dbassist - Linux 8.1.5

Forgive my ignorance - I am new to the world of Oracle. I've just installed Oracle 8.1.5 on my Linux server, and have been scouring all the HTML docs on the Oracle CD to try to understand how to do the basics:

1. create a database
2. start a database
3. destroy a database
4. repeat 1,2, and 3 as needed for needed testing.

There is a tool called 'dbassist' shipped with 8.1.5 - It's a Java GUI that steps you through "building" a new database. Unfortunately, when I used this tool, it took more than 2 hours to build a database! Seems extremely unreasonable. Also, this process sucks up more than 700 MB of memory!!! And leaves processes running that I do not think are needed to run a database.

Reading more into the documentation I see where there is a way to create a database with sqlplus - create database. It looks like the way to do this is by creating a parameter file and passing this to that sql statement.

I'm not having a lot of luck yet, but was wondering if someone could just point out if I am heading in the right direction, or if I'm wrong. Also, how long should a database create take? Is my experience with 'dbassist' common to others' experience.

Thanks

-- 
Bill Geddes                            
  bill_geddes_at_agilent.com
  (719) 590-3556