Re: Recommended hardware for 9i on Linux, at home

"Roger Redford" <dba_222_at_yahoo.com> wrote in message news:a8c29269.0304051812.5ed59313_at_posting.google.com...
> Dear experts,
>
> I'm planning to buy a Pentium 4 computer for
> home and install Linux and Oracle 9i.
>
> I don't want to chisel on the resources.
> What is recommended for such a configuration?
> Memory, disk space, CPU speed?

If not skimping on the specs is your goal, then 1GB of RAM will certainly do Oracle the power of good. Depends on your motherboard, of course. But more RAM never did anyone any harm! Disk space? You need 3GB for Oracle (just the executables, with a bit of slack room for comfort). For the database, how long's a piece of string? It all depends... But an 80GB hard disk will certainly see you through most conceivable home uses. It would be nice (speaking from experience) to purchase a hardware RAID controller (el cheapo), and then have two 80GB hard drives in a RAID 0 configuration. Given IDE constraints, it would still then be possible to purchase 4 of the blighters and have a RAID 0 + 1 configuration.... striping, plus mirroring, is the best of all possible worlds.

Please bear in mind that if the Oracle installation is used for anything other than playing and experimenting, it needs to be licensed properly (costing, probably, big bucks).

CPU speed?? Anything in the Pentium IV, 2GHz+ will be ample. Currently, I have a spare 1GHz Celeron going great guns with 400GB of data..., and I couldn't wish for anything better. So a cheapo Pentium IV 2.56GHz will definitely make you a happy bunny.

>Should a gig of
> memory be alright? Are some hardware brands
> better than others for Linux?

OK, here is where I upset all the Linux cheerleaders. Linux support for hardware is pretty crappy. That which works without blinking in Windows, has to be cajoled and persuaded to work in Linux. I'm not saying it can't be gotten to work (says the man who has Linux on his iPaq). But it isn't pleasant.

Have a look at sites such as redhat.com, and see their lists of "approved" hardware to minimise the grief.

Regrettably, I found that a box with much more than a hard disk, a CD ROM and a network card was going to be a fist fight. Linux really isn't ready for the desktop, but as a server platform it rocks. Which means you might end up doing what I did: keep the high-end hardware and fun-and-games for a Windows box (client), and use a rather lower specc'd box as your Oracle server platform.

>
> Also, which versions of Linux and Oracle work well
> together, and behave on installation?

Well, obviously Oracle only supports things like Red Hat Advanced Server (and Suse's equivalent). But I would recommend Oracle 9i and Red Hat 8.0. There's a glitch in the installation which is easily remedied (and I posted the remedy just a two weeks ago, so google.com will have it archived, I expect). But it's stable, robust and bloody fast.

But you'll have equally little difficulty getting it to work on Mandrake 9 (though since that company has gone belly-up, I wouldn't recommend it) or Suse (nice distro, shame about the interface(s).).

Regards
HJR Received on Sat Apr 05 2003 - 22:23:08 CST