3 Installing Oracle Database Client

3.2.1 Downloading Oracle Software

You can download the trial version of the installation files from the Oracle Technology Network (OTN) or Oracle E-Delivery web site and extract them on your hard disk. Make sure that you completely review and understand the terms of the license. Most downloads include the Development License. This section contains the following topics:

• Downloading the Installation Archive Files from OTN

• Downloading the Software from Oracle E-Delivery

• Extracting the Installation Files

3.2.2 Copying the Software to the Hard Disk

Before installing Oracle Database Client, you might want to copy the software to the hard disk. This enables the installation process to run a bit faster. Before copying the installation media content to the hard disk, you must mount the disk. The following sections describe to mount disk and copy its content to the hard disk:

• Mounting Disks

• Copying the Oracle Database Client Software to a Hard Disk

3.3.1 Running Oracle Universal Installer

This section describes the Basic Installation as a default setting. For any type of installation process, start Oracle Universal Installer and install the software, as follows:

1. Log on as the Oracle software owner user (typically, oracle) to the computer on which to install Oracle components.

2. If you are installing the software from installation media, mount the disk if it is not already mounted.

   If the disk does not mount automatically, refer to the "Mounting Disks" section for more information about mounting it.

   Some platforms automatically mount the disk when you insert the installation media into the drive.

3. To start Oracle Universal Installer, complete one of the following steps depending on the location of the installation files:

   Note:

   Start Oracle Universal Installer from the terminal session where you logged in as the oracle user and set the user's environment.

   See Also:

   "Configuring the oracle User's Environment" for information about setting the oracle user's environment

   • If the installation files are on disk, enter a command similar to the following, where directory_path is the path of the client directory on the installation media:

     $ /directory_path/runInstaller
     

   • If the installation files are on the hard disk, change directory to the client directory and enter the following command:

     $ ./runInstaller
     

   If Oracle Universal Installer is not displayed, refer to the "X Window Display Errors" for information about troubleshooting.

4. In the Select Installation Type screen, select the type of installation that you want: Instant Client, Administrator, Runtime, or Custom and click Next.

5. The Select Product Languages screen enables you to select the language in which you want to run the product.

   Select the product language from the Available Languages list, transfer it to the Selected Languages list. Click Next.

   This screen is not displayed if you select Instant Client as the type of installation in Step 4.

6. In the Specify Install Location screen, enter the following details:

   Oracle Base: This path appears by default. You can change the path based on your requirement. The Oracle Base section is not displayed if you select Instant Client as the type of installation in Step 4.

   In the Software Location section, accept the default values or enter the Oracle home name and directory path in which you want to install Oracle components. The directory path should not contain spaces. Click Next

7. In the Create Inventory screen, you are prompted by the installer to specify the directory path for central inventory the first time you install Oracle Database on your computer. Enter the Inventory Directory path, and click Next.

   Note: By default, the Oracle Inventory directory is not installed under the Oracle Base directory. This is because all Oracle software installations share a common Oracle Inventory, so there is only one Oracle Inventory for all users, whereas there is a separate Oracle Base for each user.

8. If you selected Custom as the type of installation in Step 4, then the Available Product Components screen is displayed. Select the products that you want to install and click Next.

   Note:

   Starting with Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2), you can install Oracle Connection Manager, Oracle Net Listener, and Oracle Scheduler Agent using the Custom install option.

9. In Step 8, if you select Oracle Scheduler Agent as one of the components that you want to install, then the Oracle Database Scheduler Agent screen is displayed. Enter the Scheduler Agent Hostname, and the Scheduler Agent Port Number. Click Next.

10. The Perform Prerequisite Checks screen verifies if your computer meets the minimum system requirements to install the desired product. Click Next.

11. Review the information displayed in the Summary screen, and click Finish.

    Note:

    Starting with Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2), you can save all the installation steps into a response file by clicking Save Response File in the Summary screen. Later, this file can be used for a silent installation.

12. The Install Product screen states the progress of a client installation. After Oracle Database Client is installed, you are prompted to execute the root configuration script for new inventory as a root user. Execute the root.sh script as a root user to complete the installation, and click OK.

If you select Oracle Net or Oracle Net Listener from the list of components to install in Step 8, then Oracle Universal Installer automatically starts Oracle Net Configuration Assistant. You can also invoke Oracle Net Configuration Assistant, to create net service names using netca and perform the following:

1. In the Welcome screen, select the Naming Methods Configuration option. Then click Next. (The remaining steps in this procedure assume you are using Naming Methods.)

2. In the Naming Methods Configuration screen, select the naming method you want from the list of Available Naming Methods and then click Next.

   Typically, Local Naming is sufficient.

3. The Naming Method Configuration screen states that the Naming Method Configuration is complete. Click Next.

4. The above action will bring you back to the Welcome screen. Select Local Net Service Name configuration, and click Next.

5. In the Net Service Name Configuration screen, select Add to add a net service name. Click Next.

6. In the Net Service Name Configuration, Service Name screen, enter the name of the database service to which you want to connect. Click Next.

   For example, to connect to a database named sales, enter sales.

7. In the Net Service Name Configuration, Select Protocol screen, depending on the protocol you selected, enter the appropriate information and click Next.

8. In the Net Service Name Configuration, TCP/IP Protocol screen, enter the host name of the computer where the Oracle database is installed. Specify the port number, then click Next.

   For example, to connect to the computer shobeen, you would enter shobeen.

9. In the Net Service Name Configuration, Test screen, click Yes to perform a test of the connection. Then click Next.

   In most cases, the test fails only because the default user name and password Oracle Universal Installer supplies in the dialog box do not match the user name and password for the target database. Click Change Login, re-enter the user name and password, and then click OK.

10. In the Connecting screen, click Next.

11. In the Net Service Name screen, enter the name of the net service name to use.

12. Answer the remaining prompts to complete the configuration.

13. In the Finish screen, click Close, to exit from Oracle Universal Installer.

14. Go to Chapter 4, "Oracle Database Client Postinstallation Tasks" to complete the postinstallation tasks.