How to install seperate APEX bugfix patches

Don't have an Oracle Linux Developer-Day VM up and running yet? Check this post first...

What you need in order to be able to apply bugfix patches

After installing the latest version or update patch, new patch sets may be released that do not increase the version number. They are, so to speak, bugfixes.
If you have access to My Oracle Support or when you otherwise have a - trustworthy! - bugfix patch set at your disposal via something or someone, you can apply it to your current APEX installation. 

Often the process is broadly the same as it is in case of a version update. Place the zip file in the shared folder on the host.

To avoid any conversion issues between the Windows host and the Linux guest, extract the file on the Linux guest. Create a new subdirectory in /home/oracle called "INSTALL" and copy the file from ./HOST into it. Then you can unpack it there.

Each patch directory contains a file README.txt - ALWAYS READ THIS. It states which version (4.2.2.00.11) the patch is suitable for. Which bugs are fixed by this patch. And it contains an installation manual.

Installation scenarios

Roughly speaking, there are two installation scenarios: either you should copy some files, or you have to run a sql script.

Often it's stated that all databases and application servers must stop, and then only the database must be started again. 
In the Developer-Day VM that usually comes down to just stopping the APEX listener, performing the installation actions and then restart the listener again.

Everything you need in order to be able to perform these kind of installations, can be found in the earlier post about upgrading the APEX installation to a new version.

Determine installed bugfix patches

The only problem is that from within the APEX environment, you can not determine which patches are currently installed or not (not as far as I know ...)


I 'solved' this, by defining a login message for the APEX instance (via INTERNAL ADMIN under Manage Instance > Message Log) using the info from the README-files:

How to apply patchset to upgrade an existing APEX installation

Don't have an Oracle Linux Developer-Day VM up and running yet? Check this post first...

What you need in order to be able to upgrade

If you have access to My Oracle Support or when you otherwise have a - trustworthy! - patch set for a new APEX version at your disposal via something or someone, you can upgrade a current APEX installation instead of adding or replacing it by a new one.

This example will demonstrate an upgrade of the version that's bundled with the Pre-Build Developer VM for Virtualbox version 4.2.0.00.27 to 4.2.2.00.11 using Patch# 16277995. Place the zip file in the shared folder on the host.

Open a terminal window. First stop the APEX listener:

To avoid any conversion issues between the Windows host and the Linux guest, extract the file on the Linux guest. Create a new subdirectory in /home/oracle called "INSTALL" and copy the file from ./HOST into it. Then you can unpack it there:

This should result in:

Set the current directory in the terminal screen to the patch directory:



And start the patch via sqlplus:



When the update is finished, you will end up at the SQL prompt. Enter the exit command to exit sqlplus:

Seperate the APEX images directory

First time? Then first get the APEX images directory from the APEX listener configuration directory by creating a new directory /home/oracle/apeximages. You can use a file manager/browser for this.

Then copy the contents of the images directory from the patch into the apeximages directory:

Reconfigure the APEX Listener

Finally, the APEX listener must be reconfigured. So, first remove the current configuration:



And then start the configuration using succesively :

Start APEX listener running in background

The listener is now running in standalone mode in the terminal screen. Once that window closes, the listener will no longer be running. So it must start up in a different way.

Stop it first with Ctrl-C in the terminal window and start it with the existing startup script in /home/oracle:

When you're back at the prompt, you can close the terminal screen. Navigate your browser to the APEX installation and check the new version via the browser:

Upgrading the APEX Listener in an Oracle Dev-Day Virtualbox VM

Don't have an Oracle Linux Developer-Day VM up and running yet? Check this post first...

Download APEX Listener

The Oracle Dev-Day pre-build VM for Virtualbox has the APEX Listener version 2.0.0.331.16.54 installed by default. You can check the currently used version. Just log in to a workspace and then go to Administration / About:

Download latest version here:

    http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/developer-tools/apex-listener/downloads/index.html

Unzip the file in the shared folder on the host.

Stop APEX Listener: return to the terminal screen or open it again and make sure you are logged in as root and type the following command:

Afterward, go back to your own user, via "exit":

Seperate the APEX images directory

First time? Then first get the APEX images directory from the listener configuration directory: Copy the contents of directory /home/oracle/apex/images to a new directory /home/oracle/apeximages. You can use a file manager/browser for this, or do it via the terminal window using this command:

In the listener directory rename the current APEX listener to apex_200.war and from /home/oracle/HOST copy the new apex.war to the listener directory:

Then remove the directory /home/oracle/apex using the following command:

Note: If you want to delete only the contents of a directory, use: rm -rf /home/oracle/apex/*

Next, set the configuration directory of the new listener. Otherwise, it will default to /tmp/apex. First change the current directory to /home/oracle/listener:

Note: Here the absolute path was provided, starting from the root "/". But that is not necessary. You can also use a relative approach, reasoning from your current directory. With ". /" you refer to the current directory and ".. /" refers to the parent directory.

Next, enter the following command:

Now the new APEX listener can be configured using:

Now log in to a workspace and then go to Administration/About to check the new version:

Start APEX listener running in background

The listener is now running in standalone mode in the terminal screen. Once that window closes, the listener will no longer be running. So it must start up in a different way.
Stop it first with Ctrl-C in the terminal window and start it with the existing startup script in /home/oracle:

When you're back at the prompt, you can close the terminal screen. Navigate your browser to the APEX installation again - it should still work!