Sergio's Blog

Good Article About btrfs

2009-11-03T20:56:46Z

I found this article about btrfs helpful.

Oracle Enterprise Linux 5 Update 4 available on ULN

2009-09-09T20:33:44Z

Oracle Enterprise Linux 5 Update 4 has been added to Unbreakable Linux Network (ULN) Customers with Linux support from Oracle may download and install OEL 5.4 packages for i386 and x84_64 architectures. Itanium packages are coming soon. Also coming soon: OEL 5.4 on public-yum.oracle.com and installation media on edelivery.oracle.com/linux

As for the rumors that OEL is based on CentOS? Only in a universe where time flows backward. Hint: Centos 5.3 was announced on April 3rd, 2009 and OEL 5.3 was announced on January 28th, 2009, more than two months earlier. We have no relationship with CentOS and do not rely on them.

Update:Installation media now available via edelivery.oracle.com/linux

New in Oracle VM 2.1.5: Web Services API

2009-06-16T13:18:13Z

Last week, ULN was updated with Oracle VM 2.1.5 RPMs. One of the main new features in Oracle VM 2.1.5 is a web services-based API to perform any of the operations in Oracle VM Manager, for example, create a server pool, add servers, or create virtual machines. Read the Oracle VM Web Services API documentation. ISOs will be published on edelivery.oracle.com/oraclevm soon.

Oracle Enterprise Linux 4 Update 8 CD and DVD ISOs Now Available

2009-06-03T13:53:52Z

Download OEL 4 Update 8 for i386 and x86_64 architectures for free from edelivery.oracle.com/linux. ia64 ISOs will be published in the same location a bit later.

Enterprise Linux 4 Update 8 Released on ULN, public-yum.oracle.com

2009-05-26T20:36:25Z

We've just released Oracle Enterprise Linux 4, Update 8 on ULN (linux.oracle.com) and on public-yum.oracle.com. DVD ISOs are available for Unbreakable Linux support customers by calling support. They'll be available soon on edelivery.oracle.com/linux

OpenWorld Tokyo Oracle VM Sessions

2009-04-13T20:21:52Z

Next week I'll be in Tokyo to deliver two sessions on Oracle VM. Consider this post an introduction to the Virtualization blog, where Adam Hawley has been writing about Oracle VM for a few weeks now. I'll be adding this to the blog roll.

New Oracle Public Yum Server

2009-03-19T22:01:33Z

We've just launched a new public yum server for Oracle Enterprise Linux and Oracle VM. This yum server offers a free and convenient way to install packages from the Enterprise Linux and Oracle VM installation media via a yum client.
To get started: public-yum.oracle.com

Another One From the Archives: Easy Connection Identifier

2009-03-10T21:30:22Z

My good friend Joel showed me how you can connect to a (remote) database using an easy connect identifier. Here's how it works:

    sqlplus sergiodb/sergiodb@//127.0.0.1:1521/mvl

It looks to be a way of constructing a connect identifier that's new since database 10g Release 1. The syntax is as follows:

   [//]host[:port][/service_name]

The documentation sums it up nicely: The easy connection identifier can be used wherever you can use a full connection identifier, or a net service name. The easy syntax is less complex, and no tnsnames.ora entry is required.

Installing Required RPMs from DVD Before You Install Oracle Database 10g or 11g

2009-02-17T14:42:46Z

I came across a forum post in which one of my co-workers, Avi Miller, explained how to install Oracle Enterprise Linux from DVD so that all software requirements are met when you fire up the Oracle Database 10g or 11g installer.

There are several ways to deal with the software preinstallation requirements for the Oracle Database. And, while it's not very difficult to install the required RPMs, it can be somewhat awkward to do so in the correct dependency order.

To simplify this task, Oracle provides the oracle-validated RPM, discussed here, here, and here previously on this blog. The Oracle® Database Installation Guide 11g Release 1 (11.1) for Linux also describes how to install the oracle-validated RPM if you have access to Unbreakable Linux Network (ULN)

If you're installing Oracle Enterprise Linux, to run Oracle Database 10g or 11g, following the steps Avi outlined will save you time. Especially if you don't have access to ULN.

Follow the installation process as normal until you get to the first software selection screen (it lists a series of tasks that you can add support for, and has an option at the bottom: "Customize Later" and "Customize Now"
Select the "Customize Now" option and click Next

Select "Base System" in the left-hand list and then "System Tools" in the right hand list. Click the checkbox next to "System Tools", then click the "Optional Packages" button.

Scroll down and select the "oracle-validated" package and click "Close"

Avi continues: "You can now click "next" and continue the installation as normal. This also creates the oracle user/groups, sets up sysctl.conf, limits.conf, etc. It's fairly nifty." I followed these steps using the Oracle Enterprise Linux 5, Update 3 DVD I downloaded via edelivery.oracle.com, and it works like a breeze. Here's a final screen shot of the installer looking happy:

Oracle's Linux Contributions

2009-01-09T20:40:42Z

This recently posted page summarizes some of the contributions Oracle's Linux developers make to Linux and the community in general, including:

OCFS2
BTRFS
Libstdc++
NFS on IPv6
RDS
T10-DIF Data Integrity
Etc.

I speak with prospects, customers, and partners on a regular basis and when I tell them that we have people at Oracle who's sole job it is to work on open source software, they are often very surprised. I'm glad this was posted.

Free Oracle Enterprise Linux Downloads Now Also in DVD Format

2008-11-17T17:32:18Z

In a previous post, I mentioned that DVDs of Oracle Enterprise Linux are only availably for purchase via the Unbreakable Linux Store. I was incorrect. As of Oracle Enterprise Linux 4, Update 7, we now offer DVDs as a free download.

Quick and Dirty Inline Charts and RATIO_TO_REPORT

2008-10-24T15:54:33Z

Another post from the archives...

HTML Expressions is a feature in the Application Express reporting engine that lets you apply an HTML mask to a column value in a report. In the HTML Expression, you refer to the column value using #COLUMN_NAME#. Recently, I saw this used to create neat inline bar charts like the one below:

To create this example, I used the following query based on the Issue Tracker data model:

select pname, 
       cnt_issues,
       ratio_to_report (cnt_issues) over () * 100 issues_chart,
       round (ratio_to_report (cnt_issues) over () * 100, 1) issues_ratio
  from (
select p.person_name pname, count(*) cnt_issues 
  from ht_issues i, ht_people p
 where i.assigned_to = p.person_id
 group by p.person_name
  )

I then edited the column attritbues for the ISSUES_CHART column and placed the following HTML in the the HTML Expression field:

In this HTML with CSS style declarations, the width:100px in the beginning controls the maximum length in pixels of each bar in the chart and background:#dddddd makes the background grey. The width="#ISSUES_CHART#" controls the actual length of the green part of the bar by using the value of issues_chart from the result set.

Installing oracle-validated from an Oracle Enterprise Linux DVD using yum

2008-10-22T21:10:09Z

In an earlier post, I mentioned that the Enterprise Linux 5 Update 2 installation media have the oracle-validated RPM on it. The same is true for the Enterprise Linux 4 Update 7 media.

If you don't have access to ULN, and you want to install oracle-validated including its dependencies, here's a quick way to set up yum to use an Oracle Enterprise Linux DVD that doesn't require copying all RPMs from the DVD. I performed the following steps using Oracle Enterprise Linux 5, Update 2 x86-64, as root:

# mkdir /media/disk
Insert EL5.2 DVD (or attach to your Oracle VM guest)
# mount /dev/cdrom /media/disk

Edit /etc/yum.conf, adding the following section:

[EL5.2 DVD]
name = Enterprise Linux 5.2 DVD
baseurl=file:///media/disk/Server/
gpgcheck=1
enabled=1

# yum install oracle-validated

~~Note that edelivery.oracle.com/linux offers only free CD downloads of Oracle Enterprise Linux. The Unbreakable Linux Store. has DVDs for a nominal (shipping only) fee~~. DVDs are available as a free download starting with Oracle Enterprise Linux 4, Update 7. All other releases and updates can be for a nominal (shipping only) fee.

Point

2008-09-30T23:10:13Z

Wim has one.

Search Through Region Source in Application Express

2008-09-30T22:46:34Z

As I was working to migrate an application and its theme over to Application Express 3.1.2 from 2.1.2 I needed to move some images around and update the references accordingly. I remembered that the Application Builder has a feature to search through region source, which came in handy.

Here's where you can find it:

I could have used this type of feature to search through templates as well. If anyone from the APEX team is reading this...