How to install oracle by Command Line Interface(CLI) in silent mode on Linux

1. Why silent mode?

Typically, Oracle Universal Installer runs in interactive mode, which means that we need to stay before the server to wait it prompts you to provide information in graphical user interface (GUI) screens.

Oracle also supply another mode to install database: Silent mode. When you use this mode, you don't need to stay before server, we use a response files to provide this information, and then run Oracle Universal Installer in Command Line Interface(CLI). Then oracle can automate the installation and configuration of Oracle software without interactive with human.

There are 3 benifits with silent mode:

• On many server environment, there aren't GUI screens, we can just connect to the server by SSH with Command Line Interface.
• We need to fast install many server with the same configuration. We can copy the response file to many server and then issue a command, that is so convenience.
• In ome situation, In silent mode, we can integrate the DB install process with other deploy process.

At the follow step 2 to step 5, give a guildline of how to install oracle in silent mode, please follow it one by one.

2. Prepare the OS environment.

2.1 Prepare the install media.

First of all, we need some prerequisite before the installation:

1. A server installed linux 4 or linux 5. 
2. Require the root account and password of the server.
3. At least 10G free disk space of your server.
4. At least 1G memory of the server.
5. The oracle install media of appropriate bit (32 or 64) with you OS.

You can download install media from oracle web site www.oracle.com or AAXIS fileserver: \\fileserver\Software\Database\.

Here, for example, we download the follow 2 files from \\fileserver\Software\Database\Oracle11gR2_Linux64

• linux.x64_11gR2_database_1of2.zip
• linux.x64_11gR2_database_1of2.zip

Next we need to upload the 2 files to the server which you need to install oracle database, here we put them into file folder /opt/oracle_software/

• Notes: If /opt/oracle_software/ is not exists then execute "mkdir -p /opt/oracle_software" by root to create it.

Then, unzip the 2 files by root using the follow command:

unzip linux.x64_11gR2_database_1of2.zip

unzip linux.x64_11gR2_database_1of2.zip

2.2 Package requirements.

You must install the packages (or later versions) listed in the following table, and ensure that the list of RPMs are installed.

•  Check which RPMS list you have to install.

Execute 'uname -a' by root to query the Linux version, you will see the output like this:

[root@rac1 ~]# uname -a
Linux rac1 2.6.18-274.el5 #1 SMP Fri Jul 22 04:43:29 EDT 2011 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

The above example: 'el5' and 'x86_64' means that you OS is linux 5 and 64 bit, you need to check the fourth line of the follow table.

[root@rac1 ~]# uname -a

Linux rac1 2.6.9-89.ELsmp #1 SMP Mon Jun 22 12:32:43 EDT 2009 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

The above example: You find i686 i386 but not  postfix with "_64" means that the OS is 32 bit.

• Query which RPMS NOT installed.

Exexute 'rpm -qa | grep packagename' by root to query if the package is installed.

Notes: Packagename should not include version. For example, we check the first package "binutils-2.17.50.0.6" to see if it is installed like this:

[root@rac1 ~]# rpm -qa | grep binutils
binutils-2.17.50.0.6-14.el5

The output "binutils-2.17.50.0.6-14.el5" means that the this package is installed already. If there are nothing output means that the package is not installed, we need to execute the follow step.

• Install the missing RPMS.

There are 2 methods to install RPMS:

1. 1. Download the missing rpm package and then execute 'rpm -ivh packagename' by root to install the missing package. Here the packagename means the full name of file you download.
   2. If the server can connect to internet, you can execute 'yum install packagename' by root , it will download automatically and then install it.

               Recommendation: There are some dependency between the packages, so we suggest you use the second method "yum" to install the missing package, because yum can resolve dependency automatically.

binutils-2.15.92.0.2
compat-libstdc++-33-3.2.3
elfutils-libelf-0.97
elfutils-libelf-devel-0.97
gcc-3.4.6
gcc-c++-3.4.6
glibc-2.3.4-2.41
glibc-common-2.3.4
glibc-devel-2.3.4
glibc-headers-2.3.4
libaio-devel-0.3.105
libaio-0.3.105
libgcc-3.4.6
libstdc++-3.4.6
libstdc++-devel-3.4.6
make-3.80
numactl-0.6.4.i386
pdksh-5.2.14
sysstat-5.0.5

binutils-2.17.50.0.6
compat-libstdc++-33-3.2.3
elfutils-libelf-0.125
elfutils-libelf-devel-0.125
elfutils-libelf-devel-static-0.125
gcc-4.1.2
gcc-c++-4.1.2
glibc-2.5-24
glibc-common-2.5
glibc-devel-2.5
glibc-headers-2.5
kernel-headers-2.6.18
ksh-20060214
libaio-0.3.106
libaio-devel-0.3.106 
libgcc-4.1.2
libgomp-4.1.2
libstdc++-4.1.2 
libstdc++-devel-4.1.2
make-3.81
numactl-devel-0.9.8.i386
sysstat-7.0.2

binutils-2.15.92.0.2
compat-libstdc++-33-3.2.3
compat-libstdc++-33-3.2.3 (32 bit)
elfutils-libelf-0.97
elfutils-libelf-devel-0.97
expat-1.95.7
gcc-3.4.6
gcc-c++-3.4.6
glibc-2.3.4-2.41
glibc-2.3.4-2.41 (32 bit)
glibc-common-2.3.4
glibc-devel-2.3.4
glibc-headers-2.3.4
libaio-0.3.105
libaio-0.3.105 (32 bit)
libaio-devel-0.3.105
libaio-devel-0.3.105 (32 bit)
libgcc-3.4.6
libgcc-3.4.6 (32-bit)
libstdc++-3.4.6
libstdc++-3.4.6 (32 bit)
libstdc++-devel 3.4.6
make-3.80
numactl-0.6.4.x86_64
pdksh-5.2.14
sysstat-5.0.5

binutils-2.17.50.0.6
compat-libstdc++-33-3.2.3
compat-libstdc++-33-3.2.3 (32 bit)
elfutils-libelf-0.125
elfutils-libelf-devel-0.125
gcc-4.1.2
gcc-c++-4.1.2
glibc-2.5-24
glibc-2.5-24 (32 bit)
glibc-common-2.5
glibc-devel-2.5
glibc-devel-2.5 (32 bit)
glibc-headers-2.5
ksh-20060214
libaio-0.3.106
libaio-0.3.106 (32 bit)
libaio-devel-0.3.106
libaio-devel-0.3.106 (32 bit)
libgcc-4.1.2
libgcc-4.1.2 (32 bit)
libstdc++-4.1.2
libstdc++-4.1.2 (32 bit)
libstdc++-devel 4.1.2
make-3.81
numactl-devel-0.9.8.x86_64
sysstat-7.0.2

2.3 Creating Required Operating System Groups and Users

If this is the first time Oracle software is being installed on this system that you are installing, you may need to create several operating system groups and users.

2.3.1 Create user and usergroup

Execute the follow commands by root to create user and usergroup:

groupadd oinstall

groupadd dba

useradd -g oinstall -G dba oracle

passwd oracle

After the last command "passwd oracle", it will prompt you to input the password of user oracle. After input it and go on.

2.3.2 Create folder

Execute the follow commands by root to create folder:

mkdir -p /opt/oracle

chown -R oracle:oinstall /opt/oracle

chown -R oracle:oinstall /opt/oracle_software

chmod -R 775 /opt/oracle

chmod -R 775 /opt/oracle_software

2.3.3 Set environment variables 

Edit /home/oracle/.bash_profile by oracle to add the follow lines:

export ORACLE_BASE=/opt/oracle

export ORACLE_HOME=$ORACLE_BASE/11gR2

export ORACLE_SID=orcl

export PATH=$PATH:$ORACLE_HOME/bin

2.3.4 Make the environment variables effective

After add it, execute the follow command by oracle to make it effective:

source /home/oracle/.bash_profile

2.4 Checking Resource Limits for the Oracle Software Installation Users

Update the resource limits in the /etc/security/limits.conf configuration file for the installation owner "oracle". For example, using root to add the following lines to the /etc/security/limits.conf file:

oracle soft nproc 2047

oracle hard nproc 16384

oracle soft nofile 1024

oracle hard nofile 65536

oracle soft stack 10240

2.5 Configuring Kernel Parameters for Linux

If the value of any kernel parameter is different from the minimum value, then perform the following:

• • 1. Log on as root, Using any text editor such as "vi" to edit the /etc/sysctl.conf file, edit lines similar to the following, if that are not exists please add them:

fs.aio-max-nr = 1048576

fs.file-max = 6815744

kernel.shmall = 2097152

kernel.shmmax = 536870912

kernel.shmmni = 4096

kernel.sem = 250 32000 100 128

net.ipv4.ip_local_port_range = 9000 65500

net.core.rmem_default = 262144

net.core.rmem_max = 4194304

net.core.wmem_default = 262144

net.core.wmem_max = 1048586

• • 2.Enter the following command by root to change the current values of the kernel parameters:

/sbin/sysctl -p

3. Prepare the response file.

/opt/oracle_software/database/runInstaller -ignoreSysPrereqs -ignorePrereq -silent -nowelcome -responseFile /opt/oracle/db_install.rsp

After issue this command, your screens will be similer with 4.2 and 4.3. Please don't close the windows and wait about half an hour until you see "Successfully Setup Software" and then press Enter.

In this process, if you see warning please refer "4.2 Waring", if you see error, please refer "step6:troubleshooting",

4.2 Warning

There will be some warning in the install windows as follow, you can ignore it:

[WARNING] [INS-32055] The Central Inventory is located in the Oracle base.
CAUSE: The Central Inventory is located in the Oracle base.
ACTION: Oracle recommends placing this Central Inventory in a location outside the Oracle base directory.

 

[WARNING] [INS-30011] The password entered does not conform to the Oracle recommended standards.
CAUSE: Oracle recommends that the ADMIN password entered should be at least 8 characters in length, contain at least 1 uppercase character, 1 lower case character and 1 digit [0-9].
ACTION: Provide a password that conforms to the Oracle recommended standards.

 

[WARNING] [INS-32055] The Central Inventory is located in the Oracle base.
CAUSE: The Central Inventory is located in the Oracle base.
ACTION: Oracle recommends placing this Central Inventory in a location outside the Oracle base directory.

 

[WARNING] [INS-30011] The password entered does not conform to the Oracle recommended standards.
CAUSE: Oracle recommends that the ADMIN password entered should be at least 8 characters in length, contain at least 1 uppercase character, 1 lower case character and 1 digit [0-9].
ACTION: Provide a password that conforms to the Oracle recommended standards.

4.3 Validate install and execute some scripts

At the end of the install window, there will be some log like this:

You can find the log of this install session at:
/opt/oracle/oraInventory/logs/installActions2013-03-13_02-30-53PM.log

 

here, wait about 30 minutes....

[oracle@rac1 oracle]$ The following configuration scripts need to be executed as the "root" user. 
#!/bin/sh 
#Root scripts to run

/opt/oracle/oraInventory/orainstRoot.sh
/opt/oracle/11gR2/root.sh
To execute the configuration scripts:
1. Open a terminal window 
2. Log in as "root" 
3. Run the scripts 
4. Return to this window and hit "Enter" key to continue

Successfully Setup Software.

 

There are 3 information need to notice:

1. 1. The red line above is added by author, that means at there you will see nothing happens, please don't close the window and wait 30 minutes. 
   2. After 30 minutes' wait, there will be a tips that prompt you to run 2 scripts by root, please execute them at another window by root:
   • /opt/oracle/oraInventory/orainstRoot.sh
   • /opt/oracle/11gR2/root.sh
2. At last, the last line "Successfully Setup Software." means that the installation is complete successfully.

5. PostInstallation Configuration.

5.1 Execute postinstallation scripts.

6. Troubleshooting & Solution

6.1 Error in installing 11g2 in silent mode - [SEVERE] - Email Address Not Spec 

I got error in a couple of seconds when run "/opt/oracle_software/database/runInstaller -ignoreSysPrereqs -ignorePrereq -silent -nowelcome -responseFile /opt/oracle/db_install.rsp" :

Checking Temp space: must be greater than 120 MB. Actual 2451 MB Passed

Checking swap space: must be greater than 150 MB. Actual 1890 MB Passed 

Preparing to launch Oracle Universal Installer from /tmp/OraInstall2010-01-08_05-20-03PM. 

Please wait ...[oracle@cchdb database]$ [SEVERE] - Email Address Not Specified

After contact with oracle support, turns out you need to set 'DECLINE_SECURITY_UPDATES=true' in file "db_install.rsp" and that will get you pass this error.