Oracle® Database Free

Installation Guide

23ai for Linux x86-64

F77392-09
May 2024
Oracle Database Free Installation Guide, 23ai for Linux x86-64

F77392-09

Copyright © 2005, 2024, Oracle and/or its affiliates.

Primary Author: Prakash Jashnani

Contributing Authors: Subhash Chandra, Rhonda Day

Contributors: Santanu Datta, Malai Stalin, Gordon Larimer, Sudeepthi Siddavatam, Gerald Venzl, Christopher
Jones, Vasundhara Venkatasubramanian, Alex Keh, Subrahmanyam Kodavaluru

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The information contained herein is subject to change without notice and is not warranted to be error-free. If
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Contents
Preface
Audience v
Documentation Accessibility v
Command Syntax v
Related Documents vi
Conventions vii

1 Introduction

2 Requirements
System Requirements 2-1
Swap Space Requirements 2-1
Server Component Kernel Parameter Requirements 2-1

3 Licensing Restrictions
Oracle Database Free CPU Limitations 3-1
Oracle Database Free Installation and Runtime Restrictions 3-1
Oracle Database Free User Data Limitations 3-1
Oracle Database Free RAM Limitation 3-1

4 Installing Oracle Database Free

Installing Oracle Database Free Using RPM Packages 4-1
Performing a Silent Installation 4-4
Setting Oracle Database Free Environment Variables 4-6

5 Configuring True Cache on Oracle Database Free

Licensing Restrictions for True Cache 5-1
Set Up Oracle Database Free Primary Database 5-1

iii
 Configuring Oracle Database Free True Cache 5-2

6 Connecting to Oracle Database Free

7 Starting and Stopping Oracle Database Free

8 Moving from Previous Versions of Oracle Database XE to Oracle

Database Free
Exporting and Importing Data between Oracle Database 21c XE and Oracle Database 23ai
Free 8-1
Exporting and Importing Data between Oracle Database 23.x Free and Oracle Database
23ai Free 8-3

9 Deinstalling Oracle Database Free

10 Reporting Security Vulnerabilities

11 Globalization Support
Setting Language and Locale Preferences for Client Connections 11-1

iv
Preface
This guide explains how to install and configure Oracle Database Free on Linux x86–64.
This guide also provides information about resources available to develop applications and
how to remove the database software.
• Audience
• Documentation Accessibility
• Command Syntax
• Related Documents
• Conventions

Audience
This guide is intended primarily for application developers who are either developing
applications or converting applications to run in the Oracle Database environment.
Oracle Database Free is a free version of the world's most advanced database. Oracle
Database Free is easy to install, easy to manage, and easy to develop with. With Oracle
Database Free, you use an intuitive, browser-based interface to administer the database,
create tables, views, and other database objects, import, export, and view table data, run
queries and SQL scripts, and generate reports.

Documentation Accessibility
For information about Oracle's commitment to accessibility, visit the Oracle Accessibility
Program website at http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/lookup?ctx=acc&id=docacc.

Access to Oracle Support

Oracle customers that have purchased support have access to electronic support through My
Oracle Support. For information, visit http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/lookup?ctx=acc&id=info
or visit http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/lookup?ctx=acc&id=trs if you are hearing impaired.

Command Syntax
Refer to these command syntax conventions to understand command examples in this guide.

Convention Description
$ Bourne or BASH shell prompt in a command example. Do not enter the prompt
as part of the command.

v
 Preface

Convention Description
% C Shell prompt in a command example. Do not enter the prompt as part of the
command.
# Superuser (root) prompt in a command example. Do not enter the prompt as part
of the command.
monospace UNIX command syntax
backslash \ A backslash is the UNIX and Linux command continuation character. It is used in
command examples that are too long to fit on a single line. Enter the command
as displayed (with a backslash) or enter it on a single line without a backslash:

dd if=/dev/rdsk/c0t1d0s6 of=/dev/rst0 bs=10b \ count=10000

braces { } Braces indicate required items:

.DEFINE {macro1}

brackets [ ] Brackets indicate optional items:

cvtcrt termname [outfile]

ellipses ... Ellipses indicate an arbitrary number of similar items:

CHKVAL fieldname value1 value2 ... valueN

italic Italic type indicates a variable. Substitute a value for the variable:

library_name

vertical line | A vertical line indicates a choice within braces or brackets:

FILE filesize [K|M]

Related Documents
To help you with your development efforts, consult the books in the development
category of the Oracle Database documentation set.
For more information, see these documents in the Oracle Database documentation
set:
• Oracle Database SQL Language Reference
• Oracle Database PL/SQL Language Reference
• Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference
• Oracle Database JSON Developer’s Guide
• Oracle Database Development Guide

vi
 Preface

• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide

• Oracle Database SecureFiles and Large Objects Developer's Guide
• Oracle Database Object-Relational Developer's Guide
• Oracle Database Concepts
• Oracle Database Sample Schemas
• Oracle APEX Documentation
• Application Development with Oracle Database

Conventions
The following text conventions are used in this document:

Convention Meaning
boldface Boldface type indicates graphical user interface elements associated with an
action, or terms defined in text or the glossary.
italic Italic type indicates book titles, emphasis, or placeholder variables for which
you supply particular values.
monospace Monospace type indicates commands within a paragraph, URLs, code in
examples, text that appears on the screen, or text that you enter.

vii
1
Introduction
Oracle Database Free is a fully free edition of the Oracle Database.

Development Environments
Oracle Database Free supports the following development environments:
• Java: Develop and deploy modern database-bound Java Web applications (Servlets),
modules (Microservices) or standalone Java frameworks using the Oracle JDBC Driver,
the Universal Connection Pool (UCP), and the Database-embedded JVM (for in-place,
server-side processing).
Visit https://www.oracle.com/database/technologies/appdev/jdbc.html for more
information.
• C and C++ : Developers can use Oracle Call Interface (OCI) and Oracle C++ Call
Interface (OCCI) to create high performance programs accessing Oracle Database Free.
ODBC and the ODPI-C wrapper over OCI are also usable.
Visit https://www.oracle.com/database/technologies/appdev/oci.html for more information.
• .NET, Visual Studio, and Visual Studio Code:: Developers can use Oracle Data
Provider for .NET (ODP.NET) for C# and VB.NET data access to any Oracle Database.
At design-time, they can use Oracle Developer Tools for Visual Studio or Oracle
Developer Tools for VS Code for full development life cycle support.
Visit https://www.oracle.com/database/technologies/appdev/dotnet.html for more
information
For walk-throughs on creating a .NET application with Oracle Database Free:
Visit https://www.oracle.com/tools/technologies/quickstart-dotnet-for-oracle-database.html
The walk-throughs cover several development scenarios, including with VS Code, Visual
Studio, and command line.
• Oracle SQL Developer: Oracle SQL Developer is a graphical version of SQL*Plus that
gives database developers a convenient way to perform basic tasks. You can connect to
any target Oracle Database Free schema using standard Oracle database authentication.
Once connected, you can perform operations on objects in the database.
Download and install Oracle SQL Developer from:
https://www.oracle.com/database/sqldeveloper/
• Oracle SQL Developer Web: Included with Oracle REST Data Services, Oracle SQL
Developer Web is the web-based version of Oracle SQL Developer that enables you to
run queries and scripts, create database objects, build data models, and monitor
database activity.
• Oracle Developer Tools for VS Code: This free Visual Studio Code extension enables
you to edit and run SQL and PL/SQL for Oracle Database and Oracle Autonomous
Database.
Download and install Oracle Developer Tools for VS Code from the Visual Studio Code
Marketplace:

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https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=Oracle.oracledevtools
• Oracle Application Express: Oracle Application Express (APEX) is a rapid web
application development tool for the Oracle database.
Download and install Application Express from:
https://www.oracle.com/database/technologies/appdev/rest.html
• Oracle REST Data Services (ORDS): ORDS makes it easy to develop modern
REST interfaces for relational data in the Oracle Database and the Oracle
Database JSON Document Store.
Download and install ORDS from:
https://www.oracle.com/database/technologies/appdev/rest.html
• SODA (Simple Oracle Document Access) APIs that let you develop NoSQL-style
applications against collections of JSON documents. Native language SODA
drivers are available for common languages.
Visit https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/simple-oracle-document-access/
for more information.

Scripting Languages
You can use scripting languages such as:
• Python
The python-oracledb driver is a Python programming language extension module
allowing Python programs to connect to Oracle Database.
Visit https://oracle.github.io/python-oracledb/ for more information.
• Node.js
The node-oracledb driver allows Node.js applications to access Oracle Database.
Visit https://oracle.github.io/node-oracledb/ for more information.
• PHP
Access Oracle Database with the PHP OCI8 extension or the PDO_OCI Driver.
PHP OCI8 and PDO_OCI are part of the PHP open source project.
Visit https://www.php.net/oci8 for more information on PHP OCI8 and https://
www.php.net/pdo_oci for more information on PDO_OCI.
• Go
Access Oracle Database using the open source godror driver.
Visit https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/godror/godror for more information.
• ROracle
ROracle is an open source R package supporting a DBI-compliant Oracle driver
based on the high performance OCI library.
Visit https://www.oracle.com/database/technologies/roracle-downloads.html for
more information about ROracle.
• Ruby
Build Ruby and Ruby on Rails applications using the ruby-oci8 driver or JRuby
with the Oracle Enhanced Adapter for ActiveRecord.

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Visit:
– https://www.rubydoc.info/gems/ruby-oci8/ for information about ruby-oci8.
– https://www.jruby.org/ for information about JRuby.
– https://github.com/rsim/oracle-enhanced for information about Oracle Enhanced
Adapter.

• Rust
The open source rust-oracle driver lets Rust programs access Oracle Database.
Visit https://crates.io/crates/oracle for more information.
• Others
Accessing Oracle Database Free from other languages is possible using community
drivers.

Oracle Call Interface (OCI) Demonstration Programs

A set of OCI demonstration programs and their corresponding project files are available in
the $ORACLE_HOME/demo subdirectory after an Oracle Database Free installation.

You can run these OCI demonstration programs to familiarize yourself with the steps involved
in developing OCI applications. Oracle Database Free does not support generating the client
shared library. The build option in demo_rdbms.mk is not valid for Oracle Database Free.
You can compile and link application and demo programs with the provided header files.
Because the object (.o's) and archive (.a's) libraries are not available in the installed
location, you cannot use genclntsh and genclntst.

Examples
You can download and install Oracle Database Examples in an existing Oracle home to view
the product demonstrations.
See Examples Installation Guide for more information about products available on the Oracle
examples media
Examples are also available from https://github.com/oracle/oracle-db-examples

Learn More About Oracle Database Free

• Oracle Database Free home page:
https://www.oracle.com/database/free/
• Oracle Database Free Discussion Forum:
You can search the Oracle Database Free Discussion Forum for answers to problems
already discussed and post new questions to the community for answers.
https://forums.oracle.com/ords/apexds/domain/dev-community/category/oracle-database-
free

1-3
2
Requirements
You must have root user credentials to install Oracle Database Free.

The system must meet the following software requirements:

• System Requirements
• Swap Space Requirements
• Server Component Kernel Parameter Requirements

System Requirements
This table lists the system requirements for Oracle Database Free.

Table 2-1 Oracle Database Free System Requirements

Requirement Value
Operating system See Oracle Database Installation Guide for Linux for the list of supported
Linux distributions and the minimum operating system requirements for each
x86-64 Linux platform.
Network protocol The following protocols are supported:
• IPC
• UDP
• TCP/IP
• TCP/IP with SSL
RAM 1 GB RAM minimum. 2 GB RAM recommended.
Disk space 10 GB minimum.

Swap Space Requirements

For Oracle Database Free, Oracle recommends a minimum swap space of 2 GB or twice the
size of RAM, whichever is lesser.

Server Component Kernel Parameter Requirements

The Oracle Database Preinstallation RPM checks your system for kernel parameter settings.
If the kernel parameter values of your system are less than the values listed in this table, then
the Oracle Database Preinstallation RPM sets the recommended minimum kernel parameter
values for you.
The values set in the /etc/sysctl.d/97-oracle-database-sysctl.conf file persist
on system restarts.

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 Chapter 2
Server Component Kernel Parameter Requirements

Table 2-2 Kernel Parameter Settings Required for Oracle Database Free

Kernel Parameter Setting

semmsl 250
semmns 32000
semopm 100
semmni 128
shmmax 4398046511104
shmmni 4096
shmall 1073741824
file-max 6815744
aio-max-nr 1048576
ip_local_port_range 9000–65500
panic_on_oops 1
rmem_default 262144
rmem_max 4194304
wmem_default 262144
wmem_max 1048576

Related Topics
• Changing Kernel Parameter Values Manually

2-2
3
Licensing Restrictions
For more information on licensing details, see Oracle Database Database Licensing
Information User Manual
This section covers the following topics:
• Oracle Database Free CPU Limitations
• Oracle Database Free Installation and Runtime Restrictions
• Oracle Database Free User Data Limitations
• Oracle Database Free RAM Limitation

Oracle Database Free CPU Limitations

Oracle Database Free limits itself automatically to two cores for processing. For example, on
a computer with 2 dual-core CPUs (four cores), if a large number of database clients try to
simultaneously run CPU-intensive queries, then Oracle Database Free will process the
queries at the rate of just two cores even if more CPU capacity is available.

Oracle Database Free Installation and Runtime Restrictions

Oracle Database Free restricts itself to only one installation per logical environment. The
logical environment can either be a virtual host such as a VM or container, or a physical host.
If you attempt to start more than one Oracle Database Free installation in such a logical
environment, then an ORA-00442: Oracle Database Free single instance violation
error is displayed and your database will not start.

This does not affect any existing installation or new installations of Oracle Database Standard
Edition 2 or Oracle Database Enterprise Edition.

Oracle Database Free User Data Limitations

The maximum amount of user data in Oracle Database Free cannot exceed 12 GB. If the
user data grows beyond this limit, then the system displays an ORA-12954: The request
exceeds the maximum allowed database size of 12 GB error.

Oracle Database Free RAM Limitation

The maximum amount of RAM for Oracle Database Free cannot exceed 2 GB, even if more
is available.
Related Topics
• Database Memory Management Methods

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4
Installing Oracle Database Free
You can install Oracle Database Free using RPM packages.
An RPM-based installation performs preinstallation checks, extracts the database software,
reassigns ownership of the extracted software to the preconfigured user and groups,
maintains the Oracle inventory, and runs all root operations required to configure the Oracle
Database software for a single-instance Oracle Database creation and configuration.
The RPM–based installation process detects when the minimum requirements for an
installation are not met and prompts you to finish these minimum preinstallation
requirements.
This section covers the following topics:
• Installing Oracle Database Free Using RPM Packages
• Performing a Silent Installation
• Setting Oracle Database Free Environment Variables

Installing Oracle Database Free Using RPM Packages

Perform the following steps to install and configure Oracle Database Free using RPM
packages.
Before you install Oracle Database 23ai Free, uninstall any existing Oracle Database XE or
Oracle Database Free or database with the SID XE or FREE from the target system. See,
Deinstalling Oracle Database Free.
Oracle Database Free installation uses approximately 9 GB disk space under /opt. If this
disk partition does not have the required disk space available, you must add space or mount
an alternative partition as /opt/oracle. This disk partition is the defined as Oracle base
where the software and database will reside.

Note:
The Oracle Database Free installation does not support symbolic links (symlinks)
for that disk.

Installing Oracle Database Free RPM

1. Use sudo to log in as root.

sudo -s

2. Install the Oracle Database Preinstallation RPM.

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Installing Oracle Database Free Using RPM Packages

Oracle Linux 8 and Oracle Linux 9

dnf -y install oracle-database-preinstall-23ai

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8

a. Go to the Oracle yum site:
https://yum.oracle.com/repo/OracleLinux/OL8/appstream/x86_64/
b. Download the latest 23ai Oracle Database Preinstallation RPM. For example,
oracle-database-preinstall-23ai-1.0-2.el8.x86_64.rpm
c. Install the latest Preinstallation RPM. For example:

dnf -y install oracle-database-

preinstall-23ai-1.0-2.el8.x86_64.rpm

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

i. Go to the Oracle yum site:
https://yum.oracle.com/repo/OracleLinux/OL9/appstream/x86_64/
ii. Download the latest 23ai Oracle Database Preinstallation RPM. For
example, oracle-database-preinstall-23ai-1.0-2.el9.x86_64.rpm
iii. Install the latest Preinstallation RPM. For example:

dnf -y install oracle-database-

preinstall-23ai-1.0-2.el9.x86_64.rpm

Note:

• The Oracle Database Preinstallation RPM automatically creates the

Oracle installation owner and groups. It also sets up other kernel
configuration settings as required for Oracle Database installations.
If you plan to use job-role separation, then create the extended set of
database users and groups depending on your requirements.
• Use the -y option if you want dnf to skip the package confirmation
prompt.
• See, About DNF for more information about the dnf command.

3. Access the Oracle Database Free software download page:

https://www.oracle.com/database/technologies/free-downloads.html
4. Download the oracle-database-free-23ai-1.0-1.el8.x86_64.rpm or
oracle-database-free-23ai-1.0-1.el9.x86_64.rpm RPM file required
for performing an RPM-based installation to a directory of your choice.
5. Install the database software.

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Installing Oracle Database Free Using RPM Packages

For Oracle Linux 8 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8

dnf -y install oracle-database-free-23ai-1.0-1.el8.x86_64.rpm

For Oracle Linux 9 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

dnf -y install oracle-database-free-23ai-1.0-1.el9.x86_64.rpm

Note:
Review the RPM log files to determine the system configuration changes. For
example, review /var/log/oracle-database-preinstall-23ai/results/
orakernel.log.

The installation of the Oracle Database software is now complete.

Creating and Configuring an Oracle Database

The configuration script creates a container database (FREE) with one pluggable database
(FREEPDB1) and configures the listener at the default port (1521).

You can modify the configuration parameters by editing the /etc/sysconfig/oracle-

free–23ai.conf file.

The parameters set in this file are explained in detail in the silent mode installation procedure:
Performing a Silent Installation.
To create the database with the default settings:
1. Log in as root using sudo.
sudo -s

2. Run the service configuration script:

/etc/init.d/oracle-free-23ai configure

At the command prompt, specify a password for the SYS, SYSTEM, and PDBADMIN
administrative user accounts. Oracle recommends that your password should be at least
8 characters in length, contain at least 1 upper case character, 1 lower case character
and, 1 digit [0-9].

See Also:
The same password will be used for these accounts. The password should
conform to the Oracle recommended standards. See Oracle Database Security
Guide for more information about guidelines for securing passwords

After the configuration completes, the database and listener are started.

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Performing a Silent Installation

Table 4-1 Configuration, Database Files and Logs Location

File Name and Location Purpose

/opt/oracle Oracle base. This is the root of the Oracle Database
Free directory tree.
/opt/oracle/product/23ai/dbhomeFree Oracle home. This home is where the Oracle Database
Free is installed. It contains the directories of the Oracle
Database Free executables and network files.
/opt/oracle/oradata/FREE Database files.
/opt/oracle/diag subdirectories Diagnostic logs. The database alert log is /opt/
oracle/diag/rdbms/free/FREE/trace/
alert_FREE.log
/opt/oracle/cfgtoollogs/dbca/FREE Database creation logs. The FREE.log file contains the
results of the database creation script execution.
/etc/sysconfig/oracle-free-23ai.conf Configuration default parameters.
/etc/init.d/oracle-free-23ai Configuration and services script.

Note:
If a host does not have any IP address other than loop back address
assigned (typically in a docker or in an another container environment),
Oracle Net Configuration Assistant (Oracle NETCA) may fail during the
installation with the error No valid IP Address returned for the host
hostname in netca trace log. Please assign an IP address and retry the
installation.

Performing a Silent Installation

You can install Oracle Database Free using silent mode. You can use this mode to
perform an embedded install of Oracle Database Free with your application, or
unattended operation.
To perform a silent installation, you must enter a password for the administrative
accounts as a parameter to the script, or specify it in the configuration file.
1. Create a wrapper shell script to perform the silent installation. The script should
contain commands similar to the following:
For Oracle Linux 8

#!/bin/bash

yum -y install /downloads/oracle-database-

free-23ai-1.0-1.el8.x86_64.rpm > /free_logs/FREEsilentinstall.log
2>&1

/etc/init.d/oracle-free-23ai configure >> /free_logs/

FREEsilentinstall.log 2>&1

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Performing a Silent Installation

For Oracle Linux 9

#!/bin/bash

yum -y install /downloads/oracle-database-free-23ai-1.0-1.el9.x86_64.rpm

> /free_logs/FREEsilentinstall.log 2>&1

/etc/init.d/oracle-free-23ai configure >> /free_logs/

FREEsilentinstall.log 2>&1

Alternatively, you can enter the password in the script, such as:

(echo "password"; echo "password";) | /etc/init.d/oracle-free-23ai

configure >> /free_logs/FREEsilentinstall.log 2>&1

Replace password with a password that is secure. The 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].
2. Make the wrapper script executable.

chmod +x myscript.sh

3. Run the script as root using sudo.

sudo ./myscript.sh

The Oracle Database free Oracle home is /opt/oracle/product/23ai/dbhomeFREE

For details of the installation, review the /free_logs/FREEsilentinstall.log file.
The database is configured with the default settings. It is not necessary to modify these
parameters unless you have specific requirements. Make a copy of the configuration
file /etc/sysconfig/oracle-free-23ai.conf before modifying it. Make your modifications
after the RPM install and before configuring the database.
The /etc/sysconfig/oracle-free-23ai.conf configuration file sets the following:

• LISTENER_PORT: A valid listener numeric port value for the database listener. Do not
specify any value for automatic port assignment.
• CHARSET: Character set of the database. This is set to AL32UTF8.
• DBFILE_DEST Database file directory. By default, the database files are stored in the
Oracle base /opt/oracle/oradata subdirectory. You can also create your own database
file directory. However, the permissions for this file path should be owned by the oracle
user.
• SKIP_VALIDATIONS: Skip validation for memory and disk space. Default is false.
• CONFIGURE_TDE: Set CONFIGURE_TDE=true to configure TDE. The default value is false.
• ENCRYPT_TABLESPACES: Leave this value empty for user tablespace alone. Set this value
to ALL for encrypting all the tablespaces. For specific tablespaces use
SYSTEM:true,SYSAUX:false.s

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 Chapter 4
Setting Oracle Database Free Environment Variables

Caution:
When you modify and save a file containing the plain text password, provide
the ownership of the file only to the Oracle software installation owner
(oracle) user. Change the permissions on the file to 600. Oracle
recommends that database administrators or other administrators delete or
secure such files containing plain text passwords when they are not in use.

Note:
The password should conform to the Oracle recommended standards. See
Oracle Database Security Guide for more information about guidelines for
securing passwords

The database creation logs are located under Oracle base in the /opt/oracle/
cfgtoollogs/dbca/ subdirectory.

Setting Oracle Database Free Environment Variables

After you install and configure Oracle Database Free, set the environment before you
use Oracle Database Free.
Use the oraenv and coraenv scripts to set your environment variables.

For example, to set your environment variables in Bourne, Bash, or Korn shell without
being prompted by the script, log in as the Oracle user and run the following
commands:

export ORACLE_SID=FREE
export ORAENV_ASK=NO
. /opt/oracle/product/23ai/dbhomeFree/bin/oraenv

ORACLE_HOME = [] ? /opt/oracle/product/23ai/dbhomeFree
The Oracle base has been set to /opt/oracle

For C shell:
setenv ORACLE_SID FREE
setenv ORACLEENV_ASK NO
source /opt/oracle/product/23ai/dbhomeFree/bin/coraenv

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Configuring True Cache on Oracle Database
Free
To configure True Cache on Oracle Database Free, set up Oracle Database Free on the
primary node and then configure True Cache in another True Cache node.
• Licensing Restrictions for True Cache
• Set Up Oracle Database Free Primary Database
• Configuring Oracle Database Free True Cache

Licensing Restrictions for True Cache

True Cache has the following licensing restrictions.
• You can deploy at most one Oracle Database Free True Cache for an Oracle Database
Free primary database.
• When BaseDB EE, BaseDB EEHP, or BaseDB EEEP are configured as True Cache, the
BaseDB edition must match the edition of the primary database. For example:
– If the primary database is BaseDB EE, then True Cache must be configured based
on BaseDB EE or higher.
– If the primary database is BaseDB EEHP, then True Cache must be configured based
on BaseDB EEHP or higher.
– If the primary database is BaseDB EEEP, then True Cache must be configured based
on BaseDB EEEP.
• A Free True Cache must comply with all Oracle Database Free licensing restrictions for
memory, CPUs, and user data, with the following exceptions:
– Redo shipping from a Free primary database or to a Free True Cache is not subject
to limitations.
– A Free True Cache will match the MAX_PDBS initialization parameter on the primary
database.

Set Up Oracle Database Free Primary Database

Before you configure Oracle Database Free True Cache, install and set up the Oracle
Database Free primary database on the primary node.
To set up Oracle Database Free primary database:
1. Install Oracle Database Free using RPM packages and then create and configure the
primary database using the steps described in Installing Oracle Database Free Using
RPM Packages.
2. Ensure that a primary database is running on the primary node in archive logging
(ARCHIVELOG) mode.

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Configuring Oracle Database Free True Cache

The primary database must be in ARCHIVELOG mode to ship redo log files to the
True Cache node.Oracle DBCA verifies that the primary database is in ARCHIVELOG
mode.
If the primary database is not in ARCHIVELOG mode, restart it in mount mode, run
the ALTER DATABASE ARCHIVELOG command, and open the primary database
again.

Note:
Don't set LOG_ARCHIVE_CONFIG and LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_n on the primary
database. True Cache automatically configures these for the primary
database.

Configuring Oracle Database Free True Cache

After you set up the primary database, configure Oracle Database Free True Cache on
the True Cache node.
To configure Oracle Database Free True Cache:
1. Install only the Oracle Database Free software using the RPM packages. See,
Installing Oracle Database Free RPM.

Note:
Do not create and configure the database on the True Cache node.

2. Log in as the oracle user.

3. Copy the password file /opt/oracle/product/23ai/dbhomeFree/dbs/
orapwFREE from the primary database node to the True Cache node under a
temp location /opt/oracle/tmp.
4. Run Oracle DBCA to complete the True Cache configuration.

./dbca -silent -createTrueCache -gdbName FREE -

sourceDBConnectionString primary.example.com:1521/FREE.example.com
-passwordFileFromSourceDB /opt/oracle/tmp/orapwFREE

Enter the password for the Oracle Database Free primary database.

Enter Remote DB SYS user password:

password

5. To configure database application services for True Cache, see Create Database
Application Services on the Primary Database
6. To verify the True Cache configuration, see Verifying the True Cache Configuration
Related Topics
• Using Oracle True Cache in Your Applications

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6
Connecting to Oracle Database Free
Connecting Locally using OS Authentication
When you install Oracle Database Free, the oracle user is granted SYSDBA privileges. You
can use the following commands to connect to the database.

$ cd $ORACLE_HOME/bin
$ ./sqlplus / as sysdba

These commands connect you to the root container CDB$ROOT of the multitenant database
(CDB) as database user SYS. This method of connecting to the database works even if the
Net Services listener is not running.
An output similar to the following confirms that you are now connected to the database.

SQL*Plus: Release 23.0.0.0.0 - Production on Sat Apr 06 03:27:05 2024

Version 23.4.0.24.05

Copyright (c) 1982, 2024, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Connected to:
Oracle Database 23ai Free Release 23.0.0.0.0 - Develop, Learn, and Run for
Free
Version 23.4.0.24.05

Net Services Listener and Default Services

The Net Services database listener for Oracle Database Free allows you to connect to the
database over TCP/IP from the same machine or other machines on the network. The
configuration of the Listener can be viewed using the following commands run from the
command prompt:

$ cd $ORACLE_HOME/bin
$ lsnrctl status

LSNRCTL for Linux: Version 23.0.0.0.0 - Production on 26-MAR-2024 08:35:46

Copyright (c) 1991, 2024, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Connecting to (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=dbhost.example.com)
(PORT=1521)))
STATUS of the LISTENER
------------------------
Alias LISTENER
Version TNSLSNR for Linux: Version 23.0.0.0.0 - Production
Start Date 26-MAR-2024 08:35:46
Uptime 0 days 0 hr. 5 min. 7 sec

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Trace Level off

Security ON: Local OS Authentication
SNMP OFF
Default Service FREE
Listener Parameter File /opt/oracle/product/23ai/dbhomeFree/network/
admin/listener.ora
Listener Log File /opt/oracle/diag/tnslsnr/dbhost/listener/alert/
log.xml
Listening Endpoints Summary...
(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=dbhost.example.com)
(PORT=1521)))
(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=ipc)(KEY=EXTPROC1521)))
Services Summary...
Service "FREE.dbhost.example.com" has 1 instance(s).
Instance "FREE", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
Service "FREEXDB.dbhost.example.com" has 1 instance(s).
Instance "FREE", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
Service "dbhost.example.com" has 1 instance(s).
Instance "FREE", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
Service "freepdb1.dbhost.example.com" has 1 instance(s).
Instance "FREE", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
The command completed successfully

The output from the lsnrctl command shows values of a number of important
parameters:
• the port the listener listens on
• the list of services registered with the listener
• the name of the configuration file used by the listener
• the name of the log file
You must specify a service when connecting to the database through the listener. The
default services created by Oracle Database Free are FREE and FREEPDB1. The
Oracle Database Free service connects you to the root container of the database
(CDB$ROOT) and the FREEPDB1 service connects you to the default pluggable database
FREEPDB1, created during installation. For each new pluggable database (PDB), there
is a new default service created with the same name as the PDB.

Note:
If you shut down the Oracle Database Free instance, then the lsnrctl status
command does not show any services that you can connect to.

Connecting to Oracle Database Using Easy Connect Naming Method

You can connect to the database using the following Easy Connect strings:
• Multitenant container database: host[:port]
• Pluggable database: host[:port]/service_name
FREEPDB1 is the service name defined for the first PDB created by default. You can
replace FREEPDB1 with the name of another PDB you want to connect to.

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Specifying the port is optional when the listener is setup with the default port 1521. You must
specify the port number if you use another port.
Connection strings for local connections were provided on the final screen of the install. If you
are connecting from a remote computer, you must enter the hostname (where Oracle
Database Free is installed) instead of localhost.

The Net Services database listener must be running on the database host of the specified
port for the connections to succeed.
For example, you can connect to the root container of the database from a client computer
with SQL*Plus using the following commands:
$ cd $ORACLE_HOME/bin
$ ./sqlplus system@dbhost.example.com:1521

You can connect to the default PDB FREEPDB1 using the following commands:
$ cd $ORACLE_HOME/bin
$ ./sqlplus system@dbhost.example.com:1521/FREEPDB1

Replace dbhost.example.com with your database host name. If required, replace 1521 with
the port number the listener listens on. You can replace FREEPDB1 with the name of another
PDB that you want to connect to.
To shorten connect strings or to avoid hard coding of the host name and the port in the
application code and DBA scripts, you can define an alias for the connect string in the
configuration file ORACLE_HOME/network/admin/tnsnames.ora on the database clients.
See Configuring the Local Naming Method for more details.
Related Topics
• Connection Strategies for Database Applications
• Understanding Oracle Net Services
• Multitenant Architecture

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7
Starting and Stopping Oracle Database Free
You can start and stop the database manually or set it to automatically start when the system
shuts down or starts.

Shut Down and Start-Up Using SQL*Plus

You can shut down and start the database using SQL*Plus.
To shut down the database, log in as the oracle user with its environment variables set for
access to Oracle Database Free, and run the following SQL*Plus command:

$ sqlplus / as sysdba
SQL> SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE

To start the database:

SQL> STARTUP
SQL> ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE ALL OPEN;

Automating Shutdown and Start-Up

Oracle recommends that you configure the system to automatically start Oracle Database
Free when the system starts, and to automatically shut it down when the system shuts down.
Automating database shutdown guards against incorrect database shutdowns.
To automate the start up and shutdown of the listener and database, run the following
commands as root:

$ sudo -s

For Oracle Linux 8 and Oracle Linux 9:

# systemctl daemon-reload
# systemctl enable oracle-free-23ai

Shutting Down and Starting Up Using the Configuration Services Script

After you configure the listener, you can run the Configuration Services Script to check the
status of the database and listener.
Log in as root using sudo.

# /etc/init.d/oracle-free-23ai status

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The output of this command is similar to the following:

Status of the Oracle FREE 23ai service:

LISTENER status: RUNNING

FREE Database status: RUNNING

Run the following commands as root using sudo.

$ sudo -s

Oracle Linux 8 and Oracle Linux 9:

To start the listener and the database:

# systemctl start oracle-free-23ai

To stop the database and the listener:

# systemctl stop oracle-free-23ai

To stop and start the listener and the database:

# systemctl restart oracle-free-23ai

Related Topics
• Altering the Open Mode of a PDB Using STARTUP and SHUTDOWN

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8
Moving from Previous Versions of Oracle
Database XE to Oracle Database Free
This topic explains how to export and import data between Oracle Database 21c Express
Edition (XE) and Oracle Database 23ai Free.
• Exporting and Importing Data between Oracle Database 21c XE and Oracle Database
23ai Free
• Exporting and Importing Data between Oracle Database 23.x Free and Oracle Database
23ai Free
Note these points before you start the export and import process:
• You cannot use Oracle Database Upgrade Assistant (Oracle DBUA) to perform an
upgrade.
• You cannot use Oracle Database Configuration Assistant (Oracle DBCA) to plug PDBs of
previous versions to Oracle Database Free.
• Oracle Database 18c XE users must first move to 21c XE (See, Moving from Previous
Versions of Oracle Database XE to XE 21c), and then export data from 21c XE to import
them into Oracle Database 23ai Free.

Exporting and Importing Data between Oracle Database 21c XE

and Oracle Database 23ai Free
Learn how to export and import data between Oracle Database 21c Express Edition (XE) and
Oracle Database 23ai Free.

Exporting Data
To export data from your 21c XE database:
1. As the root user, create a /opt/dump directory on the local file system for the DUMP_DIR
directory object.

mkdir /opt/dump
chown -R oracle:oinstall /opt/dump
chmod -R 760 /opt/dump

2. Perform the following steps for each pluggable database (PDB). The steps in this section
are for the PDB xepdb1.
a. Set the ORACLE_HOME and ORACLE_SID environment variables.

export ORACLE_SID=XE
export ORACLE_HOME=/opt/oracle/product/21c/dbhomeXE

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Exporting and Importing Data between Oracle Database 21c XE and Oracle Database 23ai Free

b. Connect to the 21c XE database as user SYS using the SYSDBA privilege as the
oracle user, and switch the container to xepdb1.
c. Create the directory object DUMP_DIR and grant READ and WRITE privileges on
the DUMP_DIR directory to the SYSTEM user.

/opt/oracle/product/21c/dbhomeXE/bin/sqlplus / AS SYSDBA
SQL> ALTER SESSION SET CONTAINER=xepdb1;
SQL> CREATE DIRECTORY DUMP_DIR AS '/opt/dump';
SQL> GRANT READ, WRITE ON DIRECTORY DUMP_DIR TO SYSTEM;

d. Export data from your 21c XE PDB xepdb1 to the dump folder.

/opt/oracle/product/21c/dbhomeXE/bin/expdp system/
system_password@dbhost.example.com:1521/xepdb1 full=Y
directory=DUMP_DIR dumpfile=expdb21c_xepdb1.dmp
logfile=expdb21c_xepdb1.log

Note:

• Replace dbhost.example.com with your database host name. If

required, replace 1521 with the port number the listener listens
on.
• The default PDB name created is xepdb1 in 21c and freepdb1 in
23ai.

3. Deinstall Oracle Database 21c XE if you plan to install 23ai Free on the same
system. See Deinstalling Oracle Database XE for more information
4. Install Oracle Database 23ai Free.

Importing Data
To import data to your Oracle Database 23ai Free, perform the following steps for each
PDB. The steps in this section are for importing data from PDB xepdb1 to freepdb1.

1. Set the ORACLE_HOME and ORACLE_SID environment variables.

export ORACLE_SID=FREE
export ORACLE_HOME=/opt/oracle/product/23ai/dbhomeFree

2. Connect to the 23ai Free database as user SYS using the SYSDBA privilege as the
oracle user and switch the container to freepdb1.
3. Create the directory object DUMP_DIR and grant READ and WRITE privileges on the
DUMP_DIR directory to the SYSTEM user.

/opt/oracle/product/23ai/dbhomeFree/bin/sqlplus / AS SYSDBA
SQL> ALTER SESSION SET CONTAINER=freepdb1;
SQL> CREATE DIRECTORY DUMP_DIR AS '/opt/dump';
SQL> GRANT READ, WRITE ON DIRECTORY DUMP_DIR TO SYSTEM;

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Exporting and Importing Data between Oracle Database 23.x Free and Oracle Database 23ai Free

4. Import data to the 23ai Free PDB freepdb1 from the dump folder created during the
export operation.

/opt/oracle/product/23ai/dbhomeFree/bin/impdp system/
system_password@dbhost.example.com:1521/freepdb1 full=Y
directory=DUMP_DIR dumpfile=expdb21c_xepdb1.dmp
logfile=impdb23ai_freepdb1.log

Note:

• Replace dbhost.example.com with your database host name. If required,

replace 1521 with the port number the listener listens on.
• The default PDB name created is xepdb1 in 21c and freepdb1 in 23ai.

Ignore the following errors:

• ORA-31684: Object type TABLESPACE:"UNDOTBS1" already exists
• ORA-31684: Object type TABLESPACE:"TEMP" already exists
• ORA-31684: Object type TABLESPACE:"USERS" already exists
• ORA-31684: Object type USER:"PDBADMIN" already exists
• ORA-39083: Object type PROC_SYSTEM_GRANT failed to create with error:
• ORA-29393: user EM_EXPRESS_ALL does not exist or is not logged on
• ORA-39083: Object type NETWORK_ACL:TABLE:NACL$_ACE_EXP failed to create
with error:
• ORA-01007: Reference to a variable not in SELECT clause.
• ORA-39342: Data Pump did not import dependent objects for NETWORK_ACL due to
the previous error
• ORA-01007: Reference to a variable not in SELECT clause.

Exporting and Importing Data between Oracle Database 23.x

Free and Oracle Database 23ai Free
Learn how to export and import data between Oracle Database 23.x Free and Oracle
Database 23ai Free.

Note:
Oracle Database 23.x Free can refer to releases 23.2 or 23.3.

Exporting Data
To export data from Oracle Database 23.x Free:

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Exporting and Importing Data between Oracle Database 23.x Free and Oracle Database 23ai Free

1. As the root user, create a /opt/dump directory on the local file system for the
DUMP_DIR directory object.

mkdir /opt/dump
chown -R oracle:oinstall /opt/dump
chmod -R 760 /opt/dump

2. Perform the following steps for each pluggable database (PDB). The steps in this
section are for the PDB freepdb1.
a. Set the ORACLE_HOME and ORACLE_SID environment variables.

export ORACLE_SID=FREE
export ORACLE_HOME=/opt/oracle/product/23c/dbhomeFree

b. Connect to the 23.x Free database as user SYS using the SYSDBA privilege as
the oracle user, and switch the container to freepdb1.
c. Create the directory object DUMP_DIR and grant READ and WRITE privileges on
the DUMP_DIR directory to the SYSTEM user.

/opt/oracle/product/23c/dbhomeFree/bin/sqlplus / AS SYSDBA
SQL> ALTER SESSION SET CONTAINER=freepdb1;
SQL> CREATE DIRECTORY DUMP_DIR AS '/opt/dump';
SQL> GRANT READ, WRITE ON DIRECTORY DUMP_DIR TO SYSTEM;

d. Export data from your 23.x Free PDB freepdb1 to the dump folder.

/opt/oracle/product/23c/dbhomeFree/bin/expdp system/
system_password@dbhost.example.com:1521/freepdb1 full=Y
directory=DUMP_DIR dumpfile=expdb23c_freepdb1.dmp
logfile=expdb23c_freepdb1.log

Note:

• Replace dbhost.example.com with your database host name. If

required, replace 1521 with the port number the listener listens
on.
• The default PDB name created is freepdb1 in 23.x.

3. Deinstall Oracle Database 23.x Free if you plan to install 23.4 Free on the same
system. See Deinstalling Oracle Database Free for more information
4. Install Oracle Database 23ai Free.

Importing Data
To import data to your Oracle Database 23ai Free, perform the following steps for each
PDB. The steps in this section are for importing data from 23.x Free PDB freepdb1
and overwriting to the same PDB freepdb1 in 23ai Free.

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Exporting and Importing Data between Oracle Database 23.x Free and Oracle Database 23ai Free

1. Set the ORACLE_HOME and ORACLE_SID environment variables.

export ORACLE_SID=FREE
export ORACLE_HOME=/opt/oracle/product/23ai/dbhomeFree

2. Connect to the 23ai Free database as user SYS using the SYSDBA privilege as the oracle
user and switch the container to freepdb1.
3. Create the directory object DUMP_DIR and grant READ and WRITE privileges on the
DUMP_DIR directory to the SYSTEM user.

/opt/oracle/product/23ai/dbhomeFree/bin/sqlplus / AS SYSDBA
SQL> ALTER SESSION SET CONTAINER=freepdb1;
SQL> CREATE DIRECTORY DUMP_DIR AS '/opt/dump';
SQL> GRANT READ, WRITE ON DIRECTORY DUMP_DIR TO SYSTEM;

4. Import data to the 23ai Free PDB freepdb1 from the dump folder created during the
export operation.

/opt/oracle/product/23ai/dbhomeFree/bin/impdp system/
system_password@dbhost.example.com:1521/freepdb1 full=Y
directory=DUMP_DIR dumpfile=expdb23c_freepdb1.dmp
logfile=impdb23ai_freepdb1.log

Note:

• Replace dbhost.example.com with your database host name. If required,

replace 1521 with the port number the listener listens on.
• The default PDB name created is freepdb1 in 23.x.

Ignore the following errors:

• ORA-39342: Data Pump did not import dependent objects for NETWORK_ACL due to
the previous error
• ORA-31684: Object type TABLESPACE:"UNDOTBS1" already exists
• ORA-31684: Object type TABLESPACE:"TEMP" already exists
• ORA-31684: Object type TABLESPACE:"USERS" already exists
• ORA-31684: Object type USER:"PDBADMIN" already exists
• ORA-31684: Object type DIRECTORY:"DUMP_DIR" already exists

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Deinstalling Oracle Database Free
When you deinstall Oracle Database Free, all components, including data files, the database,
and the software, are removed.
If you want to save your data files but remove the Oracle Database Free software and
database, then first export the data before you deinstall.
Because the deinstallation process removes all files from the directory in which Oracle
Database Free is installed, back up any files from the directory (if needed) before you
deinstall. The database will no longer be operational after deinstallation.
Run the procedure in this topic as root or with root privileges.
sudo -s

Run the following commands to deinstall Oracle Database Free:

• Delete all the Oracle Database Free data files, the listener, and configuration files. After
this operation, only logs and the Oracle home software remains.
/etc/init.d/oracle-free-23ai delete

• This command removes the software. After this operation, some content under Oracle
base /opt/oracle will remain and you can manually delete it.
yum remove oracle-database-free-23ai

• (Optional) If you only installed Oracle Database Free on the system and have no further
Oracle Database software installed, you can also remove the Oracle Database
Preinstallation RPM:

yum remove oracle-database-preinstall-23ai

• To delete the downloaded RPM files, for example:

rm oracle-database-preinstall-23ai*
rm oracle-database-free-23ai*

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Reporting Security Vulnerabilities
If you find any security vulnerabilities with Oracle Database Free, then email a description of
the issue to Oracle at secalert_us@oracle.com.
Include the following information in your email:
• A complete description of the problem.
• The version of Oracle Database Free you are using.
• The platform on which you are running Oracle Database Free.
• Any scripts or examples that may be helpful in tracking down the security problem.

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Globalization Support
Oracle Database Free is configured by default to process character data in all supported
languages simultaneously:
• The database is created with the Unicode AL32UTF8 character set. AL32UTF8 is the
recommended database character set suitable for storing data in practically any
language. Multiple languages can be mixed even in a single character value. While not a
recommended option, you can modify the CHARSET parameter in the /etc/sysconfig/
oracle-free-23ai.conf configuration file to any other supported database character set
before running /etc/init.d/oracle-free-23ai configure .
Supported database character sets are listed in tables A-4 and A-6 in Appendix A of the
Oracle Database Globalization Support Guide . Character sets from Table A-4 are
preferred over character sets from Table A-6 because they contain more comprehensive
character repertoires.
• Oracle Database Free supports the same globalization features that Oracle Database
Enterprise Edition (EE) provides.

Setting Language and Locale Preferences for Client

Connections
Configure client applications connecting to an Oracle Database according to your locale
preferences and your I/O device character set.
You must configure client applications connecting to an Oracle Database according to your
locale preferences and your I/O device character set. If your applications do not have their
own specific methods to configure locale preferences, then the method you use to configure
an Oracle database client connection depends on the access API you use to connect to the
database. Check your application documentation, before you configure locale preferences for
your applications.
For applications that connect to Oracle Databases using Oracle Call Interface (OCI) use
NLS_LANG and other client settings with names that start with NLS_ to set the locale
conventions and client character set for Oracle Database sessions. It is important that you set
the character set part of the NLS_LANG value properly. The Oracle character set whose
name you set in NLS_LANG must correspond to the character encoding used by your I/O
devices. For Linux, it is the character encoding of the terminal or terminal emulator, and
usually corresponds to what the locale command reports. For Microsoft Windows, it is
either the ANSI Code Page (for GUI applications), such as WE8MSWIN1252, or the OEM
Code Page (for Console mode applications), such as US8PC437. By doing this, the OCI API
is notified about the character set of data that it receives from the application. OCI can then
convert this data correctly to and from the database character set.
You can specify NLS_LANG and the other NLS settings as environment variables. On
Microsoft Windows, you can also specify them as Registry settings. Environment variable
values take precedence over Registry values.

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Setting Language and Locale Preferences for Client Connections

Oracle Universal Installer sets a default value for the NLS_LANG setting in Registry
when it creates a new Oracle home on Microsoft Windows. The NLS_LANG value is
based on the language of the Windows user interface, which is the language of
Windows menu items and dialog box labels. The installer does not set NLS_LANG on
Linux and other UNIX system-based operating systems.

Caution:
Failure to set the client character set correctly can cause data loss.

Java applications that connect to Oracle Databases by using Oracle JDBC do not use
NLS_LANG. Instead, Oracle JDBC maps the default locale of the Java VM in which
the application runs to the Oracle Database language and territory settings. Oracle
JDBC then configures the connected database session using these settings. Because
Java works internally in Unicode, the client character set is always set to Unicode.
Unless an application explicitly changes it, the default locale of the Java VM is set
based on the locale of the user operating system on which the Java VM runs. Check
your Java VM documentation for information about configuring the Java VM default
locale.

Note:
In 3-tier architecture deployments, application servers that are database
clients can have settings in their configuration files that specify the
NLS_LANG value or the Java VM locale. Check the documentation
accompanying these servers.

See Also:
Oracle Database Globalization Support Guide for more information about
configuring user locale preferences

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