Oracle XE has it's own forum - to register and discuss XE problems with XE experts use URL http://www.oracle.com/technology/xe/registration
A few things to think about when troubleshooting XE connectivity problems:
1) Listener must be up (first)
2) Database must be up
3) Listener must recognize database
4) Listener must be monitoring for APEX (Home page)
5) Port for Apex must be available (8080, the default, is also default for tomcat and others)
6) All Oracle admin stuff must be handled by a user in the right group (ORA_DBA group in Windows, DBA in Linux). The group must have been set up using a local administrator (administrator, root) that can update the registry, create groups, and write to the disk.
I'll walk thru the steps of getting it all running in Linux - assuming successful install. Listener and database are services so use control panel appropriately. I start with database and listener down and show the various outputs
oracle@fuzzy:~> lsnrctl status
LSNRCTL for Linux: Version 10.2.0.1.0 - Production on 16-MAR-2006 07:58:27
Copyright (c) 1991, 2005, Oracle. All rights reserved.
Connecting to (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=IPC)(KEY=EXTPROC_FOR_XE)))
TNS-12541: TNS:no listener
TNS-12560: TNS:protocol adapter error
TNS-00511: No listener
Linux Error: 2: No such file or directory
Connecting to (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=fuzzy)(PORT=1521)))
TNS-12541: TNS:no listener
TNS-12560: TNS:protocol adapter error
TNS-00511: No listener
Linux Error: 111: Connection refused
Start the listener. Use control panel in Windows
oracle@fuzzy:~> lsnrctl start
LSNRCTL for Linux: Version 10.2.0.1.0 - Production on 16-MAR-2006 08:00:45
Copyright (c) 1991, 2005, Oracle. All rights reserved.
Starting /usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/server/bin/tnslsnr: please wait...
TNSLSNR for Linux: Version 10.2.0.1.0 - Production
System parameter file is /usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/server/network/admin/listener.ora
Log messages written to /usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/server/network/log/listener.log
Listening on: (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=ipc)(KEY=EXTPROC_FOR_XE)))
Listening on: (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=fuzzy.forbrichcomputing.ca)(PORT=1521)))
Connecting to (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=IPC)(KEY=EXTPROC_FOR_XE)))
STATUS of the LISTENER
------------------------
Alias LISTENER
Version TNSLSNR for Linux: Version 10.2.0.1.0 - Production
Start Date 16-MAR-2006 08:00:45
Uptime 0 days 0 hr. 0 min. 0 sec
Trace Level off
Security ON: Local OS Authentication
SNMP OFF
Default Service XE
Listener Parameter File /usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/server/network/admin/listener.ora
Listener Log File /usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/server/network/log/listener.log
Listening Endpoints Summary...
(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=ipc)(KEY=EXTPROC_FOR_XE)))
(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=fuzzy.forbrichcomputing.ca)(PORT=1521)))
Services Summary...
Service "PLSExtProc" has 1 instance(s).
Instance "PLSExtProc", status UNKNOWN, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
The command completed successfully
Make sure the database is running. Idle instance is not good
oracle@fuzzy:~> sqlplus / as sysdba
SQL*Plus: Release 10.2.0.1.0 - Production on Thu Mar 16 08:02:59 2006
Copyright (c) 1982, 2005, Oracle. All rights reserved.
Connected to an idle instance.
SQL> rem start the database. Use control panel in WIndows
SQL> startup
ORACLE instance started.
Total System Global Area 289406976 bytes
Fixed Size 1258488 bytes
Variable Size 92277768 bytes
Database Buffers 192937984 bytes
Redo Buffers 2932736 bytes
Database mounted.
Database opened.
SQL> exit
Disconnected from Oracle Database 10g Express Edition Release 10.2.0.1.0 - Production
Check if listener knows about DB and APEX
oracle@fuzzy:~> lsnrctl status
LSNRCTL for Linux: Version 10.2.0.1.0 - Production on 16-MAR-2006 08:04:56
Copyright (c) 1991, 2005, Oracle. All rights reserved.
Connecting to (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=IPC)(KEY=EXTPROC_FOR_XE)))
STATUS of the LISTENER
------------------------
Alias LISTENER
Version TNSLSNR for Linux: Version 10.2.0.1.0 - Production
Start Date 16-MAR-2006 08:00:45
Uptime 0 days 0 hr. 4 min. 10 sec
Trace Level off
Security ON: Local OS Authentication
SNMP OFF
Default Service XE
Listener Parameter File /usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/server/network/admin/listener.ora
Listener Log File /usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/server/network/log/listener.log
Listening Endpoints Summary...
(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=ipc)(KEY=EXTPROC_FOR_XE)))
(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=fuzzy.forbrichcomputing.ca)(PORT=1521)))
(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=fuzzy.forbrichcomputing.ca)(PORT=8080))(Presentation=HTTP)(Session=RAW))
Services Summary...
Service "PLSExtProc" has 1 instance(s).
Instance "PLSExtProc", status UNKNOWN, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
Service "XE" has 1 instance(s).
Instance "XE", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
Service "XEXDB" has 1 instance(s).
Instance "XE", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
Service "XE_XPT" has 1 instance(s).
Instance "XE", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
The command completed successfully
Great; it has a handle for database (XE) and Apex (XEXDB) but Apex is on 8080, which conflicts with Tomcat.Move Apex
oracle@fuzzy:~> sqlplus system/oracle
SQL*Plus: Release 10.2.0.1.0 - Production on Thu Mar 16 08:06:37 2006
Copyright (c) 1982, 2005, Oracle. All rights reserved.
Connected to:
Oracle Database 10g Express Edition Release 10.2.0.1.0 - Production
SQL> exec dbms_xdb.sethttpport(8090);
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
SQL> select dbms_xdb.gethttpport() from dual;
DBMS_XDB.GETHTTPPORT()
----------------------
8090
SQL> exit
Disconnected from Oracle Database 10g Express Edition Release 10.2.0.1.0 - Production
Check that Apex is on 8090
oracle@fuzzy:~> lsnrctl status
LSNRCTL for Linux: Version 10.2.0.1.0 - Production on 16-MAR-2006 08:08:52
Copyright (c) 1991, 2005, Oracle. All rights reserved.
Connecting to (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=IPC)(KEY=EXTPROC_FOR_XE)))
STATUS of the LISTENER
------------------------
Alias LISTENER
Version TNSLSNR for Linux: Version 10.2.0.1.0 - Production
Start Date 16-MAR-2006 08:00:45
Uptime 0 days 0 hr. 8 min. 6 sec
Trace Level off
Security ON: Local OS Authentication
SNMP OFF
Default Service XE
Listener Parameter File /usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/server/network/admin/listener.ora
Listener Log File /usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/server/network/log/listener.log
Listening Endpoints Summary...
(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=ipc)(KEY=EXTPROC_FOR_XE)))
(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=fuzzy.forbrichcomputing.ca)(PORT=1521)))
(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=fuzzy.forbrichcomputing.ca)(PORT=8090))(Presentation=HTTP)(Session=RAW))
Services Summary...
Service "PLSExtProc" has 1 instance(s).
Instance "PLSExtProc", status UNKNOWN, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
Service "XE" has 1 instance(s).
Instance "XE", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
Service "XEXDB" has 1 instance(s).
Instance "XE", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
Service "XE_XPT" has 1 instance(s).
Instance "XE", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
The command completed successfully
now check http://localhost:8090/apex/ with a browser
If you cannot reach the remote server, there is a useful trick using a ssh tunnel:
ssh -L 8090:localhost:8090 user@IP_of_your_server
This can be done recursively and permit to reach the remote server as you are there :-)
