The Oracle Installer
No matter what hardware platform Oracle is to be installed on, installer software is provided as part of the installation media. Normally, this installer software is called orainst ; it may be called orainst, orainst.exe, orainst.com, and so on, depending on the operating system naming standards for executable files. Although the Oracle installer may look different or operate differently on different hardware platforms, its basic function is essentially the same. The Oracle installer will:
Install Oracle software components
Optionally create a starter database
Perform operating system functions required to run Oracle
Depending on your operating system and hardware, the installer may be offered in one or more of the following modes:
- Character mode
This variation of the installer is the most common and is intended to run on plain, character-based terminals like a VT-100. The character mode installer uses few graphics (other than line characters) and requires only a keyboard to operate.
- Windows mode
On Windows-based machines (e.g., Intel machines running Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT), a native Windows installation program is provided, which takes full advantage of Windows functionality, including a graphical user interface (GUI), which generally requires a keyboard and a mouse.
- Motif mode
This type of installer is common on Unix implementations, and is also called X Windows. It is similar to a Windows implementation, and takes advantage of the Motif GUI. The Motif mode installer requires an X terminal (or X terminal emulation) with a keyboard and a mouse.
Tip
Strictly speaking, a mouse is not necessary to run the installer under Windows or Motif. The keyboard can be used to position the cursor, but this is very cumbersome and is not often done.
When multiple installers are available, the Oracle Installation and User’s Guide for your platform will explain how to run each installer. In general, the mode chosen affects the look and feel of the installer, but the installer functionality is the same regardless of the mode you select.