The VM Appliance already contains these tools, however this guide provides the tools required to get up and running with APEX in docker.

The guide provides:

• Oracle 23c Free Database

• ORDS latest (23.1 at time of writing)

• Open JAVA 17 JDK

• APEX latest (22.2 at time of writing)

If you are quick at copy/pasting, you can rattle through the setup in 30mins - from step 3

Let's start...

1. Mac: Install Brew/Colima/Docker by following this guide by Rafal first before continuing
   Windows: Ensure Docker is running & start Docker Desktop
   Unix: Ensure Docker is installed or install it below

    docker version
   

   or install it like this

    sudo yum install docker -y
   

2. Drop in to command line (i.e terminal or windows+r, cmd) and type the following (it'll take about 15mins to complete) and it'll unpack to 10.5GB on your HDD

    docker pull container-registry.oracle.com/database/free:latest
   

   It will look like this when complete

   

3. Then we need to run it... (I changed ports to 8xxx to avoid conflicts with my other docker images).

    docker run -d -it --name 23cfree -p 8521:1521 -p 8500:5500 -p 8023:8080 -p 9043:8443 -p 9922:22 -e ORACLE_PWD=E container-registry.oracle.com/database/free:latest
   

4. Now we enter bash

    docker exec -it 23cfree /bin/bash
   

5. Then run this to get APEX (1min)

    curl -o apex-latest.zip https://download.oracle.com/otn_software/apex/apex-latest.zip
   

6. unzip it & enter the apex folder (1min)

    unzip apex-latest.zip
    rm apex-latest.zip
    cd apex
   

7. Make a coffee - seriously, let the DB settle for a few mins.

8. Open SQL*Plus with sqlplus / as sysdba

    sqlplus / as sysdba
   

   like this...

    bash-4.4$ sqlplus / as sysdba
   
    SQL*Plus: Release 23.0.0.0.0 - Developer-Release on Wed Apr 5 13:27:32 2023 Version 23.2.0.0.0
   
    Copyright (c) 1982, 2023, Oracle. All rights reserved.
   
    Connected to: Oracle Database 23c Free, Release 23.0.0.0.0 - Developer-Release Version 23.2.0.0.0
   

9. Set the PDB

    ALTER SESSION SET CONTAINER = FREEPDB1;
   

   Then run the APEX installer below. This will install APEX (10mins). Note if you get a PLS-00201: identifier 'SYS.DBMS_DB_VERSION' must be declared error, just keep re-trying this step until it works. It'll settle down within a few minutes.

    @apexins.sql SYSAUX SYSAUX TEMP /i/
   

10. Unlock the public user account

    ALTER USER APEX_PUBLIC_USER ACCOUNT UNLOCK;
    

    Then change the password

    ALTER USER APEX_PUBLIC_USER IDENTIFIED BY E;
    

11. Change the password. Run the following and follow the steps. Note: you must use a complex password

    @apxchpwd.sql
    

12. Type exit to exit SQL*Plus

13. Make these folders

    mkdir /home/oracle/software
    mkdir /home/oracle/software/apex
    mkdir /home/oracle/software/ords
    mkdir /home/oracle/scripts
    

14. Copy the APEX images & change folder

    cp -r /home/oracle/apex/images /home/oracle/software/apex
    cd /home/oracle/
    

15. Drop in to superuser

    su
    

    Then install sudo

    dnf update -y
    dnf install sudo -y
    

16. install nano

    dnf install nano -y
    

17. Edit the sudo list

    nano /etc/sudoers
    

    in the Defaults section add

    Defaults !lecture
    

    At the very end of the file add

    oracle ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL
    

    Ctrl+X and save the file

18. Install JAVA (3mins)

    dnf install java-17-openjdk -y
    

19. Setup ORDS folders & check JAVA - 1min

    mkdir /etc/ords
    mkdir /etc/ords/config
    mkdir /home/oracle/logs
    chmod -R 777 /etc/ords
    java -version
    

    This should say...

    openjdk version "17.0.6" 2023-01-17 LTS
    OpenJDK Runtime Environment (Red_Hat-17.0.6.0.10-3.el8_7) (build 17.0.6+10-LTS)
    OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (Red_Hat-17.0.6.0.10-3.el8_7) (build 17.0.6+10-LTS, mixed mode, sharing)
    

20. Whilst still as su, Install ORDS

    yum-config-manager --add-repo=http://yum.oracle.com/repo/OracleLinux/OL8/oracle/software/x86_64
    dnf install ords -y
    

21. Then configure ORDS

    export _JAVA_OPTIONS="-Xms512M -Xmx512M"
    ords --config /etc/ords/config install
    

22. Use the following configuration

    Installation Type > Choose option [2] Enter
    Connection Type > Choose option [1] Enter
    host name > Enter
    listen port > Enter
    service name > FREEPDB1
    administrator username > SYS
    password > E
    default tablespace > Enter
    temp tablespace > Enter
    features > Enter
    Start ORDS > [1] Enter <-- Standalone Mode
    protocol > [1] < http
    port > [1] <-- 8080
    Static Resources > /home/oracle/software/apex/images
    

    ORDS will then configure. It will take 1-2 mins and finally load and finally show...

    Oracle REST Data Services version : 23.1.0.r0861423
    Oracle REST Data Services server info: jetty/10.0.12
    Oracle REST Data Services java info: OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM 17.0.6+10-LTS
    

23. Do a quick test in a new browser tab localhost:8023/ords/apex and then close the tab down.

    FYI: Prior to ORDS 23.2 (read here), you just use the URL localhost:8023/ords

    

24. Ctrl+C to quit ORDS

25. Create a start_ords.sh file

    nano /home/oracle/scripts/start_ords.sh
    

    Then paste in

    export ORDS_HOME=/usr/local/bin/ords
    export _JAVA_OPTIONS="-Xms512M -Xmx512M"
    LOGFILE=/home/oracle/logs/ords-`date +"%Y""%m""%d"`.log
    nohup ${ORDS_HOME} --config /etc/ords/config serve >> $LOGFILE 2>&1 & echo "View log file with : tail -f $LOGFILE"
    

26. Create a stop_ords.sh file

    nano /home/oracle/scripts/stop_ords.sh
    

    Then paste in

    kill `ps -ef | grep [o]rds.war | awk '{print $2}'`
    

27. FYI - DON'T RUN THIS NOW : You can run them manually like this (as su)

    # Commented for Reference 
    # sh /home/oracle/scripts/start_ords.sh
    # sh /home/oracle/scripts/stop_ords.sh
    

28. Create an ORDS startup script

    nano /opt/oracle/scripts/startup/01_auto_ords.sh
    

    paste in the below

    sudo sh /home/oracle/scripts/start_ords.sh
    

29. Type exit to quit out of docker and back to your local machine.

    exit
    

30. If you are using docker on Unix (i.e not Windows/Mac), you'll need to enable linger (source #17)

    loginctl enable-linger $UID
    

31. Stop your docker container (I like using the GUI) & then start it again.. this is to activate the auto ords starter script we just created

    docker restart 23cfree
    

32. Wait 60 seconds, then try logging in at
    localhost:8023/ords/apex

    Workspace > INTERNAL
    Username > ADMIN
    Password > The Complex Password
    

33. ENJOY!