SQL*Plus Instant Client

Release Notes

Release 10.1

February 2004

1. By downloading the Basic Instant Client and SQL*Plus Instant Client packages from the Oracle Technology Network Instant Client page. The two packages should be unzipped into one directory. For example, /home/instantclient on UNIX, or c:\instantclient on Windows.

   This table shows the Oracle client-side files required to deploy the SQL*Plus Instant Client.

   Platform		Description	Package
   UNIX	Windows
   sqlplus	sqlplus.exe	SQL*Plus executable	SQL*Plus
   libsqlplus.so	not applicable	SQL*Plus library
   glogin.sql	glogin.sql	SQL*Plus site profile
   libclntsh.so.10.1	oci.dll	Client code library	Basic
   libociei.so	oraociei10.dll	OCI Instant Client data shared library
   libnnz10.so	orannzsbb10.dll	Security library

   Other files included in the Basic package may be ignored or can be removed to save disk space.

   The SQL*Plus Instant Client package should only be used with the Basic Instant Client package and should never be installed on an ORACLE_HOME.

2. By choosing the Administrator install option from the Oracle Database 10g Client CD. After the installation completes, create a new directory and copy the SQL*Plus and OCI Instant Client files to it. All libraries must be copied from the same ORACLE_HOME into one directory. For example /home/instantclient on UNIX, or c:\instantclient on Windows.

   On UNIX copy these files:

   $ORACLE_HOME/instantclient/libociei.so
   $ORACLE_HOME/lib/libclntsh.so.10.1
   $ORACLE_HOME/lib/libnnz10.so
   $ORACLE_HOME/lib/libsqlplus.so
   $ORACLE_HOME/bin/sqlplus
   $ORACLE_HOME/sqlplus/admin/glogin.sql

   On Windows copy these files:

   %ORACLE_HOME%\instantclient\oraociei10.dll
   %ORACLE_HOME%\bin\oci.dll
   %ORACLE_HOME%\bin\orannzsbb10.dll
   %ORACLE_HOME%\bin\sqlplus.exe
   %ORACLE_HOME%\sqlplus\admin\glogin.sql

1. If your operating system requires a shared library path such as LD_LIBRARY_PATH, LIBPATH or SHLIB_PATH, add the name of the directory containing the Instant Client files, and remove any other Oracle directories.
   For example on Solaris:

   LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/home/instantclient:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}
   export LD_LIBRARY_PATH

2. Add the directory to the PATH environment variable. This is mandatory on Windows. If it is not set on UNIX, then an absolute or relative path must be used to start the SQL*Plus executable. Remove any other Oracle directories from PATH.
   For example on UNIX:

   PATH=/home/instantclient:${PATH}
   export PATH

   For example in a Windows command prompt:

   set PATH=c:\instantclient;%PATH%

3. Set SQLPATH to the directory. This lets SQL*Plus find glogin.sql.
   For example on UNIX:

   SQLPATH=/home/instantclient:${SQLPATH}
   export SQLPATH

   For example in a Windows command prompt:

   set SQLPATH=c:\instantclient;%SQLPATH%

4. Set any Oracle globalization variables required for your locale. See the Oracle Database 10g Globalization Support Guide for more information.
   For example on UNIX to set NLS_LANG:

   NLS_LANG=JAPANESE_JAPAN.JA16EUC
   export NLS_LANG

1.2 Connecting to a Database with SQL*Plus Instant Client

SQL*Plus Instant Client is always 'remote' from any database server. To connect to a database you must specify the database using an Oracle Net connection identifier.

An example using an Easy Connection identifier to connect to the HR schema in the MYDB database running on mymachine is:

sqlplus hr/your_password@//mymachine.mydomain:port/MYDB

Using a Net Service Name:

sqlplus hr/your_password@MYDB

Net Service Names can be stored in a number of places, including Oracle Names. See the Net Services Reference Guide for more information.

If you want to use Net Service Names configured in a local Oracle Net tnsnames.ora file, then set the environment variable TNS_ADMIN to the directory containing the tnsnames.ora file. For example, on UNIX, if your tnsnames.ora file is in /home/user1 and it defines the Net Service Name MYDB2:

TNS_ADMIN=/home/user1
export TNS_ADMIN
sqlplus hr/your_password@MYDB2

If TNS_ADMIN is not set, then an operating system dependent set of directories is examined to find tnsnames.ora. This search path includes looking in the directory specified by the ORACLE_HOME environment variable for network/admin/tnsnames.ora. This is the only reason to set the ORACLE_HOME environment variable for SQL*Plus Instant Client. If ORACLE_HOME is set when running Instant Client applications, it must be set to a directory that exists.

This example assumes the ORACLE_HOME environment variable is set, and the $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin/tnsnames.ora or %ORACLE_HOME%\network\admin\tnsnames.ora file defines the Net Service Name MYDB3:

sqlplus hr/your_password@MYDB3

The TWO_TASK (on UNIX) or LOCAL (on Windows) environment variable can be set to a connection identifier. This removes the need to explicitly enter the connection identifier whenever a connection is made in SQL*Plus or SQL*Plus Instant Client. This UNIX example connects to the database known as MYDB4:

TNS_ADMIN=/home/user1
export TNS_ADMIN
TWO_TASK=MYDB4
export TWO_TASK
sqlplus hr/your_password

1.3 Connecting using AS SYSDBA or AS SYSOPER with SQL*Plus Instant Client

To connect AS SYSDBA or AS SYSOPER to perform DBA tasks, you need to set up an Oracle password file on the database server using the database's orapwd utility. Once this is configured, your SQL*Plus Instant Client connection string might look something like:

sqlplus sys/your_password@MYDB AS SYSDBA

See the Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for information on Oracle password files.

1.4 Uninstalling SQL*Plus Instant Client

To remove the complete SQL*Plus Instant Client, delete the directory containing the SQL*Plus executable, Oracle libraries and glogin.sql. If you created a tnsnames.ora file, remove it too. Reset any environment variables such as LD_LIBRARY_PATH, PATH or TNS_ADMIN.

The SQL*Plus tool can be removed separately from the OCI Instant Client. The remaining libraries will allow custom written OCI programs or third party database utilities to connect to a database.

To delete only the SQL*Plus tool from the OCI Instant Client, remove the following SQL*Plus specific files which are not needed for the OCI Instant Client:

Platform		Description
UNIX	Windows
sqlplus	sqlplus.exe	SQL*Plus executable
libsqlplus.so	not applicable	SQL*Plus library
glogin.sql	glogin.sql	SQL*Plus site profile

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