Mastering the Unattended Oracle Install: A Guide to Silent Oracle 19c Client Installation

Yes, you can install Oracle 19c Client using the Unattended Oracle Install. This is perfect for when you are writing the installation in code. This example includes details of how to install Oracle 19c Client using the unattended install config file on a CIS-hardened image of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.

If you want to install Oracle on Linux using the GUI – click here.

Step 1 – Download the Oracle 19c Client Software:

Navigate to the Oracle Technology Network or Oracle Cloud to download the Oracle 19c Client software.

You can download the Oracle 19c Client directly from Oracle.

Determine the Appropriate Version:

Before you begin, ensure you know which version (32-bit or 64-bit) and edition (Standard, Enterprise, etc.) of the Oracle 19c Client software you need. This decision is typically based on your operating system and the specific requirements of the applications that will interface with the Oracle database.

Access the Oracle Website:

• Open your preferred web browser.
• Navigate to the official Oracle website. You can start at the Oracle Technology Network (OTN) or Oracle Cloud, both of which provide access to Oracle software downloads.

Locate the Downloads Section:

• Once on the Oracle website, look for the “Downloads” section. This is typically prominently displayed on the main navigation bar or can be found in the site’s footer.
• Click on the “Downloads” link to access the software download area.

Find the Oracle 19c Client Software:

• Scroll through the list of available Oracle products until you find the “Oracle 19c Client” section.
• Click on the link to access the download page for the Oracle 19c Client; this includes the Unattended Oracle Install files.

Select the Appropriate File:

• Based on the version and edition you determined in step 1.1, select the appropriate download link. For instance, if you’re on a 64-bit operating system and need the Enterprise edition, click on the corresponding link.

Accept the License Agreement:

• Before downloading, you’ll typically need to accept Oracle’s license agreement. Ensure you read and understand the terms.
• Check the box or click the button indicating you accept the terms of the agreement.

Initiate the Download:

• Click on the download link or button for the Oracle 19c Client software.
• Choose a suitable location on your computer or server to save the file. Ensure you have enough space for the download, as the software can be sizable.

Monitor the Download:

• Keep an eye on the download progress. Depending on your internet connection and the size of the file, this might take some time.
• Once the download is complete, note the location where the file was saved. You’ll need this information for the installation process.

Step 2 – Transfer the Software:

If you downloaded the software on a different machine, transfer it to the target server. Here are two of the most common methods to transfer the file to your server. Bare in mind I am using an AWS instance.

Using Amazon S3:

Upload to Amazon S3:

• If you haven’t already, install the AWS Command Line Interface (CLI) on the machine where you downloaded the Oracle 19c Client software.
• Configure the AWS CLI with the necessary credentials using:

aws configure

Create an S3 bucket or use an existing one. Ensure the bucket is in the same region as your AWS instance for faster transfer speeds.

Upload the Oracle 19c Client software to the S3 bucket:

aws s3 cp /path/to/oracle_19c_client.zip s3://your-bucket-name/

Download from Amazon S3 to AWS Instance:

• Connect to your AWS instance.
• If the AWS CLI isn’t installed on your instance, install it.
• Configure the AWS CLI with the necessary credentials.
• Download the Oracle 19c Client software from the S3 bucket to your instance:

aws s3 cp s3://your-bucket-name/oracle_19c_client.zip /path/on/instance/

Using SCP (Secure Copy Protocol):

Prepare for Transfer:

• Ensure you have SSH access to your AWS instance.
• Locate the private key (e.g., your-key.pem) that corresponds to your AWS instance.

Transfer using SCP:

• From the machine where you downloaded the Oracle 19c Client software, use the SCP command to transfer the file to your AWS instance:

scp -i /path/to/your-key.pem /path/to/oracle_19c_client.zip ec2-user@your-aws-instance-ip:/path/on/instance/ 

Note: Replace ec2-user with the appropriate user if you’re not using an Amazon Linux instance or if you’ve configured a different user.

Step 3 – Unzip the Software:

Before you can unzip the software, ensure you know the exact location where you’ve transferred the Oracle 19c Client software on your AWS instance. This could be a directory you specified during the transfer or a default directory based on the transfer method used.

unzip oracle_19c_client.zip -d /path/to/directory

Step 4 – Navigate to the Client Installation Directory:

cd /path/to/directory/client

Step 5 – Create and Modify a Response File for the Unattended Oracle Install:

• The unattended installation requires a response file. This file contains all the inputs that the installer would typically ask for during an interactive installation.
• You can use the sample response file provided in the installation directory and modify it as per your requirements.

cp response_file_sample.rsp my_response_file.rsp vi my_response_file.rsp

Modify the Response File:

• Open the Unattended Oracle Install response file in an editor and modify the parameters as required. Some of the important parameters include:
  • ORACLE_HOSTNAME: Your server’s hostname.
  • UNIX_GROUP_NAME: OS group, typically dba or oinstall.
  • INVENTORY_LOCATION: Location for Oracle Inventory, typically /u01/app/oraInventory.
  • ORACLE_HOME: Path where the client should be installed, e.g., /u01/app/oracle/client19c.
  • ORACLE_BASE: Base directory for Oracle, e.g., /u01/app/oracle.
  • … and other parameters as per your environment and requirements.

Below is an example of a modified response file for the Oracle 19c Client installation. Please note that this is a simplified version, and the actual response file may contain more parameters:

[GENERAL]
# The response file version. Do not modify.
RESPONSEFILE_VERSION=19.0

[CLIENT]
# The Oracle home location. This is where the client software will be installed.
ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/oracle/client19c

# The Oracle base location. This is the base directory for Oracle software installations.
ORACLE_BASE=/u01/app/oracle

# Specifies whether to install the software only or the software and configure the client.
INSTALL_TYPE= "Administrator"

# The Unix group to be set for the inventory directory.
UNIX_GROUP_NAME=oinstall

# The location of the central inventory.
INVENTORY_LOCATION=/u01/app/oraInventory

# The language for the Oracle software. This is the language in which the software will run.
LANGUAGES=en

# The name of the Oracle home user.
ORACLE_HOME_USER=oracle

# The list of components you want to install.
SELECTED_LANGUAGES=en

# The location of the Oracle installation log files.
LOG_LOCATION=/u01/app/oracle/logs

# The location of the Oracle installation log file.
LOG_FILE=/u01/app/oracle/logs/client_install.log

# Decline security updates.
DECLINE_SECURITY_UPDATES=true

# Do not prompt for the My Oracle Support password.
MYORACLESUPPORT_USERNAME=
MYORACLESUPPORT_PASSWORD=<SECURE_VALUE>

# Do not use proxy for Oracle updates.
PROXY_HOST=
PROXY_PORT=
PROXY_USER=
PROXY_PWD=<SECURE_VALUE>
PROXY_REALM=

# The email address for security updates.
EMAIL_ADDRESS=
EMAIL_ADDRESS_CONFIRM=

# The Oracle support password.
ORACLE_SUPPORT_PASSWORD=<SECURE_VALUE>

# The Oracle support hub URL.
ORACLE_SUPPORT_HUB_URL=

Step 6 – Run the Unattended Oracle Install with the Response File:

Ensure Necessary Permissions:

• Before running the installer, ensure that the user (typically oracle or the user under which you’re operating) has the necessary permissions to execute the installer and write to the installation directory.

Locate the Installer:

• The Oracle 19c Client software package contains a binary called runInstaller which initiates the installation process. Ensure you’re in the directory where this binary is located. If you’ve extracted the software, it’s typically found in the root of the extracted directory.

Prepare the Response File:

• Ensure that your modified Unattended Oracle Install response file (from the previous steps) is accessible from the server and that the path to the file is known. Remember the location of this file.

Execute the Unattended Oracle Install runInstaller Command:

./runInstaller -silent -responseFile /path/to/my_response_file.rsp

Monitor the Installation Process:

• Since you’re performing a silent installation, there won’t be any graphical interface. However, the terminal will display logs and progress. Monitor these logs for any errors or warnings.
• If you’ve specified a log location in your response file, you can also tail the log file to monitor the installation in real-time:

tail -f /path/to/log_location/client_install.log

Address any Errors or Warnings:

• If the installer encounters any issues, it will halt and display error messages. Address these errors based on the feedback provided. This might involve adjusting parameters in the response file, ensuring sufficient disk space, or addressing permission issues.

Complete the Installation:

• Once the installer has completed the installation process, it might provide paths to scripts that need to be run as the root user to finalize the installation. Make sure to execute these scripts if prompted.

Step 7 – Run the Root Scripts:

Understand the Purpose:

• After the Oracle 19c Client installation, certain scripts need to be executed as the root user. These scripts set the appropriate permissions, initialize certain configurations, and perform other necessary post-installation tasks.

Locate the Scripts:

• At the end of the silent installation process, the installer will typically display a message indicating the exact paths to the root scripts that need to be executed. Make a note of these paths.

Switch to the Root User:

• Before you can run the root scripts, you need to switch to the root user. If you’re currently logged in as the oracle user or another non-root user, you can switch to the root user using the following command:bash

sudo su -

Execute the Scripts:

• Navigate to the directory where the root scripts are located and execute them. Typically, the script is named orainstRoot.sh and might be accompanied by other scripts. Run them in the order specified by the installer. For example

/u01/app/oraInventory/orainstRoot.sh

Monitor the Script Execution:

• As the scripts run, they may display messages indicating the tasks they’re performing. Monitor these messages for any errors or warnings. If any issues arise, address them based on the feedback provided.

Return to Your Original User:

• Once you’ve executed all the necessary root scripts, it’s a good practice to exit the root user session and return to your original user (e.g., oracle). Simply type exit and press Enter:

exit

Verify the Changes:

• After running the root scripts, you can verify that the necessary configurations have been applied. For instance, check if the appropriate permissions have been set on the Oracle directories and if any environment variables or system configurations have been updated.

• After the installation is complete, you’ll need to run some scripts as the root user. The installer will provide the exact paths. Typically, it is:

That’s it. You now know all about the Unattended Oracle Install application. It’s a great tool for scripting cloud installations of immutable objects.

Thanks for taking the time to read this article. if you have any questions or feedback, please write in the comment section below