A Using Response Files for Noninteractive Installation

This appendix describes how to install and configure Oracle products using response files. It includes the following topics:

Introduction
Creating the oraInst.loc File
Preparing a Response File
Running Oracle Universal Installer in Silent or Suppressed Mode

A.1 Introduction

You can automate the installation and configuration of Oracle software, either fully or partially, by specifying a response file when you start Oracle Universal Installer. Oracle Universal Installer uses the values contained in the response file to provide answers to some or all of Oracle Universal Installer prompts:

If you include responses for all of the prompts in the response file and specify the -silent option when starting Oracle Universal Installer, then Oracle Universal Installer runs in silent mode. During a silent-mode installation, Oracle Universal Installer does not display any screens. Instead, it displays progress information in the terminal that you used to start it.
If you include responses for some or all of the prompts in the response file and omit the -silent option, then Oracle Universal Installer runs in suppressed mode. During a suppressed-mode installation, Oracle Universal Installer displays only the screens for which you did not specify all required information. You can also use variables in the response file or command-line options to suppress other installer screens, such as the Welcome screen or Summary screen, that do not prompt for information.

The following table describes several reasons why you might want to run Oracle Universal Installer in silent mode or suppressed mode:

Mode Uses

Silent

Mode	Uses
Silent	Use silent mode if you want to: Complete an unattended installation, which you might schedule using operating system utilities such as `at` Complete several similar installations on multiple systems without user interaction Install the software on a system that does not have X Window System software installed on it Oracle Universal Installer displays progress information in the terminal that you used to start it, but it does not display any of Oracle Universal Installer screens.
Suppressed	Use suppressed mode if you want to complete similar Oracle software installations on more than one system, providing default answers to some, but not all of Oracle Universal Installer prompts. If you do not specify information required for a particular Installer screen in the response file, Oracle Universal Installer displays that screen. It suppresses screens for which you have provided all of the required information.

Use silent mode if you want to:

Complete an unattended installation, which you might schedule using operating system utilities such as at
Complete several similar installations on multiple systems without user interaction
Install the software on a system that does not have X Window System software installed on it

Oracle Universal Installer displays progress information in the terminal that you used to start it, but it does not display any of Oracle Universal Installer screens.

Suppressed

Use suppressed mode if you want to complete similar Oracle software installations on more than one system, providing default answers to some, but not all of Oracle Universal Installer prompts.

If you do not specify information required for a particular Installer screen in the response file, Oracle Universal Installer displays that screen. It suppresses screens for which you have provided all of the required information.

A.1.1 Installation Overview

To install and configure Oracle products using Oracle Universal Installer in silent or suppressed mode, follow these steps:

Create the oraInst.loc file.
Prepare a response file.
Run Oracle Universal Installer in silent or suppressed mode.

These steps are described in the following sections.

A.2 C reating the oraInst.loc File

If you plan to install Oracle products using Oracle Universal Installer in silent or suppressed mode, you must manually create the oraInst.loc file if it does not already exist. This file specifies the location of the Oracle Inventory directory where Oracle Universal Installer creates the inventory of Oracle products installed on the system.

Note:

If Oracle software has been installed previously on the system, the oraInst.loc file might already exist. If the file does exist, you do not need to create a file.

To create the oraInst.loc file, follow these steps:

Switch user to root:
On Solaris (SPARC), create the /var/opt/oracle directory if it does not exist:
```
# mkdir /var/opt/oracle
```
Change directory as follows, depending on your operating system:

AIX:
```
# cd /etc
```
Solaris (SPARC):
```
# cd /var/opt/oracle
```
Enter the following commands to set the appropriate owner, group, and permissions on the oraInst.loc file:
```
# chown oracle:oinstall oraInst.loc
# chmod 664 oraInst.loc
```

A.3 P reparing a Response File

This section describes the methods that you can use to prepare a response file for use during silent-mode or suppressed-mode installations:

Editing a Response File Template
Recording a Response File

A.3.1 Editing a Response File Template

Oracle provides response file templates for each product and installation type, and for each configuration tool. The response files for Oracle Gateways, tg.rsp and netca.rsp are located in the response directory on the media.

Note:

If you copied the software to a hard disk, the response files are located in the Disk1/response directory.

To prepare a response file:

Copy the response file from the response file directory to a directory on your system:
```
$ cp /directory_path/response/response_file.rsp local_directory
```
In this example, directory_path is the CD-ROM mount point directory or the directory on the DVD. If you have copied the software to a hard drive, you can edit the file in the response directory if you prefer.
Open the response file in a text editor:
```
$ vi /local_dir/response_file.rsp
```
Edit the file, following the instructions in the file.

Note:
Oracle Universal Installer or configuration assistant fails if you do not correctly configure the response file. Refer to the "Silent-Mode Response File Error Handling" section for more information about troubleshooting a failed silent-mode installation.

Change the permissions on the file to 700:

$ chmod 700 /local_dir/response_file.rsp

A.3.2 Recording a Response File

This method is most useful for Custom or software-only installations.

You can use Oracle Universal Installer in interactive mode to record a response file that you can edit and then use to complete silent-mode or suppressed-mode installations. When you are recording the response file, you can either complete the installation, or you can exit from Oracle Universal Installer on the Summary page, before it starts to copy the software to the system.

To record a new response file:

Complete the pre-installation tasks listed in respective chapters.

When you run Oracle Universal Installer to record a response file, it checks the system to verify that it meets the requirements to install the software. For this reason, Oracle recommends that you complete all of the required pre-installation tasks and record the response file while completing an installation.
If you have not installed Oracle software on this system previously, create the oraInst.loc file, as described in the previous section.
Ensure that the Oracle software owner user (typically oracle) has permissions to create or write to the Oracle home path that you will specify when you run Oracle Universal Installer.
To record a response file, enter a command similar to the following to start Oracle Universal Installer:

Note:
Do not specify a relative path to the response file. If you specify a relative path, Oracle Universal Installer fails.
```
$ /directory_path/runInstaller -record -destinationFile filename
```
In the previous example:
- directory_path is either the CD-ROM mount point directory, the path of the directory on the DVD, or the path of the Disk1 directory on the hard drive
- The -record parameter specifies that you want to record the responses that you enter in a response file
- filename is the full path and file name of the response file that you want to record
On each Installer screen, specify the required information.
When Oracle Universal Installer displays the Summary screen, do one of the following:
- Click Install to create the response file, then continue with the installation.
- Click Cancel, then Yes to create the response file but exit from Oracle Universal Installer without installing the software.
The response file is saved in the location that you specified using the -destinationFile option.
If you did not complete the installation, delete the Oracle home directory that Oracle Universal Installer created using the path you specified on the Specify File Locations screen.
Before using the recorded response file on another system, use a text editor to edit the file and make any required changes.

Use the comments in the file as a guide when editing it.

A.4 Running Oracle Universal Installer in Silent or Suppressed Mode

To run Oracle Universal Installer in silent or suppressed mode, follow these steps:

Complete the pre-installation tasks listed in the respective chapters.
Log in as the Oracle software owner user (typically oracle).
To start Oracle Universal Installer in silent or suppressed mode, enter a command similar to the following:
```
$ $ /directory_path/runInstaller -silent -noconfig -responseFile filename
```
Note:
Do not specify a relative path to the response file. If you specify a relative path, Oracle Universal Installer fails.
In this example:
- directory_path is either the installation media mount point directory, the path of the directory on the DVD, or the path of the Disk1 directory on the hard drive.
- -silent indicates that you want to run Oracle Universal Installer in silent mode.
- -noconfig suppresses running the configuration assistants during installation, and a software-only installation is performed instead.
- filename is the full path and file name of the installation response file that you configured.
Note:
For more information about other options for the runInstaller command, enter the following command:
```
$ /directory_path/runInstaller -help
```