Oracle Database 19c installations on Oracle Linux require several operating-system packages, kernel parameters, users, groups, and other prerequisites. Oracle provides the oracle-database-preinstall-19c RPM to simplify this preparation.
This package automatically configures many of the required operating-system prerequisites and installs the necessary dependency packages through the configured repositories.
What Is the Oracle Database Preinstall RPM?
The oracle-database-preinstall-19c RPM is provided by Oracle for Oracle Linux environments. Installing it helps prepare the operating system before installing Oracle Database 19c.
The RPM can configure prerequisites such as:
- Required Oracle users and groups
- Kernel parameters
- Resource limits
- Required operating-system packages
- Oracle installation prerequisites
- Other OS-level configuration required for Oracle Database 19c
Instead of manually configuring each prerequisite, you can install the preinstallation RPM and allow dnf to resolve the required dependencies.
Download the Oracle Database 19c Preinstall RPM
For Oracle Linux 9, the RPM is available from the Oracle Linux 9 AppStream repository.
Use the following command to download it:
https://yum.oracle.com/repo/OracleLinux/OL9/appstream/x86_64/getPackage/oracle-database-preinstall-19c-1.0-1.el9.x86_64.rpm
curl -o oracle-database-preinstall-19c-1.0-1.el9.x86_64.rpm \
https://yum.oracle.com/repo/OracleLinux/OL9/appstream/x86_64/getPackage/oracle-database-preinstall-19c-1.0-1.el9.x86_64.rpm
After downloading, verify that the RPM exists:
ls -lh oracle-database-preinstall-19c-1.0-1.el9.x86_64.rpm
You should see the downloaded RPM file:
oracle-database-preinstall-19c-1.0-1.el9.x86_64.rpm
Install the Preinstall RPM
Install the package using dnf:
dnf -y localinstall oracle-database-preinstall-19c-1.0-1.el9.x86_64.rpm
The localinstall operation installs the local RPM while allowing dnf to resolve and install any required dependencies from your configured repositories.
This is important because you do not need to manually download every dependency package.
Recommended Repository Configuration
Before installing the RPM, make sure the Oracle Linux repositories required for your environment are enabled and accessible.
You can check the configured repositories with:
dnf repolist
For example:
dnf repolist enabled
If the required repositories are available, dnf can automatically retrieve missing dependencies during installation.
Verify the Installation
After installation, verify that the package is installed:
rpm -qa | grep oracle-database-preinstall-19c
You can also use:
dnf list installed oracle-database-preinstall-19c
Expected output will show the installed package and version:
oracle-database-preinstall-19c.x86_64
Check Oracle User and Groups
The preinstallation RPM creates/configures the Oracle operating-system user and required groups.
Check the Oracle user:
id oracle
You can also check the configured Oracle groups:
getent group oinstall
getent group dba
The exact groups available can depend on the Oracle Linux/package configuration.
Check Kernel Parameters
The preinstallation RPM also configures required kernel parameters.
You can review them with:
sysctl -a | grep -E 'fs.file-max|kernel.sem|net.ipv4.ip_local_port_range'
For example:
sysctl -a | grep kernel.sem
To review the configuration files:
cat /etc/sysctl.conf
and:
ls -l /etc/sysctl.d/
Check Resource Limits
Oracle Database requires appropriate operating-system resource limits.
Check the configured limits:
grep -i oracle /etc/security/limits.conf
Also review any Oracle-specific configuration under:
ls -l /etc/security/limits.d/
Complete Installation Flow
For a new Oracle Linux 9 server, the basic process can be summarized as:
# 1. Download the Oracle 19c preinstall RPM
curl -o oracle-database-preinstall-19c-1.0-1.el9.x86_64.rpm \
https://yum.oracle.com/repo/OracleLinux/OL9/appstream/x86_64/getPackage/oracle-database-preinstall-19c-1.0-1.el9.x86_64.rpm
# 2. Install the RPM and resolve dependencies
dnf -y localinstall oracle-database-preinstall-19c-1.0-1.el9.x86_64.rpm
# 3. Verify installation
rpm -qa | grep oracle-database-preinstall-19c
# 4. Verify Oracle user
id oracle
# 5. Verify groups
getent group oinstall
getent group dba
Important Considerations
1. Ensure Repository Access
The server must be able to access the configured Oracle Linux repositories if dependencies are not already installed.
2. Use the Correct RPM for the OS Version
The RPM shown in this article is specifically for Oracle Linux 9 x86_64:
oracle-database-preinstall-19c-1.0-1.el9.x86_64.rpm
Do not use an EL8 RPM on an Oracle Linux 9 server.
3. Check the Package Version
Oracle can update packages in its repositories. Always verify the currently available Oracle Linux 9 package if you are performing a new installation.
4. Review the OS After Installation
Although the preinstallation RPM automates much of the preparation, always review the operating-system configuration against the requirements for your specific Oracle Database 19c deployment.
Conclusion
The Oracle Database 19c preinstallation RPM provides a convenient way to prepare an Oracle Linux 9 server for an Oracle Database 19c installation.
Rather than manually downloading and installing every prerequisite package, you can download the RPM directly from the Oracle Linux 9 AppStream repository and install it with dnf. The package manager will then resolve the required dependencies through the configured repositories.
The basic commands are:
curl -o oracle-database-preinstall-19c-1.0-1.el9.x86_64.rpm \
https://yum.oracle.com/repo/OracleLinux/OL9/appstream/x86_64/getPackage/oracle-database-preinstall-19c-1.0-1.el9.x86_64.rpm
dnf -y localinstall oracle-database-preinstall-19c-1.0-1.el9.x86_64.rpm
This provides a simple and repeatable starting point for preparing Oracle Linux 9 for Oracle Database 19c.
