Forms Server Install on Redhat Linux 7.0

Question

I am attempting to install Forms6i/Reports6i/Graphics6i on my Linux Box.
I already have a 8.1.6 Database configured and running.
After downloading the tar file and extracting it I am having trouble with the installation of the software. The Guide refers to running the orainstal shell script in the orinstall directory. Well when I execute the script I get a Character Installer and I was expecting the Java based Gui Installer such as the one with Oracle 8i DB. I cannot get the oraviewer program to work either for I wanted to see if there were some other setting I am not executing correctly.
When I continue with the Char Installer it has trouble finding a lib called X11m.a or something (Motif related).
Does Forms 6i require Motif? If so where and how do I get it for my Linux box? Are there any work arounds for this.
Any help is greatly apprecicated.
Thanks

Answer 1

Hello Shawn,
Yes, you need motif libraries. You can obtain it for free from: http://www.metrolink.com/products/Motif/download.html
I installed both runtime and development packages.
Aditionally you may ned to have X-devel packages installed.
After struggling with Forms installation on my linux machine I managed to do this, but let me tell you that it's not so simple. First of all please excuse my bad English, I'm not a native speaker. Anyway that's how I did it.
I assume that you downloaded the file d2k6irelease2.tar from technet. This file includes Forms 6i rel. 2 Server and Developer.
I managed to install this on my RedHat 7.1 machine having already installed Oracle 8.1.7 database Server.
First of I created a separate user which owns Forms Server software. I set this user as belonging to the same group ("dba" in my case) as the oracle database software owner. (On my machine I have "oracle" user which owns databse server belonging to the "dba" group and "forms" user belonging also to the "dba" group). You must set your environment like this (in ".bash-profile" in my case):
-- Begin .bash_profile file
# .bash_profile
# Get the aliases and functions
if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then
. ~/.bashrc
fi
# User specific environment and startup programs
unset LANG
PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin
BASH_ENV=$HOME/.bashrc
ORACLE_BASE=/oracle
ORACLE_HOME=$ORACLE_BASE/product/forms
ORACLE_SID=forms
ORACLE_AUTOREG=$ORACLE_HOME/guicommon/tk60/admin
TNS_ADMIN=$ORACLE_HOME/network/admin/tnsnames.ora
ORACLE_TERM=vt220
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$ORACLE_HOME/lib:/lib:/usr/lib
TWO_TASK=oratest
MMTK_AVIPLAYER="xanim %s &"
PATH=$PATH:$ORACLE_HOME/bin
DISPLAY=TEST_MACHINE:0.0
export ORACLE_BASE ORACLE_HOME LD_LIBRARY_PATH TWO_TASK MMTK_AVIPLAYER
export TNS_ADMIN DISPLAY ORACLE_AUTOREG ORACLE_TERM ORACLE_SID
export BASH_ENV PATH
unset USERNAME
-- End .bash_profile file
As you can see I set up ORACLE_BASE to the same ORACLE_BASE as database software ORACLE_BASE, a new ORACLE_HOME, a dummy ORACLE_SID, TWO_TASK to the sid of your 8.1.6 server instance, TNS_ADMIN pointing to a directory which I created manually before starting the installer (see below my "tnsnames.ora" file under this manually created directory), ORACLE_AUTOREG, ORACLE_TERM, DISPLAY set to your_hostname:0.0, LD_LIBRARY_PATH as seen, MMTK_AVIPLAYER is for playing ".avi' files (I didn't tried this). You may need to "chmod 775" on your $ORACLE_HOME directory from the database user account.
-- Begin "tnsnames.ora" file
ORATEST =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = TEST_MACHINE)(PORT = 1521))
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = oratest)
EXTPROC_CONNECTION_DATA =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = IPC)(KEY = EXTPROC))
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SID = PLSExtProc)
(PRESENTATION = RO)
-- End "tnsnames.ora" file
I untared d2k6irelease2.tar under a subdirectory created under "forms" home directory. In "unixdoc/Server" directory you will find linux_svr.pdf instructions for installation of Forms server and under "unixdoc/Developer" you will find linux_dev.pdf instructions for Developer Server. "oraview" didn't worked for me either. GUI installer didn't worked for me either. Chnaging to orainst you may issue ./orainst command and start the installation in character mode (I did not even started an X session). I choosed default install, do not create database objects (I think you will be able to install later this objects by running some sql scripts, I didn't). And I choosed all components presented and all options and default port parameters. You will also be prompted to confirm locations of the motif libraries. I choosed http mode for forms server. Do not install Reports security feature (I've heard that it's not working, this option will be presented to you somewhere at the end of installation). After finishing you may need to edit "forms60_server" file and some other files. For example I had to change my "host_name.domain_name" (in my case was "TEST_MACHINE.(none)") to my IP address as I don't have a DNS server here.
That's what I did to test forms server:
I wanted to test my Forms server by running Apache web server (the one that is installed by default by linux). (in the documetation you will find references to the WebDB listener which as far as I know is no longer installed in release 2, so the documentation is obsolete regarding this module). For this you will have to edit /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf file. Look for the section "Alias" and "AliasScript". under your forms $ORACLE_HOME/orainst you will find two files "forms6iconfig.txt" and "reports6iconfig.txt". You will find there actions to be performed by you manually. in "forms6iconfig.txt" file you will find virtual mappings for physical directories. You have to put this entries in "httpd.conf" file. You must edit this file as "root". For example 'Alias /dev60temp/ "/oracle/product/forms/tools/web60/temp/"'. The exception I made was for "/dev60cgi" virtaul mapping which I've put under ScriptAlias section 'ScriptAlias /dev60cgi/ "/oracle/product/forms/tools/web60/cgi/"'.
After succesfully editing the file you will ned to restart http server:
#/etc/rc.d/init.d/httpd restart
Login again as "forms" user.
In $ORACLE_HOME directory isuue:
$./forms60_server start
This will start your forms server listener.
After that you can test your forms server running from an external machine by entering: http://ip_addres_of_linux_machine/dev60html/runform.htm
and after completing parameters you will see "text.fmx" form applet saying that Forms server is installed corectlly or directly: http://ip_addres_of_linux_machine/dev60cgi/f60cgi
You have to install Jinitiator to view the applet. It will be prompted for you to download it when accessing the above address.
To be honest I was disapointed to see that forms server is very slow. And I mean very slow.
In the end please let me excuse if I wasn't clear in some points. If you have any questions please post them on the list. I'm not an expert and I may have made mistakes, but in the same time I hope this will help you setting up forms server on your linux box.
I forgot to mention that you will probably see a message saying that "formsweb.cfg was not found" when accesing "http://..../f60cgi". If you see this you have to options: either make a symlink "forms60" in the root directory to $ORACLE_HOME/forms60 directory or add a line in your "httpd.conf" file (I put this lines the last ones):
#Include 6iserver configuration file for setting formsweb.cfg path
include "/developer_home/conf/6iserver.conf"
And in $ORACLE_HOME create a directory named "conf". In this directory create a file named "6iserver.conf" and put the following line in it:
SetEnv FORMS60_WEB_CONFIG_FILE /developer_home/forms60/server/formsweb.cfg
This will set your environment correctly and you will be able to see the test form. Don't forget to restart apache web server and forms listener.
Kindly,
Codrut Octavian Popescu