F Troubleshooting

Verify Requirements

Before performing any of the troubleshooting steps in this appendix, ensure that the system meets the requirements and that you have completed all of the preinstallation tasks specified in Chapter 2.

Read the Release Notes

Read the release notes for the product before installing it. The release notes are available on the Oracle Database 10g disc. The latest version of the release notes is also available on the Oracle Technology Network Web site:

http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/

What to Do If an Installation Error Occurs?

If you encounter an error during installation:

• Do not exit Oracle Universal Installer.

• If you clicked Next after you entered incorrect information on one of the installation screens, then click Back to return to the screen and correct the information.

• If you encounter an error while Oracle Universal Installer is copying or linking files, refer to the "Reviewing the Log of an Installation Session" section.

• If you encounter an error while a configuration assistant is running, refer to the "Troubleshooting Configuration Assistants" section.

• If you cannot resolve the problem, then remove the failed installation by following the steps listed in the "Cleaning Up After a Failed Installation" section.

Reviewing the Log of an Installation Session

During an installation, Oracle Universal Installer records all of the actions that it performs in a log file. If you encounter problems during the installation, then review the log file for information about possible causes of the problem.

To view the log file, follow these steps:

1. If necessary, enter the following command to determine the location of the oraInventory directory:

   $ cat /var/opt/oracle/oraInst.loc
   

   The inventory_loc parameter in this file specifies the location of the oraInventory directory.

2. Enter the following command to change directory to Oracle Universal Installer log file directory, where orainventory_location is the location of the oraInventory directory:

   $ cd /orainventory_location/logs
   

3. Enter the following command to determine the name of the log file:

   $ ls -ltr
   

   This command lists the files in the order of creation, with the most recent file shown last. Installer log files have names similar to the following, where date_time indicates the date and time that the installation started:

   installActionsdate_time.log
   

4. To view the most recent entries in the log file, where information about a problem is most likely to appear, enter a command similar to the following:

   $ tail -50 installActionsdate_time.log | more
   

   This command displays the last 50 lines in the log file.

5. If the error displayed by Oracle Universal Installer or listed in the log file indicates a relinking problem, refer to the following file for more information:

   $ORACLE_HOME/install/make.log
   

Troubleshooting Configuration Assistants

To troubleshoot an installation error that occurs when a configuration assistant is running:

• Review the installation log files listed in the "Reviewing the Log of an Installation Session" section.

• Review the specific configuration assistant log file located in the $ORACLE_HOME/cfgtoollogs directory. Try to fix the issue that caused the error.

• If you see the "Fatal Error. Reinstall" message, then look for the cause of the problem by reviewing the log files. Refer to the "Fatal Errors" section for further instructions.

oraInventory_location/logs/installActionsdate_time.log

Silent-Mode Response File Error Handling

To determine whether a silent-mode installation succeeds or fails, refer to the following log file:

/oraInventory_location/logs/silentInstalldate_time.log

If necessary, refer to the previous section for information about determining the location of the oraInventory directory.

A silent installation fails if:

• You do not specify a response file

• You specify an incorrect or incomplete response file

  For example, a common problem is that while all the product-specific data is filled out correctly, the staging area location may be incorrect. If this is the case, then check the FROM_LOCATION variable and ensure that it points to the products.xml file in the installation media. The products.xml file is in the response/stage directory in the installation media.

• Oracle Universal Installer encounters an error, such as insufficient disk space

Oracle Universal Installer or configuration assistant validates the response file at run time. If the validation fails, the silent-mode installation or configuration process ends. Oracle Universal Installer treats values for parameters that are of the wrong context, format, or type as if no value was specified in the file.

Cleaning Up After a Failed Installation

If an installation fails, then you must remove files that Oracle Universal Installer creates during the attempted installation and remove the Oracle home directory. Perform the following steps to remove the files:

1. Start Oracle Universal Installer as described in the "Installing the Oracle Database Software" section.

2. Click Deinstall Products on the Welcome window or click Installed Products on any Installer window.

   The Inventory window appears, listing installed products.

3. Select the Oracle home that contains the products to be removed, then click Remove.

4. Manually remove the Oracle home directory created during the failed installation.

5. Reinstall the Oracle software.