Unable to use directory volume mounts using podman

[nathan-isaac]

Has anyone been able to get directory volume mounts working with podman? I'm using fedora and I'm unable to get it to work. It does work if I create a podman volume before with podman volume create db-oradata but not when I use a directory volume mount.

$ podman run -it --rm -v ./oradata:/opt/oracle/oradata:Z -e ORACLE_PASSWORD=password --userns="keep-id:uid=54321,gid=54321" gvenzl/oracle-free:slim-faststart

Command output

CONTAINER: starting up...
CONTAINER: first database startup, initializing...
CONTAINER: starting up Oracle Database...

LSNRCTL for Linux: Version 23.0.0.0.0 - Production on 29-MAY-2024 13:53:23

Copyright (c) 1991, 2024, Oracle.  All rights reserved.

Starting /opt/oracle/product/23ai/dbhomeFree/bin/tnslsnr: please wait...

TNSLSNR for Linux: Version 23.0.0.0.0 - Production
System parameter file is /opt/oracle/product/23ai/dbhomeFree/network/admin/listener.ora
Log messages written to /opt/oracle/diag/tnslsnr/304ded49ecbe/listener/alert/log.xml
Listening on: (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=ipc)(KEY=EXTPROC_FOR_FREE)))
Listening on: (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=0.0.0.0)(PORT=1521)))

Connecting to (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=IPC)(KEY=EXTPROC_FOR_FREE)))
STATUS of the LISTENER
------------------------
Alias                     LISTENER
Version                   TNSLSNR for Linux: Version 23.0.0.0.0 - Production
Start Date                29-MAY-2024 13:53:24
Uptime                    0 days 0 hr. 0 min. 0 sec
Trace Level               off
Security                  ON: Local OS Authentication
SNMP                      OFF
Default Service           FREE
Listener Parameter File   /opt/oracle/product/23ai/dbhomeFree/network/admin/listener.ora
Listener Log File         /opt/oracle/diag/tnslsnr/304ded49ecbe/listener/alert/log.xml
Listening Endpoints Summary...
  (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=ipc)(KEY=EXTPROC_FOR_FREE)))
  (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=0.0.0.0)(PORT=1521)))
The listener supports no services
The command completed successfully
ORACLE instance started.

Total System Global Area 1603726344 bytes
Fixed Size                  5360648 bytes
Variable Size             788529152 bytes
Database Buffers          805306368 bytes
Redo Buffers                4530176 bytes
ORA-00205: error in identifying control file, check alert log for more info
Help: https://docs.oracle.com/error-help/db/ora-00205/

Oradata files

$ tree oradata
oradata
└── dbconfig
    └── FREE
        ├── listener.ora
        ├── orapwFREE
        ├── spfileFREE.ora
        ├── sqlnet.ora
        └── tnsnames.ora

3 directories, 5 files

[gvenzl]

Hey @nathan-isaac,

Thanks a lot for using these images!

I think you are running into the scenario where the host volume does not preserve the files already present in the container's directory while the named volume first copies the files inside the container's directory into the volume and then mounts the volume back into the container.

Specifically, here is what I mean:

As you have already seen yourself, the directory /opt/oracle/oradata has one subfolder present, namely the folder with all the database files:

[gvenzl@localhost ~]$ podman run -ti --entrypoint=bash gvenzl/oracle-free:slim-faststart
bash-4.4$ ls -al /opt/oracle/oradata
total 0
drwxrwxrwx 1 oracle oinstall 18 May 19 00:07 .
drwxr-xr-x 1 oracle oinstall 21 May 19 00:11 ..
drwxr-x--- 1 oracle oinstall 26 May 19 00:11 FREE

When you now mount a host volume, that directory simply vanishes:

[gvenzl@localhost ~]$ podman run -ti --entrypoint=bash -v ./oradata:/opt/oracle/oradata:Z gvenzl/oracle-free:slim-faststart
bash-4.4$ ls -al /opt/oracle/oradata
total 0
drwxr-xr-x 2 root   root      6 Jul 14 01:10 .
drwxr-xr-x 1 oracle oinstall 21 May 19 00:11 ..

Without the database files inside the container, the Oracle instance cannot mount and open the database.

While if you use a named volume, these files will first be copied into the named volume (you will notice a longer start time of the container because the container copies these files):

[gvenzl@localhost ~]$ podman volume create db-oradata
db-oradata
[gvenzl@localhost ~]$ podman run -ti --entrypoint=bash -v db-oradata:/opt/oracle/oradata:Z gvenzl/oracle-free:slim-faststart
bash-4.4$ ls -al /opt/oracle/oradata
total 4
drwxrwxrwx 3 oracle oinstall   18 May 19 00:07 .
drwxr-xr-x 1 oracle oinstall   21 May 19 00:11 ..
drwxr-x--- 4 oracle oinstall 4096 May 19 00:11 FREE
bash-4.4$ exit
exit
[gvenzl@localhost ~]$ podman inspect db-oradata
[
     {
          "Name": "db-oradata",
          "Driver": "local",
          "Mountpoint": "/home/gvenzl/.local/share/containers/storage/volumes/db-oradata/_data",
          "CreatedAt": "2024-07-13T18:12:39.539871113-07:00",
          "Labels": {},
          "Scope": "local",
          "Options": {},
          "UID": 54321,
          "GID": 54321,
          "MountCount": 0,
          "LockNumber": 0
     }
]
[gvenzl@localhost ~]$ ls -al /home/gvenzl/.local/share/containers/storage/volumes/db-oradata/_data
total 4
drwxrwxrwx 3 154320 154320   18 May 18 17:07 .
drwx------ 3 gvenzl gvenzl   19 Jul 13 18:12 ..
drwxr-x--- 4 154320 154320 4096 May 18 17:11 FREE

It's probably worth noting that if you were to use the non-faststart image, this mechanism would work, as the database files will be extracted into the /opt/oracle/oradata folder after the empty host volume has been mounted:

[gvenzl@localhost test]$ mkdir oradata
[gvenzl@localhost test]$ chmod 777 oradata
[gvenzl@localhost test]$ podman run -v ./oradata:/opt/oracle/oradata:Z -e ORACLE_RANDOM_PASSWORD=y gvenzl/oracle-free:slim
CONTAINER: starting up...
CONTAINER: first database startup, initializing...
CONTAINER: uncompressing database data files, please wait...
CONTAINER: done uncompressing database data files, duration: 9 seconds.
CONTAINER: starting up Oracle Database...

LSNRCTL for Linux: Version 23.0.0.0.0 - Production on 14-JUL-2024 01:26:05

Copyright (c) 1991, 2024, Oracle.  All rights reserved.

Starting /opt/oracle/product/23ai/dbhomeFree/bin/tnslsnr: please wait...

TNSLSNR for Linux: Version 23.0.0.0.0 - Production
System parameter file is /opt/oracle/product/23ai/dbhomeFree/network/admin/listener.ora
Log messages written to /opt/oracle/diag/tnslsnr/65a1a955bb0b/listener/alert/log.xml
Listening on: (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=ipc)(KEY=EXTPROC_FOR_FREE)))
Listening on: (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=0.0.0.0)(PORT=1521)))

Connecting to (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=IPC)(KEY=EXTPROC_FOR_FREE)))
STATUS of the LISTENER
------------------------
Alias                     LISTENER
Version                   TNSLSNR for Linux: Version 23.0.0.0.0 - Production
Start Date                14-JUL-2024 01:26:05
Uptime                    0 days 0 hr. 0 min. 0 sec
Trace Level               off
Security                  ON: Local OS Authentication
SNMP                      OFF
Default Service           FREE
Listener Parameter File   /opt/oracle/product/23ai/dbhomeFree/network/admin/listener.ora
Listener Log File         /opt/oracle/diag/tnslsnr/65a1a955bb0b/listener/alert/log.xml
Listening Endpoints Summary...
  (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=ipc)(KEY=EXTPROC_FOR_FREE)))
  (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=0.0.0.0)(PORT=1521)))
The listener supports no services
The command completed successfully
ORACLE instance started.

Total System Global Area 1603726344 bytes
Fixed Size		    5360648 bytes
Variable Size		  788529152 bytes
Database Buffers	  805306368 bytes
Redo Buffers		    4530176 bytes
Database mounted.
Database opened.

CONTAINER: Resetting SYS and SYSTEM passwords.

User altered.


User altered.

############################################
ORACLE PASSWORD FOR SYS AND SYSTEM: ZGRlZWMx
############################################

#########################
DATABASE IS READY TO USE!
#########################

####################################################################
CONTAINER: The following output is now from the alert_FREE.log file:
####################################################################
FREEPDB1(3):Autotune of undo retention is turned on.
2024-07-14T01:26:16.992373+00:00
Thread 1 advanced to log sequence 14 (LGWR switch),  current SCN: 3081771
  Current log# 1 seq# 14 mem# 0: /opt/oracle/oradata/FREE/redo01.log
2024-07-14T01:26:17.217716+00:00
Resize operation completed for file# 18, fname /opt/oracle/oradata/FREE/undotbs01.dbf, old size 11264K, new size 21504K
2024-07-14T01:26:17.804225+00:00
FREEPDB1(3):Opening pdb with Resource Manager plan: DEFAULT_PLAN
Completed: Pluggable database FREEPDB1 opened read write
Completed: ALTER DATABASE OPEN
^CCONTAINER: shutdown request received.
CONTAINER: shutting down database!

LSNRCTL for Linux: Version 23.0.0.0.0 - Production on 14-JUL-2024 01:26:18

Copyright (c) 1991, 2024, Oracle.  All rights reserved.

Connecting to (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=IPC)(KEY=EXTPROC_FOR_FREE)))
The command completed successfully
2024-07-14T01:26:18.859991+00:00
Shutting down ORACLE instance (immediate) (OS id: 214)
Shutdown is initiated by sqlplus@65a1a955bb0b (TNS V1-V3).
Stopping background process SMCO.
Shutting down instance: further logons disabled
2024-07-14T01:26:19.317881+00:00
Stopping background process CJQ0
Stopping background process MMNL.
Stopping background process MMON.
alter pluggable database all close immediate
2024-07-14T01:26:19.441815+00:00
FREEPDB1(3):JIT: pid 214 requesting stop
2024-07-14T01:26:19.448058+00:00
FREEPDB1(3):Stopped service freepdb1
Database closed.
Database dismounted.
Completed: Pluggable database FREEPDB1 closed services=None
Completed: alter pluggable database all close immediate
PDB$SEED(2):JIT: pid 214 requesting stop
License high water mark = 2

Data Pump shutdown in progress
2024-07-14T01:26:19.781057+00:00
Process termination requested for pid 204 [source = rdbms], [info = 2] [request issued by pid: 214, uid: 54321]
ALTER DATABASE CLOSE NORMAL
Stopping background process AQPC.
alter pluggable database all close immediate
Completed: alter pluggable database all close immediate
alter pluggable database all close immediate
Completed: alter pluggable database all close immediate
2024-07-14T01:26:19.947788+00:00
Stopping change tracking
2024-07-14T01:26:20.031786+00:00
Thread 1 closed at log sequence 14
Successful close of redo thread 1
Completed: ALTER DATABASE CLOSE NORMAL
ALTER DATABASE DISMOUNT
Completed: ALTER DATABASE DISMOUNT
2024-07-14T01:26:20.156194+00:00
JIT: pid 214 requesting stop
JIT: pid 214 requesting stop
ORACLE instance shut down.
CONTAINER: stopping container.
[gvenzl@localhost test]$ ls -al oradata
total 4
drwxrwxrwx 4 gvenzl gvenzl   34 Jul 13 18:26 .
drwxr-xr-x 3 gvenzl gvenzl   21 Jul 13 18:25 ..
drwxr-xr-x 3 154320 154320   18 Jul 13 18:26 dbconfig
drwxr-x--- 4 154320 154320 4096 May 18 17:03 FREE
[gvenzl@localhost test]$

Hope this helps!