If you’re interested in learning Oracle, you’ll be pleased to know that you can install a free version of it called Oracle Database Express Edition (XE); and it’s available for Debian and Ubuntu! This is great for anyone looking to learn one of the most popular enterprise databases in the world, without hurting the wallet. You can also freely distribute and develop against this platform, so it’s definitely worth giving it a try.

Visit their site for more details, and instructions for installing it via Oracle’s very own repository:
http://www.oracle.com/technology/tech/linux/install/xe-on-kubuntu.html

Here’s my own paraphrase of the installation procedures.

Add Repository and Install:

$ echo "deb http://oss.oracle.com/debian unstable main non-free" | \
sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list
$ wget http://oss.oracle.com/el4/RPM-GPG-KEY-oracle -O- | sudo apt-key add -
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install oracle-xe

Configure and Start Database:

$ sudo /etc/init.d/oracle-xe configure

Get Started:
Applications -> Oracle Database 10g Express Edition -> Get Started

For a great tutorial on how to start using Oracle, be sure to check out the book “Hands-On Oracle Database 10g Express Edition for Linux“, (ISBN: 007226327X). You can find it at your local book store or on the web.

Oracle also has a free online tutorial located on their website:
http://st-curriculum.oracle.com/tutorial/DBXETutorial/index.htm

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