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Oracle® Database Client Installation Guide 10g Release 2 (10.2) for Linux x86-64 Part Number B15669-01 |
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# 2 Preinstallation Tasks

This chapter describes the tasks that you must complete before you start Oracle Universal Installer. It includes information about the following tasks:

- Logging In to the System as root

- Checking the Hardware Requirements

- Checking the Software Requirements

- Creating Required Operating System Group and User

- Identifying Required Software Directories

- Identifying or Creating an Oracle Base Directory

- Configuring the oracle User's Environment

## 2.1 Logging In to the System as root

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

Note: Unless you intend to complete a silent-mode installation, you must install the software from an X Window System workstation, an X terminal, or a PC or other system with X server software installed. For more information about silent-mode installations, refer to Appendix A.

- 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 your 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:
         #

## 2.2 Checking the Hardware Requirements

The system must meet the following minimum hardware requirements:

- 512 MB of physical RAM

- The following table describes the relationship between installed RAM and the configured swap space requirement.

  Available RAM | Swap Space Required
  --- | ---
  Up to 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 install `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.

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

- Between 34 MB and 820 MB of disk space for the Oracle software, depending on the installation type

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 is less than the required size, 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 the operating system documentation for information about how to configure additional swap space.

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

       # df -k /tmp

   If there is less than 400 MB of free 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 on the system, enter the following command:

       # df -k

   The following table shows the approximate disk space requirements for software files for each installation type:

   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 "Configuring Instant Client Light" section .

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

       # grep "model name" /proc/cpuinfo

   Note: 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.

## 2.3 Checking the Software Requirements

Depending on the products that you intend to install, verify that the following software is installed on the system. The procedure following the table describes how to verify whether these requirements are addressed.

Item | Requirement
--- | ---
Operating system | One of the following operating system versions: Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS/ES 3.0 (Update 4 or later) Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS/ES 4.0 (Update 1 or later) SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9.0 with SP2 or later
Kernel version | The system must be running the following kernel version (or a later version): Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.0: 2.4.21-27.EL Note: This is the default kernel version. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0: 2.6.9-11.EL SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9.0: 2.6.5-7.201
Packages | The following packages (or later versions) must be installed: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.0:
    make-3.79.1-17
    compat-db 4.0.14-5.1
    control-center-2.2.0.1-13
    gcc-3.2.3-47
    gcc-c++-3.2.3-47
    gdb-6.1post-1.20040607.52
    glibc-2.3.2-95.30
    glibc-common-2.3.2-95.30
    glibc-devel-2.3.2-95.30
    glibc-devel-2.3.2-95.20 (32 bit)
    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
    gnome-libs-1.4.1.2.90-34.2 (32 bit)
    libstdc++-3.2.3-47
    libstdc++-devel-3.2.3-47
    openmotif-2.2.3-3.RHEL3
    sysstat-5.0.5-5.rhel3
    setarch-1.3-1
    libaio-0.3.96-3
    libaio-devel-0.3.96-3
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0:
    binutils-2.15.92.0.2-10.EL4
    compat-db-4.1.25-9
    control-center-2.8.0-12
    gcc-3.4.3-9.EL4
    gcc-c++-3.4.3-9.EL4
    glibc-2.3.4-2
    glibc-common-2.3.4-2
    gnome-libs-1.4.1.2.90-44.1
    libstdc++-3.4.3-9.EL4
    libstdc++-devel-3.4.3-9.EL4
    make-3.80-5
    pdksh-5.2.14-30
    sysstat-5.0.5-1
    xscreensaver-4.18-5.rhel4.2
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9:
    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
PL/SQL native compilation, Pro*C/C++, Oracle Call Interface, Oracle C++ Call Interface, Oracle XML Developer's Kit (XDK) | Intel C++ Compiler 8.1 or later and the version of GNU C and C++ compilers listed previously for the distribution are supported for use with these products. Note: Intel C++ Compiler v8.1 or later is supported, however it is not required for installation. On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3, OCCI is supported with version 3.2 of the GNU C++ compiler. This is the default compiler version. OCCI is also supported with Intel Compiler v8.0 with gcc 3.2.3 standard template libraries. Oracle XML Developer's Kit is not supported with GCC on Red Hat Linux 4.0. It is supported only with Intel C++ Compiler (ICC). On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0, Oracle C++ Call Interface (OCCI) does not support GCC 3.4.3. To use OCCI on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0, you need to install GCC 3.2.3.
Oracle JDBC/OCI Drivers | You can use the following optional JDK version with the Oracle JDBC/OCI drivers; however, it is not required for the installation: Sun JDK 1.5.0 (64-bit) Sun JDK 1.5.0 (32-bit) Sun JDK 1.4.2_09 (32-bit)

See Also: If you plan to use GNU Compiler Collection as the primary compiler, then refer to Oracle Database Installation Guide for Linux x86-64 for instructions on configuring the primary compiler.

To ensure that the system meets these requirements:

1. To determine which distribution and version of Linux is installed, enter the following command:

       # cat /proc/version

   Note: Only the distributions and versions listed in the previous table 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

   The following is sample output displayed by running this command on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.0 system:

       2.4.21-15.EL

   In this example, the output shows the kernel version (`2.4.21`) and errata level (`15.EL`) on the system.

   If the kernel version does not meet the requirement specified earlier in this section, then contact your operating system vendor for information about obtaining and installing 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, then install it from your Linux distribution media or download the required package version from your Linux vendor's Web site.

### 2.3.1 Instant Client Light Requirements

In addition to the requirements described in the preceding section, if you plan to use Instant Client Light, then your applications must use the following languages and character sets:

- Language: US English

- Territory: Any territory that is supported by Oracle

- Character sets:

  - Single byte

    - US7ASCII

    - WE8DEC

  - Unicode

    - UTF8

    - AL16UTF16

    - AL32UTF8

The language, territory, and character sets are determined by the `NLS_LANG` environment variable.

## 2.4 Creating Required Operating System Group and User

Depending on whether this is the first time Oracle software is being installed on this system and on the products that you are installing, you may need to create the following operating system group and user:

- The Oracle Inventory group (`oinstall`)

  You must create this group the first time you install Oracle software on the system. The usual name chosen for this group is `oinstall`. This group owns the Oracle inventory, which is a catalog of all Oracle software installed on the system.

  Note: If Oracle software is already installed on the system, then the existing Oracle Inventory group must be the primary group of the operating system user that you use to install new Oracle software.

- The Oracle software owner user (typically, `oracle`)

  You must create this user the first time you install Oracle software on the system. This user owns all of the software installed during the installation. This user must have the Oracle Inventory group as its primary group.

  Note: In Oracle documentation, this user is referred to as the `oracle` user.

A single Oracle Inventory group is required for all installations of Oracle software on the system. After the first installation of Oracle software, you must use the same Oracle Inventory group for all subsequent Oracle software installations on that system. However, you can choose to create different Oracle software owner users for separate installations.

Note: The following sections describe how to create local users and groups. As an alternative to creating local users and groups, you could create the appropriate users and groups in a directory service, for example, Network Information Services (NIS). For information about using directory services, contact your system administrator or refer to your operating system documentation.

The following sections describe how to create the required operating system users and groups:

- Creating the Oracle Inventory Group

- Creating the Oracle Software Owner User

### 2.4.1 Creating the Oracle Inventory Group

You must create the Oracle Inventory group if it does not already exist. The following subsections describe how to determine the Oracle Inventory group name, if it exists, and how to create it if necessary.

Determining Whether the Oracle Inventory Group Exists

When you install Oracle software on the system for the first time, Oracle Universal Installer creates the `oraInst.loc` file. This file identifies the name of the Oracle Inventory group and the path of the Oracle Inventory directory.

To determine whether the Oracle Inventory 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`.

Creating the Oracle Inventory Group

If the `oraInst.loc` file does not exist, then create the Oracle Inventory group by entering the following command:

    # /usr/sbin/groupadd oinstall

### 2.4.2 Creating the Oracle Software Owner User

You must create an Oracle software owner user in the following circumstances:

- If an Oracle software owner user does not exist, for example, if this is the first installation of Oracle software on the system

- If an Oracle software owner user exists, but you want to use a different operating system user

#### 2.4.2.1 Determining Whether an Oracle Software Owner User Exists

To determine whether an Oracle software owner user named `oracle` exists, enter the following command:

    # id oracle

If the `oracle` user exists, then the output from this command is similar to the following:

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

If the user exists, then determine whether you want to use the existing user or create another `oracle` user. If you want to use the existing user, then ensure that the user's primary group is the Oracle Inventory group. Refer to one of the following sections for more information:

Note: If necessary, contact your system administrator before using or modifying an existing user.

- If you want to use the existing Oracle software owner user, and the user's primary group is the Oracle Inventory group, then refer to the "Identifying Required Software Directories" section.

- To modify an existing user, refer to the "Modifying an Oracle Software Owner User" section.

- To create a user, refer to the following section.

#### 2.4.2.2 Creating an Oracle Software Owner User

If the Oracle software owner user does not exist or if you require a new Oracle software owner user, then create it as follows. In the following procedure, use the user name `oracle` unless a user with that name already exists.

1. To create the `oracle` user, enter a command similar to the following:

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

   In this command:

   - The `-g` option specifies the primary group, which must be the Oracle Inventory group, for example `oinstall`

   - The `-G` option specifies optional secondary groups, For example, `dba`

2. Set the password of the `oracle` user:

       # passwd oracle

Refer to the "Identifying Required Software Directories" section to continue.

#### 2.4.2.3 Modifying an Oracle Software Owner User

If the `oracle` user exists, but its primary group is not `oinstall`, then enter a command similar to the following to modify it. Specify the primary group using the `-g` option and any required secondary group using the `-G` option:

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

## 2.5 Identifying Required Software Directories

You must identify or create the following directories for the Oracle software:

- Oracle Base Directory

- Oracle Inventory Directory

- Oracle Home Directory

### 2.5.1 Oracle Base Directory

The Oracle base directory is a top-level directory for Oracle software installations. It is analogous to the `C:\Oracle` directory used for Oracle software installations on Microsoft Windows systems. On Linux systems, the Optimal Flexible Architecture (OFA) guidelines recommend that you use a path similar to the following for the Oracle base directory:

    /mount_point/app/oracle_sw_owner

In this example:

- `mount_point` is the mount point directory for the file system that will contain the Oracle software.

  The examples in this guide use `/u01` for the mount point directory. However, you could choose another mount point directory, such as `/oracle` or `/opt/oracle`.

- `oracle_sw_owner` is the operating system user name of the Oracle software owner, for example `oracle`.

You can use the same Oracle base directory for more than one installation or you can create separate Oracle base directories for different installations. If different operating system users install Oracle software on the same system, then each user must create a separate Oracle base directory. The following example Oracle base directories could all exist on the same system:

    /u01/app/oracle
    /u01/app/orauser
    /opt/oracle/app/oracle

The following sections describe how to identify existing Oracle base directories that may be suitable for your installation and how to create an Oracle base directory if necessary.

Regardless of whether you create an Oracle base directory or decide to use an existing one, you must set the ORACLE_BASE environment variable to specify the full path to this directory.

### 2.5.2 Oracle Inventory Directory

The Oracle Inventory directory (`oraInventory`) stores an inventory of all software installed on the system. It is required by, and shared by, all Oracle software installations on a single system. The first time you install Oracle software on a system, Oracle Universal Installer prompts you to specify the path to this directory. then Oracle recommends that you choose the following path:

    oracle_base/oraInventory

Oracle Universal Installer creates the directory that you specify and sets the correct owner, group, and permissions for it. You do not need to create it.

Note: All Oracle software installations rely on this directory. Ensure that you back it up regularly. Do not delete this directory unless you have completely removed all Oracle software from the system.

### 2.5.3 Oracle Home Directory

The Oracle home directory is the directory where you choose to install the software for a particular Oracle product. You must install different Oracle products, or different releases of the same Oracle product, in separate Oracle home directories. When you run Oracle Universal Installer, it prompts you to specify the path to this directory, as well as a name that identifies it. The directory that you specify must be a subdirectory of the Oracle base directory. Oracle recommends that you specify a path similar to the following for the Oracle home directory:

    oracle_base/product/10.2.0/client_1

Oracle Universal Installer creates the directory path that you specify under the Oracle base directory. It also sets the correct owner, group, and permissions on it. You do not need to create this directory.

Caution: During installation, you must not specify an existing directory that has predefined permissions applied to it as the Oracle home directory. If you do, then you may experience installation failure due to file and group ownership permission errors.

## 2.6 Identifying or Creating an Oracle Base Directory

Before starting the installation, you must either identify an existing Oracle base directory or if required, create one. This section contains information about the following:

- Identifying an Existing Oracle Base Directory

- Creating an Oracle Base Directory

Note: You can choose to create an Oracle base directory, even if other Oracle base directories exist on the system.

### 2.6.1 Identifying an Existing Oracle Base Directory

Existing Oracle base directories may not have paths that comply with OFA guidelines. However, if you identify an existing Oracle Inventory directory or existing Oracle home directories, then you can usually identify the Oracle base directories, as follows:

- Identifying an existing Oracle Inventory directory

  Enter the following command to view the contents of the `oraInst.loc` file:

      # more /var/opt/oracle/oraInst.loc

  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 `inventory_loc` parameter identifies the Oracle Inventory directory (`oraInventory`). The parent directory of the `oraInventory` directory is typically an Oracle base directory. In the previous example, `/u01/app/oracle` is an Oracle base directory.

- Identifying existing Oracle home directories

  Enter the following command to view the contents of the `oratab` file:

      # more /etc/oratab

  If the `oratab` file exists, then it contains lines similar to the following:

      *:/u03/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/db_1:N
      *:/opt/orauser/infra_904:N
      *:/oracle/9.2.0:N

  The directory paths specified on each line identify Oracle home directories. Directory paths that end with the user name of the Oracle software owner that you want to use are valid choices for an Oracle base directory. If you intend to use the `oracle` user to install the software, then you could choose one of the following directories from the previous example:

      /u03/app/oracle
      /oracle

  Note: If possible, choose a directory path similar to the first (`/u03/app/oracle`). This path complies with the OFA guidelines.

To continue:

- If an Oracle base directory exists and you want to use it, then refer to the "Configuring the oracle User's Environment" section.

  When you configure the `oracle` user's environment later in this chapter, set the ORACLE_BASE environment variable to specify the directory you chose.

- If an Oracle base directory does not exist on the system or if you want to create an Oracle base directory, then refer to the following section.

### 2.6.2 Creating an Oracle Base Directory

Before you create an Oracle base directory, you must identify an appropriate file system with disk space

To identify an appropriate file system:

1. Use the `df -``k` command to determine the free disk space on each mounted file system.

2. From the display, identify a file system that has appropriate free space.

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

To create the Oracle base directory and specify the correct owner, group, and permissions for it:

1. 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

2. When you configure the `oracle` user's environment later in this chapter, set the ORACLE_BASE environment variable to specify the Oracle base directory that you have created.

## 2.7 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.

Note: Ensure that the `PATH` variable contains `$ORACLE_HOME/bin` before `/usr/X11R6/bin`.

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

   For example:

       $ xhost somehost.us.acme.com

3. If you are not already logged in to the system where you want to install the software, then log in to that system as the `oracle` user.

4. If you are not logged in as the `oracle` user, then switch user to `oracle`:

       $ su - oracle

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

       $ echo $SHELL

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

   Note: On Red Hat Linux, `.bash_profile` is the user startup file for the Bash shell.

   - Bourne shell (`sh`), Bash shell (`bash`), or Korn shell (`ksh`):

         $ vi .bash_profile

   - C shell (`csh` or `tcsh`):

         % vi .login

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

       umask 022

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

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

10. To run the shell startup script, enter one of the following commands:

    - Bash shell:

          $ . ./.bash_profile

    - Bourne or Korn shell:

          $ . ./.profile

    - C shell:

          % source ./.login

11. 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).

12. If you determined that the `/tmp` directory has less than 400 MB of free disk space, then identify a file system with at least 400 MB of free space and set the TEMP and TMPDIR environment variables to specify a temporary directory on this file system:

    1. Use the `df -k` 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 TEMP and TMPDIR environment variables:

       - Bourne, Bash, or Korn shell:

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

       - C shell:

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

13. Enter commands similar to the following to set the ORACLE_BASE environment variable:

    - Bourne, Bash, or Korn shell:

          $ ORACLE_BASE=/u01/app/oracle
          $ export ORACLE_BASE

    - C shell:

          % setenv ORACLE_BASE /u01/app/oracle

    In these examples, `/u01/app/oracle` is the Oracle base directory that you created or identified earlier.

14. 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

    Note: If the ORACLE_HOME environment variable is set, then Oracle Universal Installer uses the value that it specifies as the default path for the Oracle home directory. However, if you set the ORACLE_BASE environment variable, then Oracle recommends that you unset the ORACLE_HOME environment variable and choose the default path suggested by Oracle Universal Installer.

15. 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.