Solaris

How can I deinstall or delete the whole environment and delete everything (all the files, group, users). I would like to start fresh. I 'd like to install ORACLE 12c. Create users from scratch, create group from scratch etc)

Why?
I installed Oracle 11g on Solaris. It had an ORACLE_BASE, ORACLE_HOME and I ended up moving Oracle_home manually because I didn't like the path. Now I am running into issues which I can't resolve. Any help from the community will be highly appreciated.

Well what makes you think it will be different this time?
The most important is at installation, not accept the defaults and give correct paths straightaway, look and read carefully oracle installation script before you start

To be truly fresh,

make sure have operating system source

re-format the hard drives
re-install operating system
create users
install software

I think you are right, I don't know how different will it be next time since I am no expert.

1) I don't have to deinstall/delete anything if I can get a little push. What's confusing is there are multiple entries of Oracle DB in etc/oratab file. We don't have any DB running on this machine so how do I delete those entries.

2) I have multiple entries of dba group in etc/group file which I am confused about. I don't know which 1 to keep and which 1 to delete?

3) root env and oracle env is different. How would I change it for oracle user since I can't start sqlplus, it gives me an error: SQLPLUS not found.

I have more problems but this is for now. I don't mind fixing this first?

We had an Oracle DBA who left , so this might be an opportunity for me to learn Oracle. Any help will be highly appreciated.

---------- Post updated at 09:57 AM ---------- Previous update was at 09:26 AM ----------

I changed the .profile and as of now sqlplus is working.
Oracle env and root env ar ethe same now.

I had machines with 6 oracle instances of 4 different versions with 2 sybases... ( an old HP K series...).
Starting from scratch is as Joey suggests...

But it isnt an absolute need...

Only this time get organized: Read all the installation doc, check all the prerequisites, decide where you are to install what..
You can remove using rm what you have installed (oracle) since you should know where is what in order to use the users and groups you defined on the system otherwise remove them also but this is not linked ot oracle software...
When you install oracle be sure you are NOT USING root account but oracle!
It will depending your luck and experience ask ( hope at the end of install...) you to run a script as root usually root.sh, as Im apranoid I execute that script using script after having read what it will do ( and modifyif needed things I dont agree with...)

If you are going to do this, could I suggest that you split the root filesystem.

It is a risk having a huge root filesystem containing /usr, /var & /tmp. The latter two could have very large files created in them either crashing your server immediately, limiting services or preventing a boot.

I also try to keep anything that is not necessary for the very basic boot should be on volumes other than the boot disks, so all software, applications, data, home directories etc.



Robin

Thank you all for your reply. I don't think I will delete anything. I ended up making some changes in the profile and God know what else I did. Long story short I will just create a DB which I am having some issues with so I will just start a new thread.

Thanks again for your help guys. I really appreciate that.