1. Preparing to Install

1.1 Obtain the Java Runtime Environment

ln -s /apps/oracle/jre116_v5 /usr/local/jre
chmod 777 /apps/oracle/jre116_v5

1.2 Setup Linux groups and accounts

1.3 Setup environment variables

ORACLE_BASE=/apps/oracle
ORACLE_HOME=$ORACLE_BASE/product/8.1.5
ORACLE_SID=ora815
ORACLE_PATH=$ORACLE_HOME/bin
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$ORACLE_HOME/lib
PATH=$PATH:$ORACLE_PATH

export ORACLE_BASE ORACLE_HOME ORACLE_SID ORACLE_PATH LD_LIBRARY_PATH


2. Installation

2.1 Run the Oracle Universal Installer

Run install/linux/runIns.sh on the RedHat CD in Gnome.

The following headings correspond to the page headings in the Oracle Universal Installer.

Welcome

File Locations

Inventory Location

UNIX Group Name

Oracle Universal Installer Window

If the Oracle Universal Installer suddenly dies, the problem is probably too small a memory. Try doing the following:

• Add or increase your swap partition
• Increase the heap size used by Java by changing the parameter / argument -mx64mb to -mx100mb that is passed to the jre.

Available Products

Installation Types

Available Product Components

If you happen to have applied the original 8.1.5.0.1 patch and noticed that sqlplus or svrmgrl still reports 8.1.5.0.0, that is because the relink failed due to missing library files. In my initial installations, I deselected all the Oracle options that are available for me to deselect. After applying the patch, a look at the error log (if you did made one) will show:

 /usr/bin/ld: Cannot open -lordsdo8: No such file or directory

 ORA-12545 Connect failed because target host or object does not exist.

Component Locations

Create Database

Oracle Protocol Support

Summary

Setup Priviledges

Configuration Tools

 JNLS Exception:oracle.ntp.jnls.JNLSException Unable to find anyNational Character Sets. Please check your Oracle
installation.

Oracle Database Configuration Assistant

Configuration Tools

End of Installation

Apply patches

Run the scripts

When you run the first script, named SIDrun.sh, it would have started the instance and created the SYSTEM datafile and tablespace, the control files, and the redo log files. Run the other scripts, named SIDrun1.sh and SIDrun2.sh.
My machine took 55mins with no errors.

DONT WORRY ABOUT THINGS NOT EXISTING WHIZZING UP THE SCREEN - IT'S DROPPING THINGS BEFORE IT CREATES THEM.

3. Post Database Creation Procedures

3.1 Update your init.ora file

So you need to update your init.ora file located in $ORACLE_BASE/admin/pfile and uncomment the line # rollback_segments = ...

3.2 Automate Database Startup and Shutdown

1. su as root.
2. Update /etc/oratab with a line in the form of ORACLE_SID:ORACLE_HOME:{Y|N}, replacing both ORACLE_SID and ORACLE_HOME with the values from your environment variables. In my case, the line appears as:

     ORCL:/home/oracle/app/oracle/product/8.1.5:Y

   The Y at the end of the line will indicate if you want the database to automatically startup and shutdown.
3. Create a script in /etc/rc.d/init.d, name it oracle8i, and put lines of code shown below, which is a modified version of the script provided on the Oracle8i Linux Installation Guide.

   #!/bin/sh
   # Set ORA_HOME to be equivalent to the ORACLE_HOME
   # from which you wish to execute dbstart and
   # dbshut
   # set ORA_OWNER to the user id of the owner of the
   # Oracle database in ORA_HOME
   
   ORA_HOME=/home/oracle/app/oracle/product/8.1.5
   ORA_OWNER=oracle
   
   case "$1" in
         start)
   
   
         # Start the Oracle databases:
         # The following command assumes that the oracle login will not prompt the
   
         # user for any values
         echo -n "Starting Oracle8i: "
         su - $ORA_OWNER -c $ORA_HOME/bin/dbstart
         touch /var/lock/subsys/oracle8i
         echo
         ;;
   
         stop)
   
         # Stop the Oracle databases:
         # The following command assumes that the oracle login will not prompt the
   
         # user for any values
         echo -n "Shutting down Oracle8i: "
         su - $ORA_OWNER -c $ORA_HOME/bin/dbshut
         rm -f /var/lock/subsys/oracle8i
         echo
         ;;
   
         restart)
   
         # Restart the Oracle databases:
         echo -n "Retarting Oracle8i: "
         $0 stop
         $0 start
         echo
         ;;
   
         *)
         echo "Usage: oracle8i { start | stop | restart }"
         exit 1
   
   esac
   exit 0

   Make sure to replace the value for ORA_HOME with the value of your ORACLE_HOME environment variable.
4. Test that the script actually works. Try the following:

     chmod u+x oracle8i
     ./oracle8i stop
     ./oracle8i start
     ./oracle8i restart
     ./oracle8i invalid-parameter

5. Create a link to the script that you have just created to automate database shutdown. Runlevel 0 is HALT while runlevel 6 is REBOOT. In my case, I did:

     ln -s /etc/rc.d/init.d/oracle8i /etc/rc.d/rc0.d/K10oracle8i
     ln -s /etc/rc.d/init.d/oracle8i /etc/rc.d/rc6.d/K10oracle8i

   The script will get executed whenever the system changes its runlevel to 0 or 6, which happens when you issue /sbin/shutdown -h now and /sbin/shutdown -r now, respectively.
6. Optionally, create a link to the script that you have created to automate database startup. I chose runlevel 3 as this is the default runlevel for RedHat 6.0. In my case, I did:

     ln -s /etc/rc.d/init.d/oracle8i /etc/rc.d/rc3.d/S99oracle8i

7. oracle needs access to /var/lock/subsys, so exit from root back to oracle. If touch /var/lock/subsys/oracle8i gives permission denied, su root again and chmod 777 /var/lock/subsys. If it did work, and the database is down, make sure you rm it again.

3.3 Setting up a Listener

LISTENER =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = linuxbox)(PORT = 1521))
    (PROTOCOL_STACK =
      (PRESENTATION = TTC)
      (SESSION = NS)
    )
  )

• Replace the first line (LISTENER) with the name that you want to give to your listener. Having said that, stick with the name LISTENER, as this seems to be important later on when configuring the listener to listen on other ports.
• Replace the value after HOST = with the hostname where your Oracle8i database is installed. In my case, I also made sure that the hostname can also be resolved via DNS. You can try putting in the IP address of the host instead.
• Stick with port 1521.

Time to test that the listener starts. Startup the listener by typing:

    lsnrctl start

LSNRCTL for Linux: Version 8.1.5.0.0 - Production on 05-JAN-00 18:13:35

(c) Copyright 1998 Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.

Starting /apps/oracle/product/8.1.5/bin/tnslsnr: please wait...

TNSLSNR for Linux: Version 8.1.5.0.0 - Production
System parameter file is /apps/oracle/product/8.1.5/network/admin/listener.ora
Log messages written to /apps/oracle/product/8.1.5/network/log/listener.log
Listening on: (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=linuxbox)(PORT=1521))(PROTOCOL_STACK=(PRESENTATION=TTC)(SESSION=NS)))

Connecting to (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=linuxbox)(PORT=1521))(PROTOCOL_STACK=(PRESENTATION=TTC)(SESSION=NS)))

STATUS of the LISTENER
------------------------
Alias                     LISTENER
Version                   TNSLSNR for Linux: Version 8.1.5.0.0 - Production
Start Date                05-JAN-00 18:13:35
Uptime                    0 days 0 hr. 0 min. 0 sec
Trace Level               off
Security                  OFF
SNMP                      OFF
Listener Parameter File   /apps/oracle/product/8.1.5/network/admin/listener.ora
Listener Log File         /apps/oracle/product/8.1.5/network/log/listener.log
The listener supports no services
The command completed successfully

You will notice that the listener is configured to listen for the TCP protocol on port 1521.

3.4 Configuring Net8 for Local Naming Method

ORCL.COMPANY.COM.AU =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS_LIST =
      (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = 192.168.0.1)(PORT = 1521))
    )
    (CONNECT_DATA =
      (SERVICE_NAME = orcl.company.com.au)
    )
  )
  

1. Replace the first line (ORCL.COMPANY.COM.AU) with a name that you want to give to your net service plus your domain name. If you remove the domain name, you will need to append a dot on certain commands such as tnsping later on.
2. Replace the value of HOST on the fourth line with the host name or IP address where your Oracle8i database is installed.
3. If you specified a port other than 1521 for your listener in listener.ora, change it in this file as well.
4. Replace the value of SERVICE_NAME on the 7th line with the value of your global database name that you specified during database creation prompted by the Database Assistant. It is usually the database name followed by a dot and the domain name.

3.5 Configuring SQLNET.ORA

NAMES.PREFERRED_SERVERS =
  (ADDRESS_LIST =
    (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = dbhost)(PORT = 1575))
  )

NAMES.DEFAULT_DOMAIN = company.com.au
SQLNET.EXPIRE_TIME = 0
NAMES.DIRECTORY_PATH= (TNSNAMES)
SQLNET.CRYPTO_SEED = 4fhfguweotcadsfdsafjkdsfqp5f201p45mxskdlfdasf
  

1. Ignore NAMES.PREFERRED_SERVERS for the mean time. It is used later on when connecting via Oracle Names Server. In any case, change the value after HOST to the hostname where Oracle Names Server is installed. In my case, this is the same machine where 8i is installed. Port 1575 is used as the port where Oracle Names Server listens for connections. So this entry simply tells clients that it should try to contact an Oracle Names Server at dbhost on port 1575.
2. Change the value of NAMES.DEFAULT_DOMAIN to your domain name.
3. CRYPTO_SEED is not important. You can remove it in your own file. I simply posted a copy of my sqlnet.ora file, while changing the domain names and IP addresses. If you want to know what it is for:

   Net8 Administrator's Guide Release 8.1.5 (A67440-01) Part III - Reference C. Configuration Files, Profile Paramaters (SQLNET.ORA)
   SQLNET.CRYPTO_SEED Purpose:     Specifies the characters used when generating cryptographic keys. The more random the characters are, the stronger the keys     are. This is required whenever encryption or checksumming is turned on. The string should be 10-70 random characters. Default:     qwertyuiopasdfghjkl;zxcvbnm,.s1 Example:     sqlnet.crypto_seed="qwertyuiopasdfghjkl;zxcvbnm,.s1"

3.6 Testing Net8 connection using Local Naming Method

• Run lsnrctl status. We actually did this when we started the listener. Run it again anyway:

  LSNRCTL for Linux: Version 8.1.5.0.0 - Production on 06-JAN-00 11:04:45
  
  (c) Copyright 1998 Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.
  
  Connecting to (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=dbhost.company.com.au)(PORT=1521))(PROTOCOL_STACK=(PRESENTATION=TTC)(SESSION=NS)))
  STATUS of the LISTENER
  ------------------------
  Alias                     LISTENER
  Version                   TNSLSNR for Linux: Version 8.1.5.0.0 - Production
  Start Date                06-JAN-00 11:03:45
  Uptime                    0 days 0 hr. 0 min. 59 sec
  Trace Level               off
  Security                  OFF
  SNMP                      OFF
  Listener Parameter File   /home/oracle/app/oracle/product/8.1.5/network/admin/listener.ora
  Listener Log File         /home/oracle/app/oracle/product/8.1.5/network/log/listener.log
  Services Summary...
    ORCL          has 1 service handler(s)
  The command completed successfully
  

  Notice the second to the last line, saying:

   ORCL          has 1 service handler(s)

  Whereas when we initially started the listener, we got:

   The listener supports no services

  I think this is the dynamic registration of 8i to a listener at work. To be honest, what I did was restarted the listener, check the listener status (no services yet), ran sqlplus and logged in to the database, then checked the listener status again. That's when I got

   ORCL          has 1 service handler(s)

  on the second to the last line. So probably the dynamic registration happens when a listener receives a request.
• Run tnsping netservice n. Replace netservice with the net service name indicated in tnsnames.ora. It is the first line in tnsnames.ora. In my case, it is ORCL.COMPANY.COM.AU. Replace n with the number of times you want to ping. You can leave this parameter out. So in my case, I would try:

    tnsping orcl
    tnsping orcl.company.com.au
      

  You should get something like this:

  TNS Ping Utility for Linux: Version 8.1.5.0.0 - Production on 06-JAN-00 11:20:26
  
  (c) Copyright 1997 Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.
  
  Attempting to contact (ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=192.168.0.1)(PORT=1521))
  OK (10 msec)
      

  Here, we are testing the TCP connection, as the third line says:

      Attempting to contact (ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=192.168.0.1)(PORT=1521))

  You should get a positive response for both tnsping attempts. If you did not specify a domain name in your net service name, then you need to append a dot at the end. For example, if I have named the net service name as ORCL instead of ORCL.COMPANY.COM.AU, then this would fail:

    tnsping orcl

  but this will work (notice the dot at the end):

    tnsping orcl.

  To be honest, this is strange given the fact that we have specified the default domain (NAMES.DEFAULT_DOMAIN) in sqlnet.ora, so that we should not have to append the net service name with the domain name. A few steps later on, once we have Oracle Names Server up and running, you will notice that we can remove the domain name from the net service name. It seems that the entry NAMES.DEFAULT_DOMAIN is used when we are resolving via Oracle Names Server. Hence, the prefix NAMES.

Keep in mind that because we have NAMES.DIRECTORY_PATH= (TNSNAMES) in sqlnet.ora, we are indeed testing Net8 using the local naming method. All clients that will connect to the database using local naming method needs a sqlnet.ora and tnsnames.ora file.

If you are content with using local naming method, then you may want to skip to "Configuring the Listener for IIOP Connections". If you are not interested in IIOP connections, then skip to "Automating Startup and Shutdown of Listener". If you are interested in setting Oracle Names Server (you paid for it), read on.

3.7 Configuring Net8 for Host Naming Method

In here, I made use of a DNS server (BIND) to resolve the service name to an IP address. I assume that your DNS server must be already working. Here are the steps that I did to make this work:

1. Make sure you have setup a listener listening for TCP/IP connection on the default port 1521. See "Setting up a Listener" for a sample configuration of listener.ora
2. Modify your sqlnet.ora file so that it will make use of host naming method.

     DIRECTORY_PATH = (HOSTNAME)

   This tells client programs (such as tnsping and sqlplus) to use host naming method.
3. In my /var/named/named.company.com.au BIND configuration file, I added:

     orcl            CNAME   ns

   You probably realized by now that BIND, Oracle, and the listener are running on the same machine. Anyway, replace orcl with your net service name. To make things simpler for me, my ORACLE_SID is the same as my db_name and instance_name in initSID.ora and is also the same as the net service name. The only thing different is the service_name in my initSID.ora, which has the domain name attached to it.
4. su as root, and restart named. I sometimes keep forgetting the exact binary and parameters to be passed, so I just call the rc script for named in /etc/rc.d/init.d/, and did the following:

     /etc/rc.d/init.d/named restart

5. Test that the name can be resolved with nslookup.

       Server:  localhost
       Address:  127.0.0.1
   
       Name:    ns.company.com.au
       Address:  192.168.0.1
       Aliases:  orcl.company.com.au

3.8 Testing Net8 Connection using Host Naming Method

  tnsping netservice
  tnsping netservice.company.com.au

Keep in mind that tnsping will only test the connection to the listener, not the database or instance itself. So we need to do an actual connection to the database using sqlplus. On the same machine where the listener and database is running, try each of the following:

• sqlplus system/manager

  This one works.

• sqlplus system/manager@netservice

  Replace netservice with your net service name. This one does not work for me. I get a:

      ORA-12514: TNS:listener could not resolve SERVICE_NAME given in connect descriptor

  A look at the listener.log reveals the following:

  16-FEB-00 12:13:49 * (CONNECT_DATA=(SID=*)(SERVICE_NAME=orcl.)(CID=(PROGRAM=)(HOST=dbhost.company.com.au)(USER=oracle))) * (ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=192.168.0.1)(PORT=4899)) * establish * orcl. * 12514
  TNS-12514: TNS:listener could not resolve SERVICE_NAME given in connect descriptor

  Note that it appended a dot after the service name, instead of qualifying the service name with the domain name. This tells us that the above sqlplus did connect to the listener, but failed to 'find' the database whose service name is "orcl.".

• sqlplus system/manager@netservice.company.com.au

  Replace netservice with your net service name. This one works.

Try the above tests on a separate machine, making sure the separate machine knows where to find the DNS server. Both tnsping should work okay, but the results of sqlplus are different (at least in my case). On a separate machine, only the third sqlplus works.

I avoided this configuration and instead used Oracle Naming Method, as all three sqlplus works.

3.9 Testing Net8 connection using Oracle Names Method

Try running tnsping from the same machine where Oracle Names Server is running, as we have already configured the configuration files. Then on another machine, to make sure you are using Oracle Names Server to resolve service names to network addresses, make sure you only have ONAMES in NAMES.DIRECTORY_PATH of your sqlnet.ora file.

Then do a tnsping orcl and sqlplus system/manager@orcl. Of course, replace orcl with the name that you have given to your net service name. To prove that it is actually using Oracle Names Server, try renaming tnsnames.ora on the client machine to something else, then run tnsping and sqlplus again. If you are satisfied, then you can delete tnsnames.ora from the client machine.

Keep in mind that once we are using only Oracle Names Server (as specified in the NAMES.DIRECTORY_PATH), then you need a Names Server up and running to be able to resolve net service names to network addresses and connect to the database from client machines. Of course, this excludes the BEQ protocol.

You can also use tcpdump and listen for network connections to port 1575.

3.8 Automating Startup and Shutdown of Listener

• su as root. Create a script in $ORACLE_HOME/bin named startlsnr and put the lines of code below:

  #!/bin/sh
  # Start the oracle listener.
  
  export ORACLE_HOME=/home/oracle/app/oracle/product/8.1.5
  export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$ORACLE_HOME/lib
  
  $ORACLE_HOME/bin/lsnrctl <<EOF
  start
  EOF

  (Note: Do not copy the above code from its HTML source because of an embedded HMTL entity for proper display.)

  Replace the value of $ORACLE_HOME with your own corresponding value. Then do a chmod +x startlsnr.

• Create a script in $ORACLE_HOME/bin named stoplsnr and put the lines of code below:

  !/bin/sh
  # Stop the oracle listener
  
  export ORACLE_HOME=/home/oracle/app/oracle/product/8.1.5
  export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$ORACLE_HOME/lib
  
  $ORACLE_HOME/bin/lsnrctl <<EOF
  stop
  EOF

  (Note: Do not copy the above code from its HTML source because of an embedded HMTL entity for proper display.)

  Replace the value of $ORACLE_HOME with your own corresponding value. Then do a chmod +x stoplsnr.

• Create a script in /etc/rc.d/init.d named it listener8i, and put the lines of code below. Note again that, just like with the script to automate database startup and shutdown, we need to create and remove a corresponding file in /var/lock/subsys for the script to be executed by /etc/rc.d/rc script when the system is to be shutdown or halted.

  #!/bin/sh
  #
  # startup and shutdown the Oracle 8i listener
  
  ORA_OWNER=oracle
  ORA_HOME=/home/oracle/app/oracle/product/8.1.5
  
  case "$1" in
          'start')
  
          # Start the listener
          echo -n "Starting Listener for 8i: "
          su - $ORA_OWNER -c $ORA_HOME/bin/startlsnr
          touch /var/lock/subsys/listener8i
          echo
          ;;
  
          'stop')
  
          # Stop the listener
          echo -n "Shutting down Listener for 8i: "
          su - $ORA_OWNER -c  $ORA_HOME/bin/stoplsnr
          rm -f /var/lock/subsys/listener8i
          echo
          ;;
  
          'restart')
  
          # Restart the Oracle databases:
          echo -n "Retarting Listener for 8i: "
          $0 stop
          $0 start
          echo
          ;;
  
          *)
          echo "Usage: listener8i { start | stop | restart }"
          exit 1
  
  esac
  exit 0

  Replace the value of $ORACLE_HOME with your own corresponding value. Then do a chmod +x listener8i.

• Make sure that the script works by running it.
• Create a link to the script that we have just created to automate listener shutdown. Runlevel 0 is HALT while runlevel 6 is REBOOT.

    ln -s /etc/rc.d/init.d/listener8i /etc/rc.d/rc0.d/K10listener8i
    ln -s /etc/rc.d/init.d/listener8i /etc/rc.d/rc6.d/K10listener8i
      

• Create a link to the script that we have just created to automate listener startup.

    ln -s /etc/rc.d/init.d/listener8i /etc/rc.d/rc3.d/S99listener8i

• If you did not test the scripts to startup and shutdown the listener, and the listener was already running prior to creating the scripts, you would not have a file named /var/lock/subsys/listener8i. Therefore, the next time you reboot your machine, the Oracle8i listener will not shutdown properly.