Fresh Oracle 19c Home Install on OL8.10 with AutoUpgrade

October 1, 2026 9 Min Read

Oracle AutoUpgrade has traditionally been associated with database upgrades, but its capabilities have expanded significantly.

One of the newer capabilities is the ability to use AutoUpgrade Patching to create a completely new Oracle Database Home on a fresh server.

I tested this functionality on Oracle Linux 8.10 (OL8.10) and successfully created a new Oracle Database 19c Home at Release Update 19.32, including:

Oracle Database 19.32 Gold Image
Latest OPatch
OJVM Release Update 19.32
Oracle Home installation and patching
AutoUpgrade job monitoring
Root script execution
Final installation validation

What makes this approach interesting is that I did not first install Oracle Database 19.3 and then manually patch the Oracle Home to 19.32.

Instead, AutoUpgrade downloaded the required Gold Image and patches and created the target Oracle Home directly at the required patch level

📂 Detailed Installation Commands & Output

This article focuses on the deployment approach, important configuration steps, troubleshooting and validation.

For readers who want to review the complete installation commands and actual command execution output, I have published the detailed command/output log separately on GitHub:

👉 Complete Oracle 19c Fresh Install Using AutoUpgrade Installation Commands & Output Log

Quick Navigation

Environment and Prerequisites
Prepare Storage and Swap
Download AutoUpgrade and Prepare Directories
Configure Patch Downloads
Configure the AutoUpgrade Keystore
Download Oracle 19.32 Gold Image and Patches
Configure Oracle Home Creation
Create and Monitor the Oracle Home
Review Installation and Patching Stages
Complete the Installation
Traditional vs AutoUpgrade Approach
Key Observations and Conclusion

1. Environment and Prerequisites

For this installation, I used:

The AutoUpgrade version used during my test was:

AutoUpgrade Patching 26.5.260807

First, install the Oracle Database prerequisites and Java as root user:

yum -y install oracle-database-preinstall-19c
yum -y install java-1.8.0-openjdk

AutoUpgrade is distributed as a Java archive and is executed using:

java -jar autoupgrade.jar

Note

The oracle-database-preinstall-19c package simplifies much of the operating-system preparation required for Oracle Database.

It installs the required dependent packages and configures several OS-level parameters required by Oracle.

For this lab environment, SELinux was configured as permissive/disabled.

vi /etc/selinux/config

Note

SELinux configuration should always follow your organization’s security standards.

In production environments, security configuration should be reviewed before making any changes.

2. Prepare Storage and Swap

Before starting the Oracle installation, I expanded the available storage and configured sufficient swap space.

Expand the existing partition:

growpart /dev/sda 3

Create a 16 GB logical volume for swap:

lvcreate -L 16G -n lv_swap ocivolume

mkswap /dev/ocivolume/lv_swap

After updating /etc/fstab, enable and validate swap:

swapon -va

swapon -s
free -m

Extend the root logical volume:

lvextend -l +100%FREE /dev/ocivolume/root

Resize the XFS filesystem:

xfs_growfs /

Note

The server showed approximately 16 GB of swap space in my environment.

Storage layout, swap size, filesystem sizing, and software locations should be planned for the target environment rather than copied directly from this lab.

3. Download AutoUpgrade and Prepare Directories

Download the latest AutoUpgrade JAR:

wget https://download.oracle.com/otn-pub/otn_software/autoupgrade.jar

Note

For newer AutoUpgrade functionality, I prefer using the latest available autoupgrade.jar rather than relying on an older version that may exist inside an existing Oracle Home.

Next, I created the directory structure required for Oracle software and AutoUpgrade.

As root:

mkdir /u01
chown oracle:oinstall /u01

As the oracle user:

mkdir -p /u01/app
mkdir -p /u01/app/oracle/software
mkdir -p /u01/app/oraInventory
mkdir -p /u01/app/oracle/software/autoupgrade/logs
mkdir -p /u01/app/oracle/software/autoupgrade/keystore
mkdir -p /u01/app/oracle/software/autoupgrade/patches

These directories were later referenced inside the AutoUpgrade configuration files.

4. Configure Patch Downloads

The next step was to define which Oracle software and patches AutoUpgrade should download.

Create the patch-download configuration:

vi get-patches.cfg

Configuration:

global.global_log_dir=/u01/app/oracle/software/autoupgrade/logs
global.keystore=/u01/app/oracle/software/autoupgrade/keystore
global.folder=/u01/app/oracle/software/autoupgrade/patches

patch1.platform=LINUX.X64
patch1.patch=RU:19.32,OPATCH,OJVM

The key parameter here is:

patch1.patch=RU:19.32,OPATCH,OJVM

This tells AutoUpgrade that I want:

Oracle Database Release Update 19.32
Latest OPatch
OJVM Release Update

Note

Additional compatible patches can also be included depending on the requirements of the target environment.

5. Configure the AutoUpgrade Keystore

AutoUpgrade needs access to My Oracle Support to retrieve the required software and patches.

Instead of storing the MOS username and password in clear text inside the configuration file, AutoUpgrade provides a secure keystore mechanism.

I initialized the keystore using:

java -jar autoupgrade.jar \
-config get-patches.cfg \
-patch \
-load_password

AutoUpgrade prompted for a password to encrypt the keystore.

Once the keystore was created, I added my MOS account:

MOS> add -user <MOS Login Username/Email>

AutoUpgrade then prompted for the MOS password.

After adding the credentials:

MOS> save

I selected:

YES

for Auto-login mode.

Finally:

MOS> exit

AutoUpgrade confirmed that the patching keystore had been successfully created.

Important Note

The password used to encrypt the AutoUpgrade keystore can be different from the actual MOS account password.

This approach also avoids storing MOS credentials directly inside scripts or configuration files.

6. Download Oracle 19.32 Gold Image and Patches

Once the keystore was configured, I initiated the download:

java -jar autoupgrade.jar \
-config get-patches.cfg \
-patch \
-mode download

During my test, AutoUpgrade:

Loaded the configured keystore
Connected to the Oracle Update Advisor service
Requested the Gold Image
Connected to My Oracle Support
Located the requested patches
Downloaded the required files
Validated the downloaded files

AutoUpgrade also displayed:

AutoUpgrade Patching adds the MRP and OCW options to the PATCH configuration parameter because the generated Gold Image always includes those fixes.

The following components were successfully downloaded:

OPatch 12.2.0.1.53 for DB 19.0.0.0.0
OJVM RELEASE UPDATE 19.32.0.0.0
Gold Image - 19.32

Downloaded files included:

p6880880_190000_Linux-x86-64.zip
p39222882_190000_Linux-x86-64.zip
db_goldimage_19_32_20260924191155.zip
patches_info.json

The Oracle Database 19.32 Gold Image was approximately 4.7 GB in my test environment.

Instead of manually locating and downloading every component separately, AutoUpgrade coordinated the download based on the configuration file.

7. Configure Oracle Home Creation

After downloading the required software, I created another AutoUpgrade configuration file for the actual Oracle Home installation.

vi install-home.cfg

Configuration:

global.global_log_dir=/u01/app/oracle/software/autoupgrade/logs

install1.patch=RU:19.32,OPATCH,OJVM
install1.folder=/u01/app/oracle/software
install1.target_home=/u01/app/19.32.0/db

install1.home_settings.oracle_base=/u01/app/oracle
install1.home_settings.edition=EE
install1.home_settings.inventory_location=/u01/app/oraInventory

install1.download=no

The key settings are:

install1.patch=RU:19.32,OPATCH,OJVM
install1.target_home=/u01/app/19.32.0/db
install1.home_settings.oracle_base=/u01/app/oracle
install1.home_settings.edition=EE
install1.home_settings.inventory_location=/u01/app/oraInventory
install1.download=no

This defines the software and patch components required for the new Oracle Home.

I used:

install1.download=no

because all required software had already been downloaded during the previous step.

8. Create and Monitor the Oracle Home

Start Oracle Home creation:

java -jar autoupgrade.jar \
-config install-home.cfg \
-patch \
-mode create_home

AutoUpgrade started in:

CREATE_HOME

mode and opened its interactive console:

patch>

Useful monitoring commands include:

status
lsj
tasks
logs
help

Check Overall Status

patch> status

displayed information such as:

Configuration file
General log location
AutoUpgrade mode
Number of jobs
Current progress

During the initial stage, my job showed approximately:

20 %

Check Job Status

patch> lsj

showed:

STAGE   : EXTRACT
STATUS  : RUNNING
MESSAGE : Extracting Gold Image

This provided a very clear indication of exactly what AutoUpgrade was doing.

9. Review Installation and Patching Stages

After the Gold Image extraction, the job progressed to:

STAGE     : INSTALL
OPERATION : EXECUTING
STATUS    : RUNNING

with the message:

Installing ORACLE_HOME

At this point, progress was approximately:

40 %

The next stage I observed was:

OH_PATCHING

AutoUpgrade then processed the Oracle Home patches, including:

OJVM RELEASE UPDATE: 19.32.0.0...

Progress had reached approximately:

50 %

The workflow I observed was broadly:

Gold Image Download
        ↓
Gold Image Extraction
        ↓
Oracle Home Installation
        ↓
Oracle Home Patching
        ↓
  Finalization
        ↓
  Root Scripts

Additional console commands:

During the installation, I used several console commands.

Display overall status

patch> status
patch> lsj
patch> tasks
patch> logs

In my environment, the logs were available under:

/u01/app/oracle/software/autoupgrade/logs/cfgtoollogs/patch/auto

and:

/u01/app/oracle/software/autoupgrade/logs/create_home_1

10. Complete the Installation

When Oracle Home creation completed, AutoUpgrade displayed:

Job 100 completed

Final summary:

------------------- Final Summary --------------------

Number of databases [1]

Jobs finished       [1]
Jobs failed         [0]
Jobs restored       [0]
Jobs pending        [0]

The important result was:

Jobs finished : 1
Jobs failed   : 0

AutoUpgrade also identified the required root scripts:

/u01/app/19.32.0/db/root.sh
/u01/app/oraInventory/orainstRoot.sh

Because the Oracle user was not configured for sudo in my test environment, I executed them separately as root:

/u01/app/19.32.0/db/root.sh
/u01/app/oraInventory/orainstRoot.sh

The Oracle Inventory script completed successfully and configured the appropriate permissions for the oinstall group.

What I Found Interesting About This Feature

Until recently, many of us primarily associated AutoUpgrade with upgrading an existing Oracle Database.

For example:

Existing Database
       ↓
AutoUpgrade
       ↓
Database Upgrade
       ↓
New Database Release

But this exercise demonstrated another useful workflow:

Fresh Server
      ↓
AutoUpgrade
      ↓
Gold Image and Patch Discovery
      ↓
Software Download
      ↓
Oracle Home Creation
      ↓
Oracle Home Patching
      ↓
Ready Oracle Home

This expands the role of AutoUpgrade beyond just database upgrades.

It can now become part of a broader Oracle Database software deployment and lifecycle-management process.

11. Traditional vs AutoUpgrade Approach

Traditionally, when preparing a new Oracle Database 19c Home, we might follow a workflow similar to:

Download Oracle 19.3 Software
        ↓
Extract Oracle Software
        ↓
Install Oracle Home
        ↓
Download Latest OPatch
        ↓
  Upgrade OPatch
        ↓
Download Release Update
        ↓
Apply Release Update
        ↓
  Download OJVM
        ↓
   Apply OJVM
        ↓
Validate Oracle Home

With AutoUpgrade, the workflow can be simplified into something closer to:

Download AutoUpgrade
        ↓
Define Required Patch Level
        ↓
Download Gold Image + OPatch + OJVM
        ↓
Create Oracle Home
        ↓
Apply Required Patches
        ↓
Run Root Scripts
        ↓
Validate Installation

The underlying Oracle components and patching mechanisms are still there, but AutoUpgrade coordinates much more of the workflow.

12. Key Observations and Conclusion

A few things stood out during this exercise.

Configuration files drive the workflow

Parameters such as:

install1.patch=RU:19.32,OPATCH,OJVM
install1.target_home=/u01/app/19.32.0/db

make the desired state easy to document and reproduce.

MOS credentials stay out of plain-text files

The AutoUpgrade keystore provides a better approach than placing MOS credentials directly inside configuration files or shell scripts.

Monitoring is built in

Commands such as:

status
lsj
tasks
logs

provide visibility into the current AutoUpgrade operation and make troubleshooting easier.

AutoUpgrade retrieved the required Gold Image

By specifying:

RU:19.32,OPATCH,OJVM

AutoUpgrade downloaded the Oracle Database 19.32 Gold Image together with OPatch and the OJVM Release Update required for my configuration.

No separate 19.3 → 19.32 build-and-patch cycle

For this fresh Oracle Home deployment, I did not first build a 19.3 Oracle Home and then separately patch it to 19.32.

The Gold Image-based workflow created the target Oracle Home at the intended patch level.

Important Clarification

This exercise focuses specifically on:

Installing a new Oracle Database 19c software home using AutoUpgrade.

It does not create an Oracle Database. Next I would be creating Oracle Database.

The result of this exercise is a prepared Oracle Database Home:

/u01/app/19.32.0/db

Database creation using DBCA, migration of an existing database, or upgrading a database into this Oracle Home would be separate activities.

Acknowledgment

A special thanks to Daniel Overby Hansen for his article:

“AutoUpgrade New Features: Install Oracle Home on Brand-New, Empty Server”

Daniel’s article introduced and demonstrated this AutoUpgrade capability and was extremely helpful in understanding how create_home can be used to install an Oracle Home on a new server.

His article gave me the starting point and guidance to test the functionality myself and extend the exercise in my own Oracle Linux 8.10 / Oracle Database 19c environment.

In my Oracle Linux 8.10 environment, I extended the exercise to include:

OS preparation
AutoUpgrade keystore configuration
Oracle Database 19.32 Gold Image download
Downloading the latest OPatch
OJVM 19.32 download
Oracle Home creation
AutoUpgrade stage monitoring
Running the required root scripts
Validating the successful installation

Thank you, Daniel, for sharing this feature with the Oracle community and providing the guidance that helped me perform this test successfully.

Conclusion

Using AutoUpgrade on Oracle Linux 8.10, I successfully created a fresh Oracle Database 19c Home at the required 19.32 patch level.

The overall workflow was:

Prepare Oracle Linux 8.10
        ↓
Install AutoUpgrade Prerequisites
        ↓
Configure AutoUpgrade
        ↓
Create Secure MOS Keystore
        ↓
Download Oracle 19.32 Gold Image
        ↓
Download Latest OPatch
        ↓
Download OJVM 19.32
        ↓
Create New Oracle Database Home
        ↓
Patch Oracle Home
        ↓
Run Root Scripts
        ↓
Validate Installation

The execution completed successfully with:

Jobs finished : 1
Jobs failed   : 0

The biggest takeaway for me from this exercise is that AutoUpgrade should no longer be viewed only as a database upgrade utility.

Its expanding functionality means it can also participate in Oracle Home creation, patch discovery, software download and software lifecycle management.

For DBAs responsible for repeatedly building standardized and patched Oracle Homes, this is definitely a capability worth exploring.

All the commands and outputs documented here are from my own tested Oracle Linux 8.10 lab environment.

📂 Detailed Installation Commands & Execution Output

The complete installation command sequence and actual execution output from the deployment are available on GitHub.

👉 Oracle 19c Fresh Install Using AutoUpgrade Installation Commands & Execution Output

This article documents my own hands-on installation and troubleshooting experience. Always verify the Oracle support matrix, certification information, RU requirements, and platform-specific prerequisites for your target environment before implementing the procedure in production.

Tags:

Fresh Oracle 19c Home Install on OL8.10 with AutoUpgrade

📂 Detailed Installation Commands & Output

Quick Navigation

1. Environment and Prerequisites

Note

Note

2. Prepare Storage and Swap

Note

3. Download AutoUpgrade and Prepare Directories

Note

4. Configure Patch Downloads

Note

5. Configure the AutoUpgrade Keystore

Important Note

6. Download Oracle 19.32 Gold Image and Patches

7. Configure Oracle Home Creation

8. Create and Monitor the Oracle Home

Check Overall Status

Check Job Status

9. Review Installation and Patching Stages

Additional console commands:

Display overall status

10. Complete the Installation

What I Found Interesting About This Feature

11. Traditional vs AutoUpgrade Approach

12. Key Observations and Conclusion

Configuration files drive the workflow

MOS credentials stay out of plain-text files

Monitoring is built in

AutoUpgrade retrieved the required Gold Image

No separate 19.3 → 19.32 build-and-patch cycle

Important Clarification

Acknowledgment

Conclusion

📂 Detailed Installation Commands & Execution Output

Tags:

No Comment! Be the first one.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply