Oracle 11g Express Edition: A Free and Powerful Database for Mac Users
Oracle 11g Express Edition Free Download For Mac
If you are a developer or a DBA who wants to learn or work with Oracle Database, you might be interested in Oracle Database 11g Express Edition (Oracle Database XE). This is an entry-level, small-footprint database based on the Oracle Database 11g Release 2 code base. It's free to develop, deploy, and distribute; fast to download; and simple to administer.
Oracle 11g Express Edition Free Download For Mac
Oracle Database XE is a great starter database for:
Developers working on Node.js, Python, PHP, Java, .NET, XML, and Open Source applications
DBAs who need a free, starter database for training and deployment
Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and hardware vendors who want a starter database to distribute free of charge
Educational institutions and students who need a free database for their curriculum
With Oracle Database XE, you can now develop and deploy applications with a powerful, proven, industry-leading infrastructure, and then upgrade when necessary without costly and complex migrations.
However, there is one problem: Oracle Database XE is not available for Mac OS X. You can only download it for Windows or Linux platforms. So how can you get it for free on your Mac computer?
The answer is: using a virtual machine.
A virtual machine (VM) is a software that simulates a computer system within another computer system. You can run different operating systems and applications on a VM without affecting your main system.
In this article, you will learn how to use a VM to install and run Oracle Database XE on your Mac computer. You will also learn about the benefits and limitations of using Oracle Database XE, as well as how it compares to other Oracle editions.
Requirements for Oracle Database XE on Mac
Before you can install and run Oracle Database XE on your Mac computer, you need to make sure that you have the following hardware and software requirements:
Hardware Requirements
A Mac computer with an Intel processor and at least 4 GB of RAM
At least 20 GB of free disk space for the VM image and the Oracle Database XE files
A DVD drive or a USB port for the installation media
Software Requirements
Mac OS X 10.6 or later
VirtualBox 6.1 or later, a free and open-source virtualization software that you can download from https://www.virtualbox.org/
Oracle Developer VM, a pre-configured virtual machine image that contains Oracle Database XE and other tools that you can download from https://www.oracle.com/database/technologies/databaseappdev-vm.html
An Oracle account, which you can create for free at https://profile.oracle.com/myprofile/account/create-account.jspx
Once you have these requirements, you are ready to install Oracle Database XE on your Mac computer.
How to Install Oracle Database XE on Mac
Now that you have the required hardware and software, you can follow these steps to install and run Oracle Database XE on your Mac computer:
Step 1: Get VirtualBox
VirtualBox is a free and open-source virtualization software that allows you to run multiple operating systems and applications on a single computer. You can use it to create and manage virtual machines (VMs) that simulate different computer systems.
To get VirtualBox, you need to do the following:
Go to https://www.virtualbox.org/ and click on the Download VirtualBox button.
Select the version of VirtualBox that matches your Mac OS X version and click on the link to download it.
Once the download is complete, double-click on the .dmg file to open it.
Drag and drop the VirtualBox icon into the Applications folder.
Launch VirtualBox from the Applications folder or the Launchpad.
You have now installed VirtualBox on your Mac computer.
Step 2: Download the Oracle Developer VM
The Oracle Developer VM is a pre-configured virtual machine image that contains Oracle Database XE and other tools for database development and administration. It also includes a sample database and some tutorials to help you get started.
To download the Oracle Developer VM, you need to do the following:
Go to https://www.oracle.com/database/technologies/databaseappdev-vm.html and click on the Download button under Oracle Database 11g XE.
Sign in with your Oracle account or create one if you don't have one.
Accept the license agreement and click on the Download button for the Oracle Developer VM for Database 11g XE (VirtualBox).zip file.
Wait for the download to complete. The file size is about 4.5 GB, so it may take some time depending on your internet speed.
Once the download is complete, unzip the file to extract the .ova file, which is the virtual machine image.
You have now downloaded the Oracle Developer VM for Database 11g XE.
Step 3: Set Up the Oracle VM
Now that you have the Oracle Developer VM image, you need to import it into VirtualBox and configure its settings. To do this, you need to follow these steps:
Launch VirtualBox and click on the File menu and select Import Appliance.
Click on the folder icon and browse to the location where you saved the .ova file. Select it and click on Open.
Click on Next and review the appliance settings. You can change them if you want, but the default settings should work fine.
Click on Import and wait for the process to complete. This may take a few minutes depending on your system performance.
Once the import is complete, you will see the Oracle Developer VM listed in the left pane of VirtualBox. Select it and click on Settings.
In the Settings window, click on Network and make sure that the Adapter 1 is enabled and attached to NAT. This will allow your VM to access the internet through your Mac's network connection.
Click on OK to save the settings and close the window.
You have now set up the Oracle VM in VirtualBox.
Step 4: Run the Oracle VM
Now that you have set up the Oracle VM, you can start it and access its desktop. To do this, you need to follow these steps:
Select the Oracle Developer VM in VirtualBox and click on Start.
Wait for the VM to boot up. You will see a login screen with two user accounts: oracle and root. The password for both accounts is oracle.
Login as oracle. You will see a desktop with several icons for different tools and applications.
To connect to the Oracle database, double-click on the Database icon. This will launch a terminal window with a command prompt.
Type sqlplus / as sysdba and press Enter. This will connect you to the Oracle database as the SYS user, which is the default administrative user.
You will see a SQL prompt where you can execute SQL commands and queries. For example, you can type select * from v$version; to see the version information of your database.
To exit SQL*Plus, type exit and press Enter.
You have now run the Oracle VM and connected to the Oracle database. Step 5: Test Using SQL Developer
SQL Developer is a graphical tool for database development and administration that is included in the Oracle Developer VM. You can use it to create and manage database objects, run SQL statements and scripts, edit and debug PL/SQL code, and more.
To test the Oracle database functionality using SQL Developer, you need to follow these steps:
Double-click on the SQL Developer icon on the desktop. This will launch the SQL Developer application.
When prompted, enter the password oracle for the oracle user account and click OK.
In the Connections pane on the left, expand the Database node and double-click on XE. This will connect you to the Oracle Database XE instance.
In the SQL Worksheet tab on the right, you can type and execute SQL commands and queries. For example, you can type select * from hr.employees; to see the data from the employees table in the HR schema.
To run a command or query, press Ctrl+Enter or click on the Run Statement button.
You will see the results in the Query Result tab below. You can also see the execution plan, statistics, and output in other tabs.
To open a new SQL Worksheet, click on the New Worksheet button or press Ctrl+N.
To save your work, click on the Save button or press Ctrl+S.
To close SQL Developer, click on the File menu and select Exit.
You have now tested the Oracle database functionality using SQL Developer. Benefits and Limitations of Oracle Database XE
Oracle Database XE is a great way to learn and work with Oracle Database, but it also has some benefits and limitations that you should be aware of. Here are some of them:
Benefits
Oracle Database XE is compatible with other Oracle Database editions, which means that you can easily migrate your data and applications to a higher edition if you need more features or capacity.
Oracle Database XE provides a full-featured experience of Oracle Database, which means that you can use most of the features and functionality that are available in other editions, such as SQL, PL/SQL, XML, JSON, Spatial, Text, Data Pump, and more.
Oracle Database XE is free to use for any purpose, which means that you don't have to pay any license fees or royalties to Oracle. You can also distribute it with your applications without any restrictions.
Limitations
Oracle Database XE has some resource restrictions, which means that it can only use up to 1 GB of RAM, 11 GB of disk space, and 1 CPU on the host machine. If you need more resources, you have to upgrade to a higher edition.
Oracle Database XE is only available for Windows and Linux platforms, which means that you cannot install it directly on Mac OS X or other operating systems. You have to use a virtual machine or a remote server to run it on your Mac computer.
Oracle Database XE has limited support options, which means that you cannot get official technical support from Oracle. You have to rely on the online documentation, forums, blogs, and other community resources for help.
These are some of the benefits and limitations of using Oracle Database XE. You should consider them carefully before deciding whether Oracle Database XE is suitable for your needs or not. Oracle Database XE vs Other Oracle Editions
Oracle Database XE is one of the four editions of Oracle Database that are available for different purposes and budgets. The other three editions are:
Oracle Database Standard Edition (SE), which is designed for small and medium-sized businesses that need a reliable and secure database with high availability and scalability features.
Oracle Database Enterprise Edition (EE), which is designed for large and complex enterprises that need a comprehensive and robust database with advanced performance, security, and analytics features.
Oracle Database Personal Edition (PE), which is designed for single users who need a full-featured database for development, testing, prototyping, and learning purposes.
To help you compare Oracle Database XE with other Oracle editions, here is a table that shows some of the key differences between them:
Feature
XE
SE
EE
PE
License cost
Free
Paid
Paid
Paid
Maximum RAM usage
1 GB
4 GB per socket or 16 GB per server
No limit
No limit
Maximum disk space usage
11 GB
No limit
No limit
No limit
Maximum CPU usage
1 CPU on the host machine
Limited by sockets or cores per server
No limit
1 CPU on the host machine
Platform availability
Windows and Linux only
All supported platforms
All supported platforms
All supported platforms
Data compression and encryption
No
No
Yes (with Advanced Compression and Advanced Security options)
Yes (with Advanced Compression and Advanced Security options)
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This table is not exhaustive, but it gives you an idea of how Oracle Database XE differs from other Oracle editions. For more details, you can refer to the official Oracle documentation at https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/oracle-database/11.2/index.html
Conclusion
In this article, you have learned how to install and run Oracle Database XE on your Mac computer using a virtual machine. You have also learned about the benefits and limitations of using Oracle Database XE, as well as how it compares to other Oracle editions.
Oracle Database XE is a great way to get started with Oracle Database, as it provides a full-featured experience of the industry-leading database for free. You can use it to develop and deploy applications, learn and practice SQL and PL/SQL, and explore the features and functionality of Oracle Database.
However, Oracle Database XE also has some resource restrictions, platform limitations, and support options that you should consider before using it for your production or mission-critical applications. If you need more features or capacity, you can easily upgrade to a higher edition of Oracle Database without any data loss or migration issues.
If you want to learn more about Oracle Database XE and how to use it effectively, you can check out the following resources:
The official Oracle Database XE website at https://www.oracle.com/database/technologies/xe.html, where you can find more information, documentation, downloads, tutorials, forums, blogs, and videos.
The official Oracle Learning Library at https://apexapps.oracle.com/pls/apex/f?p=44785:24:0::NO:24:P24_CONTENT_ID,P24_PREV_PAGE:6528,1, where you can find free online courses, workshops, quizzes, labs, and certifications on various topics related to Oracle Database.
The official Oracle Live SQL website at https://livesql.oracle.com/, where you can run SQL statements and scripts online against an Oracle Database instance without installing anything on your computer.
The official Oracle APEX website at https://apex.oracle.com/, where you can create and deploy web applications using Oracle Database without writing any code.
The official Oracle Cloud website at https://www.oracle.com/cloud/, where you can access various cloud services that offer Oracle Database and other solutions for your business needs.
We hope that this article has helped you to install and run Oracle Database XE on your Mac computer and to understand its benefits and limitations. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you for reading!
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about Oracle Database XE and its installation on Mac:
Q: Can I install Oracle Database XE directly on Mac OS X without using a virtual machine?
A: No, Oracle Database XE is not available for Mac OS X. You have to use a virtual machine or a remote server to run it on your Mac computer.
Q: Can I use other virtualization software besides VirtualBox to run Oracle Database XE on Mac?
A: Yes, you can use other virtualization software such as VMware Fusion or Parallels Desktop, but you have to make sure that they support the Oracle Developer VM image format (.ova) and that they meet the hardware and software requirements for running Oracle Database XE.
Q: Can I use other Oracle Database versions besides 11g XE on Mac?
A: Yes, you can use other Oracle Database versions such as 12c, 18c, or 19c on Mac, but you have to download and install them separately on your virtual machine or remote server. You cannot use the Oracle Developer VM image that contains 11g XE for other versions.
Q: How can I update or upgrade Oracle Database XE on Mac?
A: You can update or upgrade Oracle Database XE on Mac by downloading and installing the latest patch set or release from the official Oracle website. You have to follow the instructions for applying the patch set or release on your virtual machine or remote server.
Q: How can I backup or restore Oracle Database XE on Mac?
A: You can backup or restore Oracle Database XE on Mac by using the tools and methods provided by Oracle, such as RMAN, Data Pump, Export/Import, or SQL*Plus. You have to follow the instructions for backing up or restoring your database on your virtual machine or remote server. dcd2dc6462