Upgrade to APEX 4.2.3 apexins_con.sql gets: catconInit: database is not open Unexpected error encountered in catconInit; exiting

Question

Upgrade to APEX 4.2.3 apexins_con.sql gets Unexpected error encountered in catconInit; exiting
I am attempting to install/upgrade apex 4.2.3 under Oracle12c in a Multi-Tenant configuration.
Here are the environmental details
Windows 7 64 bit
Apex 4.2.3
ORCL: CDB$ROOT
PDBORCL: PDB$SEED
Here is the current states of the pluggable databases
SQL> SELECT NAME,OPEN_MODE,TOTAL_SIZE/1024/1024/1024 FROM V$PDBS;
NAME                           OPEN_MODE  TOTAL_SIZE/1024/1024/1024
PDB$SEED                       READ ONLY                 .263671875
PDBORCL                        READ WRITE                .366210938
SQL>
This is the command that I am using to re-install/upgrade APEX:
# remove 4.2.2 installation
cd M:\apex_4.2.3\apex_4.2.3_en\apex
sqlplus /@ORCL as sysdba
@apxremov.sql   <<  this was successful
quit
Install 4.2.3 installation
sqlplus /@ORCL as sysdba
@apexins_con.sql i10wrk SYSAUX SYSAUX TEMP /i/  << this failed
The APEX  installation fails immediately with the following message:
catconInit: database is not open
Unexpected error encountered in catconInit; exiting
I cannot determine which database is not open.  Both my CDB$ROOT and PDBORCL are reported as open (READ WRITE Mode).
Here is my Container database
SQL>  SELECT SYS_CONTEXT ('USERENV', 'CON_NAME') FROM DUAL;
SYS_CONTEXT('USERENV','CON_NAME')
CDB$ROOT
SQL> select instance_name,status from v$instance;
INSTANCE_NAME    STATUS
orcl             OPEN
SQL>
Here is the associated Pluggable Database
sqlplus /@PDBORCL as sysdba
SQL> select instance_name,status from v$instance;
INSTANCE_NAME    STATUS
orcl             OPEN
SQL> ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE PDBORCL OPEN;
ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE PDBORCL OPEN
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-65019: pluggable database PDBORCL already open
I am confused…. Which database is not open?
The PDB$SEED is open in (READ ONLY) mode, but that is simply the template database.  I don't think that ever needs to be open in (Read Write) mode.

Answer 1

sbing52,
I cannot vouch for the specific error that is being returned by catcon.pl, but I would try the following in your situation.
1. It seems you connect to CDB$ROOT and ran apxremov.sql. This only removed the common APEX option from CDB$ROOT. Your PDB is now in an inconsistent state, since APEX is no longer in the root. I would reconnect to CDB$ROOT and run apxremov_con.sql, make sure you use the one from the 4.2.3 distribution. The one in the ORACLE home will not work.
2. I would then re-run apexins_con.sql connect to CDB$ROOT. Also, you need to pass the proper parameters. Why are you passing i10wrk? You should be invoking it like:
@apexins_con.sql SYSAUX SYSAUX TEMP /i/
Regards,
Jason