>.log` file.

Pre-requisite checking can be performed in the following three ways:

- Automatically: Checks are performed automatically when the user runs the Oracle Universal Installer executable during an installation. Simply run Oracle Universal Installer and all pre-defined pre-requisite checks will be performed.

- Silent Mode: Checks can be run and managed from the command line for a silent installation. For silent installations, Oracle Universal Installer performs as many pre-requisite checks as possible, alerts the user on all errors (if any), and provides the location of the `installActions<timestamp>.log` file before exiting.

- Standalone: Checks can be run without completing an installation. Refer to Table 5-1 for a description of the flags to use.

Table 5-1 Command Line Parameters for Pre-Requisite Checks

Command | Description
--- | ---
`-paramFile <file name>` | Use this flag to specify the location of the `oraparam.ini` file to be used. For example, you may create your own parameters file and use that to operate Oracle Universal Installer. Note that Oracle Universal Installer will use the file you specify for all operations, including the pre-requisite checks.
`-executeSysPrereqs` | Use this flag on the command line to perform only the pre-requisite check, without continuing the installation. This can be used to verify that the basic pre-requisites have been met before deciding to perform an installation.
`-ignoreSysPrereqs` | Use this flag on the command line to ignore all pre-requisite checks. This may be useful when you know that the checks themselves are faulty or the environment has already been verified.This is an optional flag though not recommended by Oracle.

Inputs to the checker are listed in the `prerequisite.xml` file. Once the checker is run, results, along with the pre-defined inputs, can be found in the `prerequisite_results.xml` file. These files are located in the `oraInventory/logs` directory. The `prerequisite_results.xml` file can be reused as an input file for subsequent executions of the checker.

## Installing Oracle Products

The following sections describe how to start Oracle Universal Installer and install an Oracle product. Specifically, this section describes:

- Getting Help While Installing Oracle Products

- About the ORAPARAM.INI File

- Modes of Installation

- Installation Media

- Special Instructions for UNIX Users

### Getting Help While Installing Oracle Products

At any time while installing your product, click Help for information about the screens specific to your installation.

Oracle Universal Installer provides two kinds of online help

- Generic online help provided with every copy of Oracle Universal Installer.

  These topics describe the screens and dialog boxes that every Oracle Universal Installer user sees, regardless of the product they are installing.

- Online help specific to a particular installation.

  These topics are created by the product developer and describe the screens and dialog boxes specific to the product you are installing. For example, the help topic for the Installation Types page is often a custom help topic created by the installation developer that describes the specific installation types for the product you are installing.

After you view an online help topic, choose Navigator from the Tools menu to display the navigator pane. From the navigator pane, you can browse the table of contents, select other topics, or search for a particular word or phrase in the online help.

Note: Only generic help topics are available in the navigator, or table of contents. Custom help topics can only be accessed by clicking the Help button on the dialogs or windows they describe.

### About the ORAPARAM.INI File

The `oraparam.ini` file is the initialization file for Oracle Universal Installer. This file includes information that defines the behavior of certain Oracle Universal Installer features. Each product installation possesses a unique `oraparam.ini` file.

In general, you should not have to edit the contents of this file, but in certain situations, understanding the contents of this file can help you troubleshoot problems and understand certain aspects of the Oracle Universal Installer product.

For example, for most installations, Oracle Universal Installer provides a default value on the File Locations page that points to the location of the product's installation kit or stage. This default value is stored in the `oraparam.ini` file. The `oraparam.ini` file also identifies the location of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) required for the installation.

In the staging area, it is located in the same directory as the executable file. For example:

For UNIX systems:

    cd/<Product_Shiphome_Location>/install/solaris/runInstaller
    cd/<Product_Shiphome_Location>/install/solaris/OraParam.ini

For Windows systems:

    cd\<Product_Shiphome_Location>\install\win32\setup.exe
    cd\<Product_Shiphome_Location>\install\win32\OraParam.ini

In the staging area, the default `OUI_LOCATION` is relative to the location of the `oraparam.ini` file, as follows:

    ../../stage/

Once installed, the `oraparam.ini` file is located in the `/oui` directory.

The following table describes the parameters in the `oraparam.ini` file and how to use them.

Table 5-2 Parameters in oraparam.ini

Section/Parameter | Description
--- | ---
[Oracle] | This section contains various parameters related to your installation.
DISTRIBUTION | Set to TRUE if the `oraparam.ini` file is on a distribution medium. A distribution medium can be a CD-ROM or a Web server. Once installed, this parameter is set to FALSE.
SOURCE | Location of your staging area (the `products.xml` file). This location is relative to the directory where `oraparam.ini` exists.
LICENSE_LOCATION | Location of a text file for License information. This location is relative to the directory where `oraparam.ini` exists. The legal terms file should be a plain text file.If you specify the LICENSE_LOCATION variable, Oracle Universal Installer will ask for license acceptance after you click the Next button on the "Welcome" screen. Oracle Universal Installer will let the user proceed only after license is accepted. This parameter is ignored if the file is not found.
LICENSE_TITLE | The value of this variable displays as the title of the license agreement. Oracle Universal Installer only reads this value if the license dialog is displayed. That is, if the LICENSE_LOCATION variable has a valid value.
JRE_LOCATION | Location of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) that will be used by Oracle Universal Installer.Note: For a single installation to point to two different JRE versions, move the `oraparam.ini` file one level below its original location and then specify the individual platform's JRE location. For example, if the original location is in the `Disk1/install` directory, move it to the `Disk1/install/win32` or the `Disk1/install/solaris` directory and then specify the individual platform's JRE location.
OUI_LOCATION | Points to the location of Oracle Universal Installer files used for interactive mode (GUI-based). This parameter is optional; if DISTRIBUTION=TRUE, then Oracle Universal Installer computes this value using the OUI_VERSION parameter.Use this parameter if you want to override the default value: `../../stage/Components/oracle.swd.oui/<version>/1/DataFiles/Expanded`
OUI_CORE_LOCATION | Points to the location used for silent mode. This parameter is optional; If DISTRIBUTION=TRUE, then Oracle Universal Installer computes this value using the OUI_VERSION parameter.Use this parameter if you want to override the default value: .`./../stage/Components/oracle.swd.oui.core/<version>/1/DataFiles/Expanded`
OUI_VERSION | Set the version of Oracle Universal Installer that you are using. You must properly set the version for the BOOTSTRAP to work.
DISPLAY_VERSION | Set to FALSE to suppress the display of the version of top level components in the Installation Type dialog during installation.
JRE_MEMORY_OPTIONS | Set these to increase the initial heap threshold for JRE. For example, `-mx48m.`
DEFAULT_HOME_LOCATION | Location of the default Oracle home.
DEFAULT_HOME_NAME | The default name for the Oracle home. This parameter is used only if the installation takes place on a host with no previous Oracle installations.
NO_BROWSE | Lists directories that you do not want to browse, typically large directories that take a long time to view. For example, `/net`, `/nfs.`
NLS_ENABLED | Set to TRUE for Oracle Universal Installer to enable NLS support. Set to FALSE to disable the installation session translations. Oracle Universal Installer displays in English even if you run on a non-English system.
BOOTSTRAP | Set to TRUE or FALSE. This parameter instructs Oracle Universal Installer to attempt a bootstrap. Set to TRUE before cutting CDs, but set to FALSE once you have copied the staging area to the hard disk.
BOOTSTRAP_SIZE | Use this parameter to set the size the temporary space requires when BOOTSTRAP is set to TRUE. For example, when you install Oracle Universal Installer, it sets the value of this parameter to the temporary space required by both Oracle Universal Installer and the JRE.By default, if this entry is not set, Oracle Universal Installer will assume 45MB for Win32, 52MB for Win64, and 69MB for Solaris. However, these values could vary from one major release to the other, based on the space required by newer versions of JRE.If the ship home contains advertisement images, installation developers should add the space taken by the images to this value. Oracle Universal Installer will check the temp space requirements before starting up and give an error if there is not enough space for Oracle Universal Installer to run in bootstrap mode.
USE_BUILD_NUMBER | Use this parameter to control whether or not Oracle Universal Installer considers the build number of the component when determining whether or not to overwrite a previous version or copy of a component. Note that this parameter is intended to be used in pre-production ship homes only.
APPLTOP_STAGE | Use this parameter when you want your users to specify the location of an Oracle Applications top (APPL_TOP) directory. When this parameter is set to TRUE, the File Locations page will include fields for selecting an APPL_TOP directory. This is an optional parameter for use with Apps installs only. If not specified, the default is assumed to FALSE.
REGISTRATION_URL | The URL where the user is directed from the Product Registration page in Oracle Universal Installer. The REGISTRATION_KEY parameter is validated at this site. Set this parameter along with the REGISTRATION_KEY parameter to invoke the Product Registration page. Both are required.
REGISTRATION_KEY | This key is validated against an encrypted key at the REGISTRATION_URL location. Set this parameter along with the REGISTRATION_URL parameter to invoke the Product Registration page. Both are required.
[IMAGES] | This section lists the images associated with an installation. To show advertisements during an installation, specify each image as a separate variable.

### Modes of Installation

You can use Oracle Universal Installer to install Oracle products in any of the three following modes:

- Interactive: Use Oracle Universal Installer's interactive mode to use the graphical user interface to walk through the installation, providing information in the installation dialogs when prompted. This method is most useful when installing a small number of products in different setups on a small number of hosts.

- Suppressed: Use Oracle Universal Installer's suppressed mode to supply the necessary information by using a combination of a response file or command line entries with certain interactive dialogs. You can choose which dialogs to suppress by supplying the information at the command line when you invoke Oracle Universal Installer. This method is most useful when an installation has a common set of parameters that can be captured in a response file, in addition to custom information that must be input by hand.

- Silent: Use Oracle Universal Installer's silent installation mode to bypass the graphical user interface and supply the necessary information in a response file. This method is most useful when installing the same product multiple times on multiple hosts. By using a response file, you can automate the installation of a product for which you know the installation parameters. For more information refer to Chapter 4, "Customizing and Creating Response Files", for detailed information on using response files and installing in silent mode.

  Note: You can use the `-noConsole` flag on Windows platform to suppress the display of messages in the console.

### Installation Media

For each of these three installation modes, you can install from three different media:

- Installing from a Single CD-ROM

- Installing from Multiple CD-ROMs

- Installing from a staged HTTP location

Note: On Windows, when you start the installer from a shared drive, you need to map the shared drive and then invoke the installer from the shared drive.

Refer to the following sections to learn more about these different installation approaches.

Notes: When you invoke runInstaller (UNIX) or setup.exe (Windows), you should invoke it from the directory where this command is present, or you must specify the complete path to runInstaller (UNIX) or setup.exe (Windows).

#### Installing from a Single CD-ROM

While installing Oracle products contained on a single CD-ROM, start Oracle Universal Installer by running the executable file, `setup.exe` or `runInstaller.sh,` located in:

    ../install/<platform>

Where <platform> represents Win32, Win64, Solaris, Linux, and so on.

For UNIX systems, run the script by typing `./runInstaller` at the command line.

Note: Oracle Universal Installer for win64 works the same as Oracle Universal Installer for win32. However, the startup directory on the CD is "win64" instead of "win32." Launching Oracle Universal Installer from the win32 directory launches Oracle Universal Installer in 32-bit mode, used for installing 32-bit software. Use win64 for installing 64-bit software. When you install both 32-bit and 64-bit Oracle Universal Installer on a 64-bit machine, two different inventories will be created and maintained. However, you cannot install 64-bit software in a 32-bit home, and vice versa.

#### Installing from Multiple CD-ROMs

If you are creating a multiple-CD installation on UNIX, you may need to launch `runInstaller` in the background using the following command:

    ./runInstaller &

By launching `runInstaller` in the background, you can change your current directory after you launch Oracle Universal Installer, allowing you to eject the CD. (It may also help to launch `runInstaller` as a foreground process from a different directory.)

You may want to create a shell script that launches Oracle Universal Installer in the background and then exits. If you choose to create a shell script, remember to also pass all parameters that you passed to the shell script to `runInstaller` in the event that you wish to install silently using a response file.

##### TEMP/TMP Directory

On both UNIX and Windows installations, temporary copies of Oracle Universal Installer and JRE are placed in the `TEMP` or `TMP` directory in a subdirectory named `/OraInstall<timestamp>` so that these applications can be launched when you change CD-ROMs. Note that temporary files are created for single-CD installations as well. On both UNIX and Windows, Oracle Universal Installer looks for `%TEMP%` then `%TMP%.` If neither is set, Oracle Universal Installer will default to `/tmp` on UNIX and `c:\temp` on Windows

Note: .The `TEMP/TMP` directory should not be a cluster file system or a shared location.

##### Unmounting a CD

On UNIX, if you are having trouble installing a product from multiple CD-ROMs, try using the following procedure to unmount the first CD-ROM and mount the second CD-ROM. If you still have problems, refer to the documentation links at the end of this topic.

In most cases, the following procedure will help with any problems you experience while switching to a second CD-ROM while installing Oracle software. If you inadvertently run the installer while the current working directory is in the CD-ROM, follow these steps to mount the next CD-ROM:

1. Change to the root directory of your system and log in as the root user by using the following commands:

       $ cd /
       $ su root

2. Unmount and remove the CD-ROM from the drive with the following command:

       # umount cdrom_mount_point_directory

3. Insert and mount the next CD-ROM into the drive by using the following command:

       # mount options device_name cdrom_mount_point_directory

4. Enter the correct mount point in the Installation dialog box.

5. Click OK to continue.

If after attempting this procedure you are still having problems, refer to the section on installing from multiple CD-ROMs in the Oracle Database Installation Guide, which is available from the Oracle Technology Network:

    http://otn.oracle.com/documentation

#### Installing from a staged HTTP location

With Oracle Universal Installer, you can install products from the Web. You can publish your staging area from a Web server and then in the Oracle Universal Installer's Source lo cation, specify the HTTP location for the `products.xml` file.

For example, you can enter:

    http://www.oracle.com/product/ouiinstall/stage/products.xml

The Oracle Universal Installer recognizes a Web staging area just like a local, network, or CD-ROM stage.

System administrators of large customers who may want to deploy Oracle software to more than one target can use a combination of the Web installation and response file features:

1. Copy the staging area to a shared file system and make it accessible on the Intranet or a Web server.

2. Include predetermined response files on the same location. (Different groups of users might rely on different response files.)

3. Clients run Oracle Universal Installer locally and use the local response file that is mailed or downloaded so they can perform a silent installation.

The Web installation capability relies on some guidelines that must be followed at installation development time. Check your installation guide for your product to see if the installation of your product is certified for Web installation.

To test if your stage is Web-enabled, you may try the following:

1. Copy the stage to your Web server.

2. Start the Oracle Universal Installer locally and point to the location of the `products.xml` file. For example:

       http://smpweb.us.oracle.com/product/ouiinstall/stage/products.xml

### Special Instructions for UNIX Users

The following sections describe special instructions that apply when you are installing certain products on a UNIX system.

#### Failed to Connect to Server Error

If you get an Xlib error or a "Failed to connect to Server" error when you are running Oracle Universal Installer on the Solaris operating system, you need to define the following environment variables on the host computer where you are running Oracle Universal Installer:

    %setenv DISPLAY <machine name>:0.0

Replace `<machine name>` with the name of the computer that will display Oracle Universal Installer.

On the computer that will display Oracle Universal Installer, enter the following command. This command allows other computers to display information on the computer's monitor:

    %xhost +

Re-run the `runInstaller` script after you have set the DISPLAY environment variable.

Note: You can run Oracle Universal Installer without specifying the DISPLAY by running in silent mode using a response file.

#### Providing a UNIX Installer Location with Root Privileges

Various installation operations on the UNIX platform must be performed with root privileges. For example, you must have root privileges to be able to create the Oracle Universal Installer inventory.

If you are installing Oracle Universal Installer for the first time, you will be prompted to run a shell script from another terminal window before proceeding with the installation. Oracle Universal Installer will prompt the user to run `root.sh` once installation completes only if the script is required to be run as `root` before configuration assistants are run. Otherwise, users are prompted to run `root.sh` as `root` later.

Note: When running Oracle Universal Installer in silent mode, if root.sh is required prior to configuration assistants, Oracle Universal Installer will skip configuration assistants during the installation. The user must run `root.sh` as `root` and then run the skipped configuration assistants after the silent installation is complete.

To successfully run the required shell script:

1. Leave the Oracle Universal Installer window open and open another terminal window.

2. In the new terminal window, use the substitute user command to log in with root privileges:

       su -root

3. Change directory to the Oracle home into which you are currently installing your Oracle software product.

4. Run the shell script `./root.sh`.

5. When the script is finished and you are returned to the command prompt, exit from the new terminal window and return to Oracle Universal Installer to continue the installation.

   Note: Do not exit the installation in order to run the shell script. Exiting the installation removes this script. You are prompted to run the script only the first time you install.

#### Providing a UNIX Group Name

If you are installing a product on a UNIX system, the Installer will also prompt you to provide the name of the group that owns the base directory.

You must choose a UNIX group name which will have permissions to update, install, and remove Oracle software. Members of this group must have write permissions to the base directory chosen.

Only users who belong to this group are able to install or remove software on this host.

## De-installing Oracle Products

The following sections describe how to remove products installed using Oracle Universal Installer. Specifically, this section describes:

- Removing Oracle Products and Oracle Homes With Oracle Universal Installer

- De-installing Top Level Products that Have Dependents

- Silent De-installation

### Removing Oracle Products and Oracle Homes With Oracle Universal Installer

A de-installation can be performed before selecting products to install or after a successful installation.

To remove an Oracle product or Oracle home using interactive mode, perform the following steps:

1. Start Oracle Universal Installer from a CD-ROM or:

   - For Windows platforms, launch Oracle Universal Installer from the Start menu by selecting Start, Installation Products, Oracle Universal Installer.

   - For UNIX platforms, at the command line, run the script called `runInstaller` from the directory where it is stored, which is by default at the same level as the first Oracle home created on that host.

2. Click Deinstall Products on the "Welcome" screen.

   The Inventory panel appears.

3. Select the product(s) you want to remove from the Contents tab of the Inventory panel and click Remove. Oracle homes may also be removed in the same manner. Once an Oracle home has been removed, you can reuse its name and location to install other products.

4. The Remove Confirmation Dialog appears, asking if you want to remove the products and their dependent components. Click Yes.

Oracle Universal Installer warns you of any product dependencies that might cause problems if particular products are removed, and prompts you to confirm the de-installation.

Pay special attention to the full list of products being removed before proceeding. Oracle Universal Installer computes this list based on the dependencies of each component.

Note: You can also remove products by using the Installed Products button on Oracle Universal Installer as long as this action is performed before making your selection of products to install.

### De-installing Top Level Products that Have Dependents

A top level component is the most important component of an installation. It is the installable product you see at the first installation screen. You can only install one top level component for each installation session.

When you select a specific component for removal, Oracle Universal Installer analyzes the dependency information to determine if there are other components that should be removed along with it. In general, if a component is selected for removal, the following components will be removed with it:

- All components that have a required dependency on the selected component.

- Dependents of the selected component that have no other dependents. A dependent is a component on which the top level component (dependent) has a dependency.

### Silent De-installation

Not only can you perform command line installations, as described in section "Installing Using a Response File", you can also perform command line de-installations. A command line de-installation enables you to remove Oracle products or Oracle homes from your system without using the Oracle Universal Installer graphical user interface.

You can choose to display no dialog boxes or prompts to the user, or you can selectively avoid displaying certain dialog boxes that are normally used during a de-installation.

#### Immediately Displaying the Inventory Dialog Box

Use the following commands to immediately display the Inventory dialog box, which allows the user to select items for removal without navigating the Oracle Universal Installer startup screen:

    setup.exe -deinstall (on Windows)
    ./runInstaller -deinstall (on UNIX)

#### Hiding the Inventory Dialog Box

If you would like to hide the inventory dialog box from the user during a de-installation, you can specify the products to be removed in the `DEINSTALL_LIST` parameter of the response file; specify Oracle homes to be removed with the `REMOVE_HOMES` variable. For more information about response files, see "Installing Using a Response File" on page 4-10.

Refer to Chapter 4, "Customizing and Creating Response Files" for information about the DEINSTALL_LIST parameter.

As with other response file parameters, you can also specify the `DEINSTALL_LIST` parameter on the Oracle Universal Installer command line. For example, on a UNIX machine, enter:

    ./runInstaller -deinstall DEINSTALL_LIST={"component1","1.0.1.2"}

To remove Oracle homes from the inventory, use the `REMOVE_HOMES` variable.

For more information about specifying response file parameters, see "Setting Response File Variables From the Command Line" on page 4-12.

#### Hiding the De-installation Confirmation and Progress Dialog Boxes

Use the following commands to hide the de-installation confirmation and progress dialog boxes during a command line de-installation:

On a Windows system:

    setup.exe -deinstall session:SHOW_DEINSTALL_PROGRESS=false
       session:SHOW_DESINSTALL_CONFIRMATION=false

On a UNIX system:

    ./runInstaller -deinstall session:SHOW_DEINSTALL_PROGRESS=false
       session:SHOW_DESINSTALL_CONFIRMATION=false

## Running Oracle Universal Installer After Installation

The following sections describe the different ways that Oracle Universal Installer can be used after installation. Specifically, this section describes:

- Starting Oracle Universal Installer

- Command Line Arguments

- Using Oracle Universal Installer Exit Codes

- Cloning Considerations

### Starting Oracle Universal Installer

Oracle Universal Installer is installed on your system during the installation of your Oracle products:

    \Program Files\Oracle\oui (on Windows)
    At the same level as <oraInventory> (on UNIX)

For all platforms, the executable file (`setup.exe` or `runInstaller.sh`) is located in the following directory:

    <oui_location>/bin

A new version of Oracle Universal Installer replaces its older version.

Oracle Universal Installer is placed under "Independent Products" in the Inventory panel as a "non-Oracle home" product.

To start Oracle Universal Installer:

- On Windows platforms, select Start, Programs, Oracle Installation Products, Oracle Universal Installer.

- On UNIX, execute `./runInstaller` from the directory where it is installed.

  For example: if the `<oraInventory>` is `/u01/oracle/oraInventory`, then, Oracle Universal Installer will be at `/u01/oracle/oui.`

A `runInstaller.sh` script is also available, so that users can launch Oracle Universal Installer directly from a different directory.

When Oracle Universal Installer is first installed and run, it checks for the JRE path (the location from which it runs), using the location specified in the `oraparam.ini` file's `JRE_LOCATION` parameter. If Oracle Universal Installer cannot find the JRE specified, an error is returned.

### Command Line Arguments

Following is the output from the `runInstaller -help` command, which gives you the full list of command line options and their descriptions, as well as command line variables usage:

    Usage:
    runInstaller [-options] [(<CommandLineVariable=Value>)*]
    Where options include:
    -clusterware oracle.crs,<crs version> Version of Cluster ready services installed.
    -crsLocation <Path> Used only for cluster installs, specifies the path to the crs home
    location. Specifying this overrides CRS information obtained from central inventory.
    -invPtrLoc <full path of oraInst.loc> Unix only. To point to a different inventory location.The orainst.loc file contains:

    inventory_loc=<location of central inventory>
    inst_group=<>
    -jreLoc <location> Path where Java Runtime Environment is installed. OUI cannot be run
     without it.
    -logLevel <level> To filter log messages that have a lesser priority level than <level>.
     Valid options are: severe, warning, info, config, fine, finer, finest, basic, general,
     detailed, trace. The use of basic, general, detailed, trace is deprecated.
    -paramFile <location of file> Specify location of oraparam.ini file to be used by OUI.
    -responseFile <Path> Specifies the response file and path to use.
    -sourceLoc  <location of products.xml> To specify the shiphome location.
    -addLangs To add new languages to an already installed product.
    -addNode For adding node(s) to the installation.
    -attachHome For attaching homes to the OUI inventory.
    -cfs Indicates that the Oracle home specified is on cluster file system
    (shared). This is mandatory when '-local' is specified so that Oracle
    Universal Installer can register the home appropriately into the inventory.
    -clone For making an Oracle Home copy match its current environment.
    -debug For getting the debug information from OUI.
    -deinstall For deinstall operations.
    -detachHome For detaching homes from the OUI inventory without deleting
    inventory directory inside Oracle home.
    -enableRollingUpgrade Used in cluster environment, to enable upgrade of a product on a
    subset of nodes (on which the product was installed).
    -executeSysPrereqs Execute system pre-requisite checks and exit.
    -force Allowing silent mode installation into a non-empty directory.
    -help Displays above usage.
    -ignorePatchConflicts Ignore all conflicts with existing interim patches during an
    upgrade. The conflicting interim patches are removed from the home.
    -ignoreSysPrereqs For ignoring the results of the system pre-requisite checks.
    -local Performs the operation on the local node irrespective of the
    cluster nodes specified.
    -printdiskusage Log debug information for disk usage.
    -printmemory Log debug information for memory usage.
    -printtime Log debug information for time usage.
    -record -destinationFile <Path> For record mode operation, information is recorded in the
    destination file path.
    -removeallfiles For removing the home directory after deinstallation of all the components.
    -removeAllPatches Remove all interim patches from the home
    -silent For silent mode operations, the inputs can be a response file or a
    list of command line variable value pairs.
    -updateNodeList For updating node list for this home in the OUI inventory.
    -waitforcompletion For windows. setup.exe will wait for completion instead of
    spawning the java engine and exiting.
    -nobackground Do not show background image
    -noclusterEnabled No cluster nodes specified.
    -noconsole For suppressing display of messages to console. Console is not
    allocated.
    -nowarningonremovefiles To disable the warning message before removal of home directory.
    -nowait For windows. Do not wait for user to hit Enter on the console
    after the task (install etc.) is complete.
    -formCluster To install the Oracle clusterware in order to form the cluster.
    -remotecp <Path> Unix specific option. Used only for cluster installs, specifies
    the path to the remote copy program on the local cluster node.
    -remoteshell <Path> Unix specific option. Used only for cluster installs, specifies
    the path to the remote shell program on the local cluster node.

    Command Line Variables Usage
    Command line variables are specified using <name=value>; for example:
    [ session: | compName: | compName:version: ]variableName="valueOfVariable"]

    Session/Installer variables are specified using:
    [session:]varName=value
    Ex 1: session:ORACLE_HOME_NAME="OraHome"
    Ex 2: ORACLE_HOME_NAME="OraHome"
    The lookup order is session:varName then just varName).
    The session prefix is used to avoid ambiguity.

    Component variables are specified using:
    [compInternalName:[Version:]]varName
    Ex 1: oracle.comp1:1.0.1:varName="VarValue"
    Ex 2: oracle.comp1:varName="VarValue"
    Ex 2: oracle.comp1:varName="VarValue"
    The lookup order is compInternalName:Version:varName, then compInternalName:varName, then just varName.

### Using Oracle Universal Installer Exit Codes

If you are starting and stopping Oracle Universal Installer programmatically (for example, by invoking Oracle Universal Installer using a response file), you may need to consider the exit codes generated by Oracle Universal Installer and perform a particular action depending on the code Oracle Universal Installer returns.

Oracle Universal Installer returns one of the following exit codes:

Code | Description
--- | ---
0 | All installations were successful.
1 | All installations were successful but some optional configuration tools failed.
2 | Local installations were successful but some remote operations failed.
-1 | Atleast one installation failed.

Note that:

- This feature will not work if Oracle Universal Installer is running in "bootstrap" mode. In this case `setup.exe/runInstaller` will just launch the JRE process and return immediately without waiting for the exit code. Oracle Universal Installer will be running in "bootstrap" mode if the following line exists in the `oraparam.ini` file:

      BOOTSTRAP=TRUE

- If you exit without installing any products (for example if you exit from the "Welcome" screen), the exit code will be `-1`.

### Cloning Considerations

You can copy an existing Oracle home, then configure it for its new environment. This process is called "cloning."

Note: Patching and de-installation on a cloned Oracle home act the same as a regularly installed Oracle home. You may directly patch a cloned installation.

Invoke Oracle Universal Installer in clone mode using the following command:

    ./runInstaller -clone ORACLE_HOME="<target location>" ORACLE_HOME_NAME="<unique name on node>" [-responseFile <full path>]

Use `setup.exe` instead of `runInstaller` for Windows machines. The `-responseFile` parameter is optional. Clone-time parameters may be supplied on the command line or through the response file named on the command line.

Clone-time activity is logged in the `cloneActions<timestamp>.log` file at installation time.

For more information on cloning refer to Chapter 7, "Oracle Software Cloning Using Oracle Universal Installer".

Note: Because most cloning is done in silent mode, when cloning an Oracle home onto a "clean" host (one that has no oraInst.loc file), Oracle Universal Installer creates a Central Inventory in the location specified by the `INVENTORY_LOCATION` variable. If this variable is not specified, Oracle Universal Installer creates the Central Inventory in the `<cloned_home>/oraInventory` directory. After cloning is finished, you must run `oraInstRoot.sh` as `root` to move oraInventory to the final, desired location.

## About Oracle Universal Installer Log Files

When you install or de-install products using Oracle Universal Installer, important information about each installation is saved not only in the inventory, but also in a series of log files, located in the following directory:

    $ORACLE_HOME/cfgtoollogs

These log files can be used to troubleshoot installation problems. These files are also crucial for removing and configuring the various software components you install on your Windows or UNIX computer. Oracle Universal Installer displays the name and location of the current session's log file on the Install page. Each installation or configuration utility will provide a separate folder containing the logs inside the `$ORACLE_HOME/cfgtoollogs` folder.

Note that the logs used to remove products are different from the `installActions<timestamp>.log` generated during the install process. The `installActions<timestamp>.log` is easier to read and can be used to view the operations performed at installation time.

For more information about the log files generated by Oracle Universal Installer, refer to the online help. For more information about using the online help, see "Getting Help While Installing Oracle Products".