Re: Oracle Critical Patch Update Advisory - July 2011
Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2011 07:36:59 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <74e76f83-e6ce-4742-9a9f-d9a7f487afe5_at_1g2000vbu.googlegroups.com>
Indy:
# I'm new to the Oracle world so help me out. When I try to download the Oracle patches it ask me for my support contract ID. I don't have one so does that mean I can not download patches without a contract?
...
Yes sir.
Oracle provides base level releases for the database software pretty much wide open ( no hidden time based deactivations for example ) to people who sign up for Oracle Technology membership.
After a while though the base release functionality gets left behind pretty quickly with necessary maintenance and software fixes.
Oracle only allows people with valid support contracts to download fixes to base releases and patches and security fixes etc at least as far as the Oracle database software goes. Java which Oracle also owns is a somewhat different story.
The current 11.2 database software for example came out as 11.2.0.1 and that base release is freely downloadable ( for members ). However you really want to be running and testing 11.2.02 and probably 11.2.0.2.3 ... you need a support contract to get that. Received on Mon Aug 22 2011 - 09:36:59 CDT