Hi,
Looking for some help setting up connections from SQL Developer on a Mac to the db server on a Linux machine on the same LAN.
I am an amateur playing around with Oracle db just to learn and for personal entertainment; I don't work in IT and never have (I am retired - from a different occupation). The LAN is just my computers at home. I think I know my way around computers and networks to some extent, but I am also ignorant of many basic things.
I was able to download, unpack and start SQL Developer 23.1 on the Mac laptop (Intel CPU, macOS Ventura 13.5.2).
The database, version 12.2.0.1, runs on a PC under Oracle Linux 8.6. I have been connecting to it using SQL Developer on the same PC without problems for years. I have the db set up in multi-tenant architecture; I have one PDB called orclpdb.
I opened port 1521 to “Public” in the firewall on the Linux PC. (At least I think I did; running firewall-cmd --list-ports does list 1521/tcp, which I take as confirmation.)
I fired up SQL Developer on the Mac, and went to create a connection. I tried Basic connection; I entered my credentials to the db, and I entered orcl-linux for hostname (this is the Linux machine's hostname), 1521 for the port and orclpdb for service name. Then I tested the connection; I get
Status : Failure - Test failed: IO Error: The Network Adapter could not establish the connection (CONNECTION_ID = <.....>)
I wasn't sure if a Basic connection needs a tnsnames.ora on the client computer (the Mac); I thought Basic connections don't, but just in case, I created a tnsnames.ora in the /Users/<username> folder. I copied the entries for LISTENER_ORCL and ORCLPDB from the Linux machine, I only changed HOST from localhost to orcl-linux (again, this is the hostname of the Linux machine). That didn't help - same IO error. I assume the error is not a TNS error, but what do I know…
I am guessing I must have skipped some prerequisites - perhaps a network communication layer that is a prerequisite to running client connections to the server?
I did as much searching as I could but I didn't come across a clear explanation of what needs to pre-exist on the Mac in order for SQL Developer to be able to connect to the db on a different machine. The only prerequisite that is mention everywhere is the presence of current JDK - which in the current download comes prepackaged, if I got that right.
Instead of handholding, I don't mind reading on my own and applying what I am reading - but I don't know where to turn. Do I need to read the Oracle Net Services Administrator's Guide to learn what I am doing wrong (assuming that it's indeed a networking issue and nothing else)? Or is there a more direct path?
Please let me know if there is any additional information that can clarify my question.
Thank you! - mathguy