Sybrand Bakker <sybrandb@hccnet.nl> wrote in message news:<d5phj0h8qgsdbh750uodnd2nmbcl9dvi8o@4ax.com>. ..
> On 3 Sep 2004 10:20:46 -0700, kybyrd@mail.med.upenn.edu (Karen Byrd)
> wrote:
>
> >Several patches that I need to install have this caveat in their READ
> >ME files:
> >
> > You must have NO OTHER PATCHES installed on your Oracle server
> > since the latest patch set...
> >
> >How does one install all needed patches when this disclaimer exists?
>
> As far as I know almost all patches are cumulative, ie they go back to
> the initial release. Your readme will also state which minimum version
> you need to have. If you have 9.2.0.1 now, and 9.2.0.4 is cumulative,
> you install 9.2.0.4 (or better still 5 as that is available for most
> platforms) straightaway and forget about the other patches.

There is a big difference between patches and patchsets. Patchsets
are cumulative but patches are one off sets of modified oracle
executables (usually).

The standard disclaimer that oracle gives on the patches means that
you may shoot yourself in the foot by applying a patch if it is based
on some oracle executable that you have a different version of
(because you have already applied another patch to that executable).

Would it have made everyone's life easier if the security alert that
just came out was distributed in a patchset instead of individual
patches. You betcha.

The security alert that just went out has (usually depending on
platform) 2 patches that can only be applied by opatch on top of
(various) different release and patchset combinations.

Opatch of course is not well integrated with the universal installer
so as someone noted previously test this carefully in your own
environments. Start off by backing up everything in your oracle
home(s) along with your oracle repository -- if you don't know that
this means, better open a TAR with oracle support to get help.