Re: Oracle on Linux. I need the required SCO files.

In article <3353D75B.1AA1_at_klarsprak.se>,

        Daniel Lundin <daniel_at_klarsprak.se> wrote:

>I didn't buy Oracle myself as I'm investigating the possibilities for a
>client wether Linux is a suitable Oracle platform or not.

Save yourself time. The answer is no.

Even if Linux's iBCS2 *could* run this Oracle (and the fact it needs kernel rebuilding tools likely indicates otherwise), Oracle will not provide support running under Linux. The first time you call Oracle support and they sense a problem with the interface to an OS they don't know, your client is out in the cold. If one's business runs on a database, they probably don't want to confront this scenario.

Until Oracle comes out and says "we support Linux as a platform" it is unwise to put a business-critical Oracle database on Linux, even if it is physically capable of working. I'd say the same for Progress, which I *know* can run under Linux -- it's too much of a gamble if something goes wrong and you need the DB vendor's support.

If running a business-critical database under Linux is *that* important to you, consider those vendors who *do* support Linux. Software AG, no slouch of a DB vendor itself, supports its ADABAS D system under Linux. So do other vendors.

>My client did of course pay for it,

You mean they bought the DB before they knew on what platform it was to run? How strange.

>and as you put it it _should_ be Oracle's
>responsibility to support it on Linux,

It's not their responsibility to support anything they don't want to.

>If anyone has a
>good answer to why on earth they don't support it, please tell me.

If you can convince Oracle they're losing money because they won't support Linux, they'll support it. Otherwise, not.

Oracle doesn't *owe* you a port to the platform of your choice if they don't think it will be worth the effort. How many people who like Linux because it's inexpensive will be prepared to pay $10,000 or more for a database on top of it?

>Maybe
>someone at Oracle has some answers? It's a trivial thing to make the SCO
>Oracle version run on Linux,

And pray tell, how do you know this? You've already stated that Oracle requires the tools to modify the SCO kernel -- this doesn't sound like just a trivial port, especially if Oracle does cute things like use raw partitions.

>If one has stolen an Oracle product, which is pretty much pointless
>without support and upgrades, he'd be one stupid *INSERT SUITABLE WORD
>HERE* posting on comp.databases.oracle about it, right?
>Jeez....

Jeez indeed. On one hand you're trying to install Oracle on a *known* *unsupported* platform, on the other hand you admit Oracle is useless without support.

Which is it?

If support is important, you *cannot* pick Oracle and Linux together at this time. Pick a different OS or a different DBMS. It's that simple.

-- 
  Evan Leibovitch, Sound Software Ltd, located in beautiful Brampton, Ontario
 Supporting PC-based Unix since 1985 / Caldera & SCO authorized / www.telly.org
    "Windows for Dummies" isn't just a book title, it's Microsoft philosophy