Sunday, May 15, 2005

For the brave...

For those, living on the edge, Fedora Core 4 has been released to test. Maybe you download, install and try to get Oracle installed and running?
Should be something of a challenge, as with Linux growing, new versions of the Compiler, and compiler libraries are released, causing problems with previously built software (like Oracle, but undoubtly many more).
I'll stay with White Box Linux, if only for the fact WBL is built off the Red Hat sources. I have done my share of FC1, 2 and 3 installs and Oracle configurations (FC3 and Oracle 10g Database without a glitch, by the way), and do not find it challenging anymore.
It's the ease of installation on fairly new notebook models that counts nowadays, and in that respect, you should check FC4 out. It's got Gnome 2.1 or KDE 3.4, and GCC 4. Oracle prefers 2.96 - see the dark clouds yet?
Oh - don't forget: you can also check out White Box Enterprise Linux 4 RC 1... Be sure to read the WBL home page on what WBL is not, and when you should buy Red Hat's bundles.

3 comments:

Noons said...

So, what happens when Oracle requires gcc2.4 and you got gcc 4 for the rest? Do you create *two* gcc's? But you can have only one ln -s to the right one,so it's a RPITA...
Would be nice if all these crazy dependencies on C-library version disappeared: bad karma if I ever saw one!

Frank said...

well, for one, you could have a symbolic link, and see if gcc 4 will resolve the same dependencies as 2.96.
As 3 already did no, I doubt it, but you never know.
If that fails, you should install gcc 2.96 *for the duration of the linking old oracle*. I usually don't do a lot of kernel building and relinking on a system with Oracle installed (that happens beforehand), so on my systems gcc 2.96 ends being installed permanently

Noons said...

The thing that worries me mostly with all these gcc dependencies of Oracle is this:

OK, I install the brain-damaged version Oracle wants and "ln -s"
(create a symbolic link for the uninitiated) to it so now "gcc" is brain-dead as well.

12 months from now, I have to install some weird patch to RH which is dependent on gcc being at level 4.

How much do you bet I won't remember I retro-fitted gcc for the stupid Oracle patches?

Why on EARTH is Oracle leaving the door wide open to this kind of problem? Ridiculous! It's like the bad old days of proprietary operating systems!
*rant/*