How to Set Up Oracle Instant Client on Windows Subsystem for Linux

The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) allows developers to run a native Linux environment directly on Windows, without the need for a virtual machine. This can be particularly useful when working with tools and applications that are only available on Linux. In this article, we will go through the process of setting up Oracle Instant Client on WSL.

Before we begin, you will need to download the instantclient-basic and sqlplus versions from the Oracle InstantClient download website. Once you have accepted the license agreement, you can proceed with the installation.

Step 1: Download Oracle Instant Client for Linux

Download the zip version of the instantclient-basic and instantclient-sqlplus for Linux from the Oracle InstantClient download website. Make sure to select the correct architecture (32-bit or 64-bit) that matches your Windows 10 machine.

Step 2: Unzip the Files

Unzip the instantclient-basic and sqlplus versions to a directory of your choice. In this example, we will assume you have unzipped them in `/location/to/your/download/instantclient-basic-linux.zip` and `/location/to/your/download/instantclient-sqlplus-linux.zip`.

Step 3: Create an Oracle Folder

Create a new directory for the oracle client. For this example, we will use `/opt/oracle`. Run the following command to create the directory:

```bash

mkdir -p /opt/oracle

```

Step 4: Unzip Files into Oracle Folder

Unzip the instantclient-basic and sqlplus versions into the newly created oracle folder:

```bash

unzip /location/to/your/download/instantclient-basic-linux.zip -d /opt/oracle/

unzip /location/to/your/download/instantclient-sqlplus-linux.zip -d /opt/oracle/

```

Step 5: Install Zip and Libaio1

Install the zip and libaio1 packages using apt-get:

```bash

apt-get install zip libaio1

```

Step 6: Create Symlinks

Create symlinks to the oracle client libraries:

```bash

ln -s libclntsh.so.12.1 libclntsh.so

ln -s libocci.so.12.1 libocci.so

```

Step 7: Change Directory and Install

Change directory to the instantclient_12_2 folder:

```bash

cd /opt/oracle/instantclient_12_2/

```

Run the following command to install the oracle client:

```bash

sudo mkdir -p /opt/oracle

```

That's it! You should now have Oracle Instant Client set up on your Windows Subsystem for Linux. You can verify that it is installed by running `sqlplus` from the command line.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions or issues during the setup process.

Download oracle client for windows 10