Re: native Oracle-port on Linux -- what would it take?

From: Brian Wheeler <bdwheele_at_indiana.edu>
Date: 1997/12/18
Message-ID: <67bagh$nfq$2@dismay.ucs.indiana.edu>#1/1

In article <01bd0b3a$6cfa65c0$66601b26_at_sfinance3>,

        "S V" <sv1_at_mindspring.com> writes:
>
>
> D. Jeff Dionne <jeff_at_maribor.pfnet.com> wrote in article
> <34982AEE.775D2EF5_at_maribor.pfnet.com>...

>> [chop]
>> > > strange really; it has become a FAQ how to install SCO binaries on
>> > > Linux and quite a few sources say that most large companies or
>> > > companies that have anything to do with the Internet, use Linux -- 
>> > > yet
>> > > Oracle are unable to deliver a Linux version of their database.
>> > 
>> > Linux is missing many features for any OS to be worth considering
>> > as a viable database platform.
>> 
>> Yet it runs just fine under iBCS emulation on Linux...

>
> "fine" in your terminology probably means "just being able to pop it up".
>
> And in any case we discuss the native Oracle port, not the one
> which runs under SCO libraries.

        Since you obviously don't know what you're talking about, I'll give you a clue:

        iBCS is a way to run other OS binaries on Linux. The *LINUX* system calls are used, instead of the _real_ OS's system calls. There's really not much emulation to it. In any case, since linux is really doing all the work (the libraries are just calling Linux instead of the OS in question), LINUX IS CAPABLE OF RUNNING ORACLE. In fact, it has done so. That is not to say that a native port of it wouldn't be a good thing (there is some overhead to iBCS) but if the SCO version of Oracle works ok on the Linux kernel, then all the features available to Oracle in SCO should also be available to Oracle on Linux.

>

>> > 1.  Linux has no logical volumes layer.
>> > 2.  Linux has no transaction-oriented filesystem.
>> 
>> So write support for these, however...
>> It runs just fine under iBCS emulation on Linux...

>
> see above
>
>

>> > 3.  Linux has no support for raw devices - hence NO even remote 
>> > possibility
>> >      to run Oracle Parallel Server.
>> 
>> Have no idea what you mean.  raw devices work just fine on Linux,
>> tar -xvf /dev/fd0 for instance?  Works fine.

>
> you have no clue what "raw device" means. /dev/fd0 is block device.
> Oracle needs character devices for disk partitions.
> Do you have in Linux something like /dev/rhda1 (character device)
> in addition to /dev/hda1(block device?). NO.
> So go buy a clue, dude

        The only real difference between /dev/hda1 and /dev/rhda1 (as you put it), is the fact hda1 is block and buffered, and a proper raw device (you're calling rhda1) is a char device and unbuffered. Ever heard of a filesystem device? I assume Oracle supports them. Sybase does. No raw device really needed.

Brian Wheeler
bdwheele_at_indiana.edu Received on Thu Dec 18 1997 - 00:00:00 CST