How Can I Start SQLPLUS from Linux Command Line?

sqlplus  username/password@yourdatabasename

this does assume sqlplus is in your path.
If it is not, then you need to add


$ORACLE_HOME/bin

to your path

$ORACLE_HOME is wherever you installed the client

First, you'll have to find out the installation directory of the client nad put tis int a variable $ORACLE_HOME.
Next, add $ORACLE_HOME/bin to your PATH.
Edit tnsnames.ora in $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin to connect a service name with the SID and the hostname of the remote DB.

A typical entry looks like this:

service =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS_LIST =
      (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = hostname)(PORT = 1521))
    )
    (CONNECT_DATA =
      (SID = sid)
    )
  )

Then start sqlplus with:

sqlplus user/password@service

That's all.



wmp

Guys, when you say I need to add "$ORACLE_HOME/bin" to my PATH, are you just talking about me "cd" to the "bin" dir on my Linux server and running "sqlplus" from bin?

guys I went and drilled down to the ORACLE_HOME path as you suggested, which for me is: /apps/oracle/product/10.1.3.1/OracleAS_1/bin

However, i am still not able to run sqlplus. I must be missing something.

... at least you need $ORACLE_HOME  by all means!

/apps/oracle/product/10.1.3.1/bin/sqlplus

or
export PATH=$PATH:/apps/oracle/product/10.1.3.1/bin
sqlplus

The current directory is not in your PATH.

./sqlplus should work, but as I said, you need $ORACLE_HOME!

@woolmilkporc, I understand what your saying about adding those lines to my .profile. However, this is how I connect to this Linux server.

I first login with my user ID (jburch). Then because all the oracle client install is owned by user: oracle i have to "sudo" to oracle. so then I am actually now logged in as oracle.

But I am not able to find the .profile for oracle under /home like the other accounts

So i'm not sure if i should be adding those $ORACLE_HOME paths to MY ID .profile or oracle .profile.

Also, I'm not sure if I will have access to edit this file. should i have access??

This is an example of what my .profile looks like on "another" linux server.

But for some reason I can't find a .profile for either my personal ID or "oracle" user.

what's the command to search for a file? I'll see if I can find it that way.



PATH=/usr/bin:/etc:/usr/sbin:/usr/ucb:$HOME/bin:/usr/bin/X11:/sbin:.

export PATH

if [ -s "$MAIL" ]           # This is at Shell startup.  In normal
then echo "$MAILMSG"        # operation, the Shell checks
fi                          # periodically.

are you using .bashrc   instead of .profile   ?

or .bash_profile  ?

You need the envrionment configured for the user that you want to have run sqlplus.

.profile os technically 'optional'.  If it doesn't exist and you do not know what 'rc' script you are using, create a .profile in the home directory:

cd ~
vi .profile

sudo leaves you in your own environment, unless you perform a "sudo su -"

So if you just use to type

sudo -u oracle sqlplus ...

it's your own environment which counts.

But if you use

sudo su - oracle
sqlplus

you will have to create a .profile in oracle's $HOME to contain my 2 statements.

As an alternative you could of course always export ORCALE_HOME manually,
or run everything (including sqlplus) from a script.
or source a file containing just the two vatrables before typing sqlplus on the command line ...

Anyway, you need ORACLE_HOME as an exported variable, because it's the base for all message catalogs, the path to tnsnames.ora and much more.

wmp

or .bash_login?


.profile is last in the bash startup search

Ok. I went back and tried that sudo command for sqlplus and this is the error I get:
 

I think part of this issue might be that I'm not running this from the correct location. Does anyone know under ORACLE_HOME where I go from there to find the script or program to run sqlplus?

How are you using sudo normally?

What you entered is wrong anyway.

Either you go:

sudo -u oracle sqlplus
(start sqlplus with oracle's privileges)

or

sudo su - oracle
(switch to user oracle, starting a login shell under the oracle account, to start sqlplus or anything else afterwards).

Find out what you're allowed to so with sudo with

sudo -l

(as jburch)

>> Does anyone know under ORACLE_HOME where I go from there to find the script or program to run sqlplus? <<

sqlplus is in $ORACLE_HOME/bin, but that's NOT part of the issue. as soon as you set the PATH correctly as I mentioned.

Three choices

either cd to $ORACLE_HOME/bin and use "./sqlplus"   -  this means execute from current directory regardless of your path


OR

add "."  to your path  and cd to $ORACLE_BIN and use "sqlplus"  -- letting the path figure out your current directory


OR


add  $ORACLE_HOME/bin  to your path and use "sqlplus" from any directory   -- letting the path know exactly where to find sqlplus

@woolmilkporc, ok, I went back and ran that sudo command you mentioned. See the results below.

I have a question for you. Since I can't find the .profile i need to update  the path with, is it possible that I could just enter the paths below "manually" from the command line? would that not then give me the ability to run "sqlplus" from the /OracleAS_1/bin  ?

I don't know if that's possible but I'm just asking.

export ORACLE_HOME=/path/to/install/dir
export PATH=$PATH:$ORACLE_HOME/bin

You can enter everything manually, but after "sudo su - oracle"
although I'm a bit astonished that "oracle" doesn't have this set up already.

@slightwv, ok after doing what you suggested I am now making progress but still not there yet. See the results below.

 

please stop posting images of screen shots.  It makes it difficult for us to reference individual lines without retyping everything.

You are still trying to mix and match.  If everything in the environment is set up properly, no need to 'cd' into anything.


Where did you install the client?  Is it under the OracleAS_1?

If so:
export ORACLE_HOME=/apps/oracle/product/10.1.3.1/OracleAS_1
export PATH=$PATH:$ORACLE_HOME/bin
sqlplus

are you sure you have sqlplus installed?

what does this return?

ls /apps/oracle/product/10.1.3.1/bin/sqlplus

Select allOpen in new window

as slightwv suggested,  please do not send a screen capture.  
Everything you're doing is text,  just copy and past the text.

Thanks. I'm good now. appreciate the effort.