A.4 Downloading and Installing Oracle Application Express

Learn how to download and install Oracle Application Express.

This section describes how to download and install Oracle Application Express. How you install Oracle Application Express depends upon by the type of database you into which you are installing.

See Also:

"Utilizing the Multitenant Architecture in Oracle Database 12c or Later."

Parent topic: Installing Application Express and Configuring Embedded PL/SQL Gateway

A.4.1 Downloading and Installing Application Express

Install Oracle Application Express by downloading a ZIP file from the Oracle Application Express download page.

To install Oracle Application Express:

  1. For installations where the development will be in English only, download the file apex_18.1_en.zip from the Oracle Application Express download page. If the development will include languages other than English, download apex_18.1.zip from the Oracle Application Express download page. See: 
    http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/developer-tools/apex/downloads/index.html

    Note that the actual file name may differ if a more recent release has shipped since this document was published.

  2. Unzip downloaded zip file:

    • If English only, unzip apex_18.1_en.zip as follows, preserving directory names:

      • UNIX and Linux: $ unzip apex_18.1_en.zip

      • Windows: Double click the file apex_18.1_en.zip in Windows Explorer

    • If multiple languages, unzip apex_18.1.zip as follows, preserving directory names:

      • UNIX and Linux: $ unzip apex_18.1.zip

      • Windows: Double click the file apex_18.1.zip in Windows Explorer

    Note:

    You should keep the directory tree where you unzip the files short and not under directories that contain spaces. For example, within Windows unzip to C:\TEMP.

  3. Change your working directory to apex.
  4. Start SQL*Plus and connect to the database where Oracle Application Express is installed as SYS specifying the SYSDBA role. For example:

    • On Windows:

      SYSTEM_DRIVE:\ sqlplus /nolog
SQL> CONNECT SYS as SYSDBA
Enter password: SYS_password

    • On UNIX and Linux:

      $ sqlplus /nolog
SQL> CONNECT SYS as SYSDBA
Enter password: SYS_password
  5. Disable any existing password complexity rules for the default profile. See “Configuring Password Protection” in Oracle Database Security Guide.
  6. Select the appropriate installation option.

    Full development environment provides complete access to the App Builder environment to develop applications. A Runtime environment enables users to run applications that cannot be modified.

    Available installation options include:

    • Full development environment. Run apexins.sql passing the following four arguments in the order shown:

      @apexins.sql tablespace_apex tablespace_files tablespace_temp images

      Where:

      • tablespace_apex is the name of the tablespace for the Oracle Application Express application user.

      • tablespace_files is the name of the tablespace for the Oracle Application Express files user.

      • tablespace_temp is the name of the temporary tablespace or tablespace group.

      • images is the virtual directory for Oracle Application Express images. For installations using EPG, /i/ is the required value for the images argument. To support future Oracle Application Express upgrades, define the virtual image directory as /i/.

      Example:

      @apexins.sql SYSAUX SYSAUX TEMP /i/

      Note:

      If you receive the following error, exit SQL*Plus and change your working directory to where you unzipped the installation file, for example C:\TEMP in Windows, before starting SQL*Plus:

      SP2-0310: unable to open file "apexins.sql"

    • Runtime environment. Run apxrtins.sql passing the following arguments in the order shown:

      @apxrtins.sql tablespace_apex tablespace_files tablespace_temp images

      Where:

      • tablespace_apex is the name of the tablespace for the Oracle Application Express application user.

      • tablespace_files is the name of the tablespace for the Oracle Application Express files user.

      • tablespace_temp is the name of the temporary tablespace or tablespace group.

      • images is the virtual directory for Oracle Application Express images. To support future Oracle Application Express upgrades, define the virtual image directory as /i/.

      Example:

      @apxrtins.sql SYSAUX SYSAUX TEMP /i/

When Oracle Application Express installs, it creates three new database accounts:

  • APEX_180100 - The account that owns the Oracle Application Express schema and metadata.

  • FLOWS_FILES - The account that owns the Oracle Application Express uploaded files.

  • APEX_PUBLIC_USER - The minimally privileged account is used for Oracle Application Express configuration with Oracle REST Data Services or Oracle HTTP Server and mod_plsql.

Note:

In an environment where EPG is used to access Oracle Application Express, the existing minimally privileged account ANONYMOUS is used.

If you are upgrading from a previous release, then FLOWS_FILES already exists and APEX_PUBLIC_USER is created if it does not already exist.

Tip:

Oracle Application Express must be installed from a writable directory on the file system. See "Reviewing a Log of an Installation Session."

See Also:

Parent topic: Downloading and Installing Oracle Application Express

A.4.2 Creating or Updating Your Instance Administration Account

Learn how to create or update your Instance Administrator account.

This section describes how to create or update your Instance Administrator account.

Tip:

Skip this section if you are upgrading from a previous release of Oracle Application Express. In an upgrade scenario, the Instance Administrator account and password is preserved and carried over from the prior release.

  • What Is an Instance Administrator?
    Instance administrators are superusers that are responsible for managing an entire Oracle Application Express instance, including managing workspace provisioning, configuring features and instance settings, and managing security.
  • About apxchpwd.sql
    Run the apxchpwd.sql script to create or update your Instance Administrator account.
  • Running apxchpwd.sql
    Run the apxchpwd.sql script to create and update your Instance Administrator account.

Parent topic: Downloading and Installing Oracle Application Express

A.4.2.1 What Is an Instance Administrator?

Instance administrators are superusers that are responsible for managing an entire Oracle Application Express instance, including managing workspace provisioning, configuring features and instance settings, and managing security.

To perform these tasks, an Instance administrator signs in to the Oracle Application Express Administration Services application.

See Also:

"Oracle Application Express Administration Services" in Oracle Application Express Administration Guide

Parent topic: Creating or Updating Your Instance Administration Account

A.4.2.2 About apxchpwd.sql

Run the apxchpwd.sql script to create or update your Instance Administrator account.

Running the apxchpwd.sql script enables your to create or update your Instance Administrator account. You must run the apxchpwd.sql script in the following scenarios:

  • New Oracle Application Express installations - Run apxchpwd.sql to create an Instance Administrator account and password.

  • Converting of a runtime environment to a development environment - Run apxchpwd.sql to change the Instance Administrator account password.

  • Changing Your Instance Administrator Password -Run apxchpwd.sql to change the password for an existing Instance Administrator account.

  • Unlocking Your Instance Administrator Account - Run apxchpwd.sql to unlock an existing Instance Administrator account.

Tip:

You do not need to run apxchpwd.sql when upgrading from a previous release of Oracle Application Express. In an upgrade scenario, the Instance Administrator account password is preserved and carried over from the prior release.

Parent topic: Creating or Updating Your Instance Administration Account

A.4.2.3 Running apxchpwd.sql

Run the apxchpwd.sql script to create and update your Instance Administrator account.

To create or update your Instance Administrator account:

  1. Change your working directory to the apex directory where you unzipped the installation software.
  2. Start SQL*Plus and connect to the database where Oracle Application Express is installed as SYS specifying the SYSDBA role. For example:

    • On Windows:

      SYSTEM_DRIVE:\ sqlplus /nolog
SQL> CONNECT SYS as SYSDBA
Enter password: SYS_password

    • On UNIX and Linux:

      $ sqlplus /nolog
SQL> CONNECT SYS as SYSDBA
Enter password: SYS_password

    If Application Express was installed in a CDB, change your container to the PDB where you want to change the Administrator account password. For example: alter session set container = 'PDB1'

  3. If Application Express was installed in a CDB, change your container to the PDB where you want to change the Administrator account password. For example: 
    alter session set container = 'PDB1';
  4. Run apxchpwd.sql. For example: 
    @apxchpwd.sql

    Follow the on-screen instructions. You will be prompted provide a username, password, and email address. If the account username does not exist, it will be created for you.

See Also:

SQL*Plus User's Guide and Reference for more information about SQL*Plus

Parent topic: Creating or Updating Your Instance Administration Account

A.4.3 Restart Processes

Restart the processes that you stopped before you began the installation.

After you install Oracle Application Express, you must restart the processes that you stopped before you began the installation.

Parent topic: Downloading and Installing Oracle Application Express