Install Oracle 26ai OEL Linux Software Only

Author: Paul Sammy – Oracle ACE, 5th March 2026

A simple walk through of the installation of Oracle 26ai on Oracle Enterprise Linux 9

Review: Oracle AI Database Database Installation Guide, 26ai for Linux

Pre-requisites

  • Min 1Gb RAM, 2GB RAM recommended
  • Oracle Linux 9.2 with the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel 7: 5.15.0-201.135.6.el9uek.x86_64 or later
    Oracle Linux 9.2 with the Red Hat Compatible Kernel: 5.14.0-284.30.1.el9_2.x86_64 or later
  • Set Transparent HugePages to madvise
  • 1 GB of space in the /tmp directory.
  • Between 1 GB and 2 GB: 1.5 times the size of the RAM
    Between 2 GB and 16 GB: Equal to the size of the RAM
    More than 16 GB: 16 GB
  • Unset Oracle software environment variables
  • ORACLE_HOME: Oracle recommends that you allocate approximately 100 GB 

Install Oracle 26ai Pre Requisite RPM

rpm is also available on : Oracle AI Database 26ai Download for Linux x86-64

dnf install -y oracle-ai-database-preinstall-26ai

Run orachk

  • Autonomous Health Framework (AHF) – Including Trace File Analyzer and Orachk/Exachk
    • KB858617
./orachk -profile preinstall

Determine desired folder structure

see: Optimal Flexible Architecture File Path Examples

example: 

ORACLE_BASE=/u01/app/oracle
ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/oracle/product/23.26.1/dbhome_1
ORAINVENTORY=/u01/app/oraInventory

Create Directories and set permissions as root user

mkdir -p $ORACLE_BASE
mkdir -p $ORACLE_HOME
mkdir -p $ORAINVENTORY

chown oracle:oinstall $ORACLE_BASE
chown oracle:oinstall $ORACLE_HOME
chown oracle:oinstall $ORAINVENTORY

chmod 750 $ORACLE_BASE
chmod 750 $ORACLE_HOME
chmod 770 $ORAINVENTORY

Download s/w and copy to target ORACLE_HOME

https://www.oracle.com/uk/database/technologies/oracle-database-software-downloads.html#db_ee

as user oracle

cp LINUX.X64_2326100_db_home.zip /u01/app/oracle/product/23.26.1/dbhome_1

cd /u01/app/oracle/product/23.26.1/dbhome_1
unzip LINUX.X64_2326100_db_home.zip

Start Oracle Installer

as user oracle in /u01/app/oracle/product/23.26.1/dbhome_1

./runInstaller

Perform Software only installation

as user root:

/u01/app/product/23.26.1/oracle/root.sh