Rating: 
Summary: Best Linux / Oracle Installation Package to date.
Review: (Really 4.5 Stars - some issues still remain)I have installed and uninstalled Oracle/8i on my Red Hat Linux system (5) five times successfully using these instructions. Now, after experimenting, Oracle resides on my Linux box in the correct location(/db/oracle8i) Here is what you get and do not get from this book. You are advised to follow the installation precisely, and to install oracle8i in a directory called: /usr/oracle. This is not the most appropriate place for most systems - but it works. The problems begin when reinstalling the software to the change the home directory. The oracle unistall program does not remove all existing files and directories so your oracle DB is inaccessible the second time around. (Steve skirts around all trouble shooting issues) The ORACLE CDROM documentation, however, shows this fix and many more. (Remember to delete all of the .ora files and oracle directories before a new install) Plus there is no mention of DB Assistant hanging endlessly at the end of the installer program. (The CDROM documentation clearly states this is a known bug under Linux - but Steve doesn't - So use the dbassist script/ program after the install.) Finally, For those of you having trouble. Try this. Delete all of the oracle files and directories. Start over again, this time call the user something different, such as: oracle8i Call the SID: oralin2 (2nd database) Then try Steve's directions again. It worked for me. Back to the review - For under $50 dollars, you get the real deal, the Oracle8i/Linux Enterprise Edition, and, some decent instructions too. Just add patience and little sweat and Oracle8i/Linux will work for you too. Remember: You're not in Windows anymore, Totto. With a few minor revisions and some basic troubleshooting help, this book could be the definitive Oracle8i/Linux installation guide that new Linux developers have been waiting for.
Rating: 
Summary: Decent Oracle8i Introduction Book
Review: After trying for several days to install Oracle8i 8.6.1 that shipped with the book on RedHat 7.0, I found out that there is a glibc incompatability between Oracle and RedHat 7.0. ...Great, thanks RedHat...their suggestion is to downgrade to RH6.2. Why is there no comment about this at Osborne? Downgraded to RH 6.2 and Oracle installed, finally. This book is great, I would have given it 4 stars, but for the lack of support from Osborne in trying to solve my problem. If you are going to ship (and charge for) software with your books, Osborne, you better be prepared to provide some support!
Rating: 
Summary: The install procedure is wrong!
Review: Bobrowski should improve the install procedure, the install procedure printed in this book is worthless. Without a running database the complete book is worthless. The other guys, who rated this book obviously did'nt install ORACLE. As database trainer I can't suggest this book!
Rating:
Summary: Will Not Install
Review: Could only get the installer to load. It would not go onto the next screen. Using Mandrake 7 and every thing seems to be fine. The Oracle support URL in the book no longer exists and Oracle I don't think offers any free support of any kind. I'm taking the book back for a refund. Looks like a great book but if you can't get Oracle to install then it's useless.
Rating:
Summary: Poorly written Linux and Oracle book
Review: Don't try this at home kids. Mr. Bobrowski assumes way too much.
I tried installing the CD on both Red Hat and Slackware Linux.
I would love to have those 20 hours of life back. Page 19, Setting the Environment, Nobody, nobody tried this before the book went to press. A nightmare. This book has no value at all. I only wish Steve Bobrowski had put his email address in the book so I could give him a piece of my mind.
Rating:
Summary: Frustrations, frustrations!
Review: Had to figure out by myself why CD wasn't installing on my RedHat 7.0. (get patch from otn.oracle.com!) Wasted a lot of time when osborne could have just simply put a tip on their website. Tsk tsk...
Rating:
Summary: Frustrations, frustrations!
Review: Had to figure out by myself why CD wasn't installing on my RedHat 7.0. (get patch from otn.oracle.com!) Wasted a lot of time when osborne could have just simply put a tip on their website. Tsk tsk...
Rating: 
Summary: Definitely for those who learn by doing
Review: I already own the same book for Oracle8i on Windows NT & was again impressed with the ease of installation & learning. The book is very thorough & shows examples as well as sample problems for most situations. If you learn best by doing, this book is for you. (I would have given 5 stars, but a week after the book's release, the download material is still not available. I used the NT download for the chapter SQL scripts but the \SCRIPTS directory is not available. While it is good that I had to think to make some of the missing material work, it would make it easier to have the download available, especially since I'm not yet a Linux expert.)
Rating:
Summary: A good introduction but be wary of support.
Review: I am experiencing the same problem as the reviewer from England. The OUI is hanging at 80% during the starter database initialization phase. I have double checked everything and tried to install another database as user oracle with the $dbassist command. It too hangs at 80%. I have two linux pratitions mounted as / and /boot. The main partition is 8G. I have 256M RAM and a swap space of 512M. Do I need to create a seperate partition for Oracle somewhere? Help, I am going nuts... I am an Oracle developer with 3 years experience trying to learn the DBA for UNIX/LINUX stuff at home. The book looks quite good for basic install, setup, and tuning. I'd love to get this up and running. Please contact me at mattdegurse@hotmail.com if you have any thoughts. Thanks, Matt
Rating:
Summary: VERY GOOD BOOK
Review: I bought this book (oct-2001) & I never have oracle experiance before so this book put me on the road.All what you need is some linux basics make sure to install ORACLE8i which it comes with this book under RedHat 6.2 .I treid 7.1 but it did not work I treid to install (compat glib , compat lib ..) and change the variable ASSUME_KERNAL=2.2.4...But it did not work fine in the end of installation...the frist 3 chapters are verty easy and staight but when it comes to java programing for oralce here is the diffecult part you need to have JAVA exp. espacialy with JDBC
Thats why I rated this book 4/5. Thanks Steve for your great book!
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