B Installing Oracle Database Companion CD Products in Noninteractive Mode

This appendix describes the following advanced installation topics:

Installing Oracle Components in Noninteractive Mode

B.1 Installing Oracle Components in Noninteractive Mode

Typically, Oracle Universal Installer runs in interactive mode, which means that it prompts you to provide information on graphical user interface (GUI) screens. Alternatively, you can run Oracle Universal Installer in noninteractive mode. This mode is also referred to as silent mode, or silent installation.

You may want to use noninteractive mode to install the Oracle Database Companion CD products in the following scenarios:

You need to perform an unattended deployment of Companion CD products to multiple nodes. You can schedule the noninteractive installation mode from the operating system scheduler or other job subsystem that your site normally uses. This method is particularly useful for large sites that require many Oracle Database installations in which you need to quickly perform multiple installations using similar settings for each computer.
No interaction with the user is intended.
A graphical facility to run Oracle Universal Installer in interactive mode is not available.

This section covers the following topics on how you can use response files to run Oracle Universal Installer in noninteractive mode:

Using Response Files to Install Oracle Components in Noninteractive Mode
Creating the oraInst.loc File
Editing a Response File Template
Recording a Response File
Running Oracle Universal Installer in Silent or Suppressed Mode

B.1.1 Using Response Files to Install Oracle Components in Noninteractive Mode

To use the noninteractive mode, you run Oracle Universal Installer with a response file. A response file is a text file that contains variables and values that Oracle Universal Installer uses during the installation process. Oracle provides a set of sample response files that you can customize, or you can create your own response file by recording your installation selections.

B.1.2 Creating the oraInst.loc File

If you plan to install Oracle products using Oracle Universal Installer in silent or suppressed mode, then you must manually create the oraInst.loc file if it does not 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, then the oraInst.loc file may exist. The oraInst.loc file is present at /var/opt/oracle/oraInst.loc. If the file exists, then you must not create a file.

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

Switch user to root:
```
$ su - root
```
Change directory as follows:
```
# cd /var/opt/oracle/
```
Use a text editor to create the oraInst.loc file, containing the following lines:
```
inventory_loc=ORACLE_BASE/oraInventory
inst_group=
```
In this example, ORACLE_BASE is the path of the Oracle base directory, for example, /01/app/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
```

B.1.3 Editing a Response File Template

A sample response file (companionCD.db.rsp) is provided on the installation media for the Oracle Database 10g Products installation type.

To modify the response file template:

Copy the response file from the response file directory to a directory on your system as follows:
```
$ cp /directory_path/response/response_file.rsp local_directory
```
In this example, directory_path is the path of the companion directory on the installation media or the hard drive. If you have copied the software to a hard drive, then you can also edit the file in the response directory.
Open the response file in a text editor:
```
$ vi /local_dir/response_file.rsp
```
In addition to editing settings specific to the Oracle Database installation, check that the FROM_LOCATION path is correct and points to the products.xml file in the stage directory in the installation media. You may want to set this variable to point to an absolute path, for example:
```
FROM_LOCATION="/directory_path/response/stage/products.xml"
```
Remember that you can specify sensitive information, such as passwords, at the command line rather than within the response file.

See Also:
Oracle Universal Installer and OPatch User's Guide for detailed information on creating response files
To edit the file, follow the instructions in the file.

Note:
Oracle Universal Installer or the configuration assistant fails if you do not correctly configure the response file.
Change the permissions on the file to 700:
```
$ chmod 700 /local_dir/response_file.rsp
```
Caution:
A fully specified response file for an Oracle Database installation contains the passwords for database administrative accounts and for a user that is a member of the OSDBA group (required for automated backups). Ensure that only the Oracle software owner user can view or modify response files or consider deleting them after the installation succeeds.

B.1.4 Recording a Response File

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.

If you want to use Record mode during a noninteractive installation, then Oracle Universal Installer copies the variable values that were specified in the original source response file into the new response file.

To record a new response file:

Ensure that the computer on which you are creating the response file meets the requirements specified in Chapter 2.

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.
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, then Oracle Universal Installer fails.
```
$ /directory_path/runInstaller -record -destinationFile filename
```
In this command:
- directory_path is the path of the companion directory on the installation media or the hard drive
- -record specifies that the responses that you enter in a response file must be recorded
- filename is the full path and file name of the response file to be recorded
On each Oracle Universal Installer screen, specify the required information.
When Oracle Universal Installer displays the Summary screen, perform one of the following steps:
- Click Install to create the response file, and then continue with the installation.
- Click Cancel, and then click 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 do not complete the installation, then 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.
Run the response file by following the instructions in the "Running Oracle Universal Installer in Silent or Suppressed Mode" section.

B.1.5 Running Oracle Universal Installer in Silent or Suppressed Mode

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

Complete the preinstallation tasks listed in Chapter 2.
Log in as the Oracle software owner user (typically, oracle).
If you are completing a suppressed-mode installation, set the DISPLAY environment variable .

Note:
You do not have to set the DISPLAY environment variable if you are completing a silent-mode installation.
To start Oracle Universal Installer in silent or suppressed mode, enter a command similar to the following:

Note:
Do not specify a relative path to the response file. If you specify a relative path, then Oracle Universal Installer fails.
- ```
$ /directory_path/runInstaller [-silent] [-noconfig] -responseFile filename 
```
In this example:
- directory_path is the path of the companion directory on the installation media or 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
See Also:
For more information about other options for the runInstaller command, enter the following command:
```
$ /directory_path/runInstaller -help
```
After the installation is completed, log in as the root user and run the root.sh script:
```
$ su
# $ORACLE_HOME/root.sh
```