5 Removing Oracle Database Client Software

5.1 About the Deinstallation Tool

The Deinstallation Tool (deinstall) is available in the installation media before installation, and is available in Oracle home directories after installation. It is located in ORACLE_HOME\deinstall.

The deinstall command uses the information you provide and the information gathered from the software home to create a parameter file. Alternatively, you can supply a parameter file generated previously by the deinstall command using the –checkonly option, or by editing the response file template.

The command uses the following syntax, where variable content is indicated by italics:

deinstall.bat -home complete path of Oracle home [-silent] [-checkonly] [-local]
[-paramfile complete path of input parameter property file] [-params name1=value
name2=value . . .] [-o complete path of directory for saving files] [-help]
 

The default method for running the deinstall tool is from the deinstall directory in the Oracle home as the installation owner:

%ORACLE_HOME%\deinstall
DRIVE_LETTER:\> deinstall

Provide information about your servers as prompted or accept the defaults.

The deinstall tool stops Oracle software, and removes Oracle software and configuration files on the operating system.

In addition, you can run the deinstall tool from other locations, or with a parameter file, or select other options to run the tool.

The options are:

• -home

  Use this flag to indicate the home path of the Oracle home to check or deinstall. To deinstall Oracle software using the deinstall command in the Oracle home you plan to deinstall, provide a parameter file in another location, and do not use the -home flag.

  If you run deinstall from the ORACLE_HOME\deinstall path, then the -home flag is not required because the tool knows from which home it is being run. If you use the standalone version of the tool, then -home is mandatory.

• -silent

  Use this flag to run the command in silent or response file mode. If you use the -silent flag, then you must use the -paramfile flag, and provide a parameter file that contains the configuration values for the Oracle home to deinstall or deconfigure.

  You can generate a parameter file to use or modify by running deinstall with the -checkonly flag. The deinstall command then discovers information from the Oracle home to deinstall and deconfigure. It generates the properties file, which you can then use with the -silent option.

  You can also modify the template file deinstall.rsp.tmpl, located in the response folder.

• -checkonly

  Use this flag to check the status of the Oracle software home configuration. Running the command with the -checkonly flag does not remove the Oracle configuration. The -checkonly flag generates a parameter file that you can use with the deinstall command.

• -local

  Use this flag on a multinode environment to deinstall Oracle software in a cluster.

  When you run deinstall with this flag, it deconfigures and deinstalls the Oracle software on the local node (the node where deinstall is run). On remote nodes, it deconfigures Oracle software, but does not deinstall the Oracle software.

• -paramfile complete path of input parameter property file

  Use this flag to run deinstall with a parameter file in a location other than the default. When you use this flag, provide the complete path where the parameter file is located.

  The default location of the parameter file depends on the location of deinstall:

  • From the installation media or stage location: ORACLE_HOME\inventory\response.

  • From a unzipped archive file from OTN: ziplocation\response.

  • After installation from the installed Oracle home: ORACLE_HOME\deinstall\response.

• -params [name1=value name 2=value name3=value . . .]

  Use this flag with a parameter file to override one or more values to change it in a parameter file you have already created.

• -o complete path of directory for saving files

  Use this flag to provide a path other than the default location where the properties file is saved. The default location is \response\deinstall.rsp.tmpl.

  The default location of the parameter file depends on the location of deinstall:

  • From the installation media or stage location before installation: ORACLE_HOME\

  • From an unzipped archive file from OTN: \ziplocation\response\.

  • After installation from the installed Oracle home: ORACLE_HOME/deinstall/response.

• -help

  Use the help option (-help) to obtain additional information about the optional flags.

5.2 Downloading the Deinstall Tool for Use With Failed Installations

If you require the Deinstallation Tool (deinstall) to remove failed or incomplete installations, then it is available as a separate download from the Oracle Technology Network (OTN) Web site.

To download the Deinstallation Tool from OTN:

1. Go to the following URL:

   http://www.oracle.com/technology/software/products/database/index.html

2. Under Oracle Database 11g Release 2, click See All for the respective platform for which you want to download the Deinstallation Tool.

   The Deinstallation Tool is available for download at the end of this web page.

5.3 Example of Running the Deinstallation Command

As the deinstall.bat command runs, you are prompted to provide the home directory of the Oracle software that you want to remove from your system. Provide additional information as prompted.

If you run the deinstall tool from the deinstall.zip file, you must include the -home flag, and the help is displayed. If you run the tool from the installed ORACLE_HOME, the -home flag is not required and deinstallation starts without prompting you for a home address.

In the following example, the deinstall.bat command is in the path C:\app\oracle\product\11.2.0\client_1\deinstall, and it uses a parameter file in the software owner location C:\Documents and Settings\oracle\.

DRIVE_LETTER:\> cd \app\oracle\product\11.2.0\client_1\deinstall\
DRIVE_LETTER:\> deinstall -home \app\oracle\product\11.2.0\client_1 -paramfile %HOMEPATH%\myparamfile.tmpl

5.4 Example of a Deinstallation Parameter File for an Oracle Database Client

You can run the deinstallation command on a standalone Oracle Database with the -paramfile option to use the values you specify in the parameter file. The following is an example of a parameter file, in which the Oracle Database binary owner is oracle, the Oracle Database home (Oracle home) is in the path D:\app\oracle\product\11.2.0\client_1, the Oracle base (where other Oracle software is installed) is D:\app\oracle, the Oracle Inventory home is C:\Program Files\Oracle\Inventory, the virtual IP address (VIP) is 192.0.2.1, and the local node (the node where you are running the deinstallation session from) is client1:

#Copyright (c) 2005, 2006 Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.
#Wed Feb 18 02:19:20 PST 2009
ORACLE_BASE=D\:\\app\\oracle
INVENTORY_LOCATION=C\:\\Program Files\\Oracle\\Inventory
CRS_HOME=false
HOME_TYPE=CLIENT
ORA_CRS_HOME=
silent=false
local=false
LOCAL_NODE=client1
LOGDIR=D\:\\app\\oracle\\product\\11.2.0\\client_1\\deinstall\\logs\\
ORACLE_HOME=D\:\\app\\oracle\\product\\11.2.0\\client_1
OLD_ACTIVE_ORACLE_HOME=