4.4 Downloading and Installing Oracle Application Express

Learn about downloading and installing Oracle Application Express.

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

• Installing Application Express
  Install Oracle Application Express by downloading a ZIP file from the Oracle Application Express download page.
• Creating or Updating Your Instance Administration Account
  Learn how to create or update Instance Administrator account.
• Restarting Processes
  Restart the processes that you stopped before you began the installation.
• Configuring the APEX_PUBLIC_USER Account
  It is important to correctly configure the APEX_PUBLIC_USER account to enable proper operation of Oracle Application Express.

See Also:

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

4.4.1 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_18.2_en.zip from the Oracle Application Express download page. If the development will include languages other than English, download apex_18.2.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_18.2_en.zip as follows, preserving directory names:

     • UNIX and Linux: $ unzip apex_18.2_en.zip

     • Windows: Double click the file apex_18.2_en.zip in Windows Explorer

   • If multiple languages, unzip apex_18.2.zip as follows, preserving directory names:

     • UNIX and Linux: $ unzip apex_18.2.zip

     • Windows: Double click the file apex_18.2.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.
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_180200 - 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.

If you configured RESTful Web services, then these additional accounts will be created:

• APEX_REST_PUBLIC_USER - The account used when invoking RESTful Services definitions stored in Oracle Application Express.

• APEX_LISTENER - The account used to query RESTful Services definitions stored in Oracle Application Express.

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.

See Also:

• "Configuring Password Protection in Oracle Database Security Guide"

• "About the Oracle Application Express Runtime Environment"

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

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

4.4.2 Creating or Updating Your Instance Administration Account

Learn how to create or update 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
  Running the apxchpwd.sql script enables you to create or update your Instance Administrator account.
• Running apxchpwd.sql
  Run the apxchpwd.sql script to create and update your Instance Administrator account.

4.4.2.1 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

4.4.2.2 About apxchpwd.sql

Running the apxchpwd.sql script enables you 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.

4.4.2.3 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
     

3. 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

4.4.3 Restarting 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.

4.4.4 Configuring the APEX_PUBLIC_USER Account

It is important to correctly configure the APEX_PUBLIC_USER account to enable proper operation of Oracle Application Express.

• About the APEX_PUBLIC_USER Account
  The APEX_PUBLIC_USER account is created with a random password in a new installation of Oracle Application Express.
• Unlocking the APEX_PUBLIC_USER Account
  Unlock the APEX_PUBLIC_USER account by running a SQL statement.
• Changing the Password for the APEX_PUBLIC_USER Account
  Change the password for the APEX_PUBLIC_USER account by running a SQL statement.
• About Password Expiration in Oracle Database 11g and Later
  You can set PASSWORD_LIFE_TIME parameter to unlimited by altering APEX_PUBLIC_USER to prevent password expiration. To do this create another profile in which the PASSWORD_LIFE_TIME parameter is set to unlimited and alter the APEX_PUBLIC_USER account and assign it to the new profile.

4.4.4.1 About the APEX_PUBLIC_USER Account

The APEX_PUBLIC_USER account is created with a random password in a new installation of Oracle Application Express.

You must change the password for this account before configuring the database access descriptor (DAD) in a new installation.

4.4.4.2 Unlocking the APEX_PUBLIC_USER Account

Unlock the APEX_PUBLIC_USER account by running a SQL statement.

Tip:

If you are upgrading from a prior release of Oracle Application Express, this step is unnecessary.

To unlock the APEX_PUBLIC_USER account:

1. Start SQL*Plus and connect to the database where Oracle Application Express is installed as SYS specifying the SYSDBA role. If Oracle Application Express is installed in the CDB, ensure you connect to CDB$ROOT. 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
     

2. Run the following statement:

   ALTER USER APEX_PUBLIC_USER ACCOUNT UNLOCK
   

4.4.4.3 Changing the Password for the APEX_PUBLIC_USER Account

Change the password for the APEX_PUBLIC_USER account by running a SQL statement.

Tip:

If you are upgrading from a prior release of Oracle Application Express, this step is unnecessary.

To change the password for the APEX_PUBLIC_USER account:

1. Start SQL*Plus and connect to the database where Oracle Application Express is installed as SYS specifying the SYSDBA role. If Oracle Application Express is installed in the CDB, ensure you connect to CDB$ROOT. 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
     

2. Run the following statement:

   ALTER USER APEX_PUBLIC_USER IDENTIFIED BY new_password
   

   Where new_password is the new password you are setting for APEX_PUBLIC_USER. You will use this password when creating the DAD in the sections that follow.

4.4.4.4 About Password Expiration in Oracle Database 11g and Later

You can set PASSWORD_LIFE_TIME parameter to unlimited by altering APEX_PUBLIC_USER to prevent password expiration. To do this create another profile in which the PASSWORD_LIFE_TIME parameter is set to unlimited and alter the APEX_PUBLIC_USER account and assign it to the new profile.

In the default profile in Oracle Database 11g or later, the parameter PASSWORD_LIFE_TIME is set to 180. If you are using Oracle Database 11g or later with Oracle Application Express, this causes the password for APEX_PUBLIC_USER to expire in 180 days. As a result, your Oracle Application Express instance will become unusable until you change the password.

See Also:

Oracle Database Security Guide for information on creating profiles and assigning them to database users