APEX 3.0.1 installation on Vista

Question

Dear Forum,
I needed to work up an installation document for a tech support guy doing 12 installations for an APEX class I'm teaching. After many hours and many wrong turns, I finally got it to work. Thought I would provide it to the forum to help out others. I found many hints here that helped me. Beats the docs, that's for sure.
Warren
APEX 3.0.1 Installation Steps for Vista
1.For downloads, go to http://oracle.com/technology. Get yourself and account and then go to database downloads
2.Download the latest 10g release 2database file you can – 10.2.0.3 for Vista. Make sure you get the Standard Edition/Enterprise Edition, not the Express Edition. Unzip the files and start the installation via setup.exe in disk1. Install the Enterprise Edition, otherwise accept all the defaults. Call the database ORCL. Set the password for all users to be the same – oracle.
3.Download the latest 10g companion CD file you can – 10.2.0.3 for Vista. It will go into a different ORACLE_HOME, just accept the defaults. Install the Apache server from the Companion diskette by choosing the third option – Companion Products and then Apache Standalone.
4.Download and unzip the apex3.0.1.zip file into a directory called c:\apex_3.0.1. You can find the download link on the APEX home page - http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/database/application_express/index.html.
5.Put an icon for SQL*Plus on your desktop. Right-click on it, go to properties and set its START IN directory to c:\apex_3.0.1\apex.
6.Log in to SQL*Plus by typing /nolog in the username and clicking on OK.
7.You should be at a SQL*Plus prompt. Type: CONNECT SYS/ORACLE AS SYSDBA and hit return. Should say CONNECTED.
8.Confirm that the PL/SQL gateway is 10.1.2.0.6 (run this query: select owa_util.get_version from dual;). If not the correct version, run the owainst.sql script in the owa subdirectory in apex zip files by entering @c:\apex_3.0.1\apex\owa\owainst at the SQL prompt.
9.Then run apexins.sql by entering @apexins oracle SYSAUX SYSAUX temp /i/ at the SQL prompt. This one will take a while.
10.Copy the images directory from the apex unzip location to the ORACLE_HOME/Apache/Apache directory. This is the ORACLE_HOME for Apache HTTP Server, not for the database installation.
11.Find the dads.conf file and bring it up in an editor. Should be located in the Apache server’s ORACLE_HOME/Apache/modplsql/conf directory.
12.Add the following piece of code at the end of the dads.conf file (just copy and paste from here).
Alias /i/ "C:\oracle\product\10.2.0\cp\Apache\Apache\images/"
AddType text/xml xbl
AddType text/x-component htc
<Location /pls/apex>
Order deny,allow
PlsqlDocumentPath docs
AllowOverride None
PlsqlDocumentProcedure wwv_flow_file_mgr.process_download
PlsqlDatabaseConnectString your_machine_name.com:1521:orcl
PlsqlNLSLanguage AMERICAN_AMERICA.AL32UTF8
PlsqlAuthenticationMode Basic
SetHandler pls_handler
PlsqlDocumentTablename wwv_flow_file_objects$
PlsqlDatabaseUsername APEX_PUBLIC_USER
PlsqlDefaultPage apex
PlsqlDatabasePassword oracle
Allow from all
</Location>
Make sure the path for the images is correct and get that / at the end.
Substitute your machine name for your_machine_name.com. The port of 1521 should be OK and the database name should match the installation – ORCL.
The password should be OK from your database installation as well.
13.Start the http server from Program – etc.. Test that it is working by going to http://your_machine_name:7777. You should see the HTTP Server home page.
14.Start APEX administration – http://your_machine_name:7777/pls/apex/apex_admin. Your username is ADMIN and your password is oracle.

Answer 1

Joel,
I think that is exactly the problem. When I am am trying to do an installation, I need an end-to-end discussion of the task for the OS and version I am installing on. In looking through the forum, you can see many examples of people trying to configure an embedded PL/SQL gateway on 10g, editing httpd.conf, dads,conf or marvel.conf for the wrong version. I realize their may be a dozen or more scenarios, but the most common (like installing the entire bit on a network disconnected Windows laptop) should be covered end-to-end.
In addition the scenario of installing a 10g HTTP server from the companion CD is not covered.
Finally, it is completely unclear that the little "/" is needed at the end when defining the /i/ alias. Looks like just part of a UNIX file convention. No Windows example.
Warren