Oracle 11g R2 response file example

After installing the Operating System (in my case usually Red Hat Enterprise Linux or Oracle Enterprise Linux) and configuring all necessary parameters, one has to install the Oracle software. It is usually a good idea to use a response file to do this.

There are a few reasons to use a response file:
The installation is reproducible (the most important point)
No X server is necessary when using a response file with the Oracle Universal Installer (OUI)
The installation is easily scriptable
Strictly enforcing the OFA or other policies on all hosts is much easier

So after extracting the archive with the software downloaded from the Oracle website, we usually find anexample response file in the response/ folder of the software package. So here is an example of a response file:

oracle.install.option=INSTALL_DB_SWONLY UNIX_GROUP_NAME=oinstall INVENTORY_LOCATION=/home/oracle/oraInventory SELECTED_LANGUAGES=en ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/db_1 ORACLE_BASE=/u01/app/oracle oracle.install.db.InstallEdition=EE oracle.install.db.DBA_GROUP=dba oracle.install.db.OPER_GROUP=dba SECURITY_UPDATES_VIA_MYORACLESUPPORT=false DECLINE_SECURITY_UPDATES=true

Note that this is a very minimalistic response file, where only the software is installed (no database is created). Please refer to the Oracle documentation and the response file that Oracle provides as part of their software delivery package.

To install the software, execute the ./runInstaller script with the parameters “-silent -reponseFile <full_path_to_file>“. See this post for more information on the syntax.

When I tried to install a 11g database with the -silent and -responsefile options, I received the following error:

[SEVERE] - Email Address Not Specified

Obviously, I needed to specify an e-mail address for My Oracle Support. Lets have a look in the responsefile:

SECURITY_UPDATES_VIA_MYORACLESUPPORT=false
DECLINE_SECURITY_UPDATES=true

Hmm, in my opinion, I do not need to specify an e-mail address. Or do I?

In a thread of the Oracle Technology Network I then found the solutions for my woes:

./runInstaller -silent -responseFile=D:/install/response/db_only_software.rsp

does NOT work! The responsefile needs to be specified as follows:

./runInstaller -silent -responseFile D:/install/response/db_only_software.rsp

Response File
Description

db_install.rsp
Silent installation of Oracle Database 11g
dbca.rsp
Silent installation of Database Configuration Assistant
netca.rsp
Silent installation of Oracle Net Configuration Assistant