Oracle Cloud in a nutshell
First attempt
Ok, it is not my first attempt (you can see in the figure).
After a long and convoluted registration process. I finally created a free account.
Then, so what next?
First, you must know that Oracle has a lot of account. I had an Oracle Account since years but it works and don’t work for Oracle Cloud (?).
If you are registered, then this email is important
Access Details for Oracle Cloud Console
As an administrator, you can create additional users and assign those users specific roles and responsibilities within your Cloud Account(s).
If you’ve lost your password for any of the cloud accounts, follow the instructions in the Changing and Managing Your Own Passwords document.
Cloud Account Name: ***
Oracle Cloud Console: https://myservices-***.console.oraclecloud.com/mycloud/cloudportal/gettingStarted
Username: ***
Data Region: OPC-GLOBAL
Data Center: North America
You have a cloud account name (also called tenant), then a username (and a password) and a region. Also the Data region is important.
At last!. So I can create a free VM. The process is pretty straightforward.
Then you must upload a public key and it is when the thing get hairy.
If you use Windows then the instructions don’t work. I managed to download some ready-to-use keys.
The keys requires a really specific configuration.
Also: Linux-based instances use an SSH key instead of a password. IT IS BS!. While it is true for SSH but you will need a password! And you get nothing.
Instance created, so let’s connect
We need to create a new console connection and for this, we need (again), another key.
If you upload an incorrect key, the platform will not warm you but you will never ever be able to connect (or warm you that the key is wrong).
It is my connection
Start-Job { Echo N | plink.exe -i $env:homedrive$env:homepath\oci\console.ppk -N -ssh -P 443 -l ocid1.instanceconsoleconnection.oc1.phx.***-L 22000:ocid1.instance.oc1.phx.***:22 instance-console.us-phoenix-1.oraclecloud.com }; sleep 5; plink.exe -i $env:homedrive$env:homepath\oci\console.ppk -P 22000 localhost -l ocid1.instance.oc1.phx.***
If you try to correct in powershell, then it will not work.
You could say, ok, so let’s change this mumbo jumbo for something fixed
$env:homedrive$env:homepath\oci\console.ppk
for this
c:\oracle\key.ppk
However, I tried and it doesn’t work!. Booh Hiisss!
The right value is
“c:\oracle\key.ppk”
O_O And I am not even using a complex path.
Logging on
So I run my “updated” script and it connects directly but it asks for login and password O_O
More surprise
I found a new surprise. I found this instructions (I installed it a couple of hours ago and now I see this, is it a brand new instruction?).
tl/dr, don’t waste your time connecting via console, it is your solution, you don’t even need any stinky console connection.
In the main screen of the instance, it shows the next message
Instance Access
You connect to a running Linux instance using a Secure Shell (SSH) connection. You’ll need the private key from the SSH key pair that was used to create the instance.
Public IP Address: *.*.*.* Copy
Username: opc
Cool. It is not that the public ip wasn’t visible. But it shows a way to connect using the public ip.
Even more surprises
So at last, I can connect, so (as a disciplined sysop), I did a
sudo yum update
And it installed but it freeze O_O. So I closed the connection and I opened it again
[opc@instance-]$ sudo yum update
Loaded plugins: fastestmirror, langpacks
Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile
* base: centos-distro.1gservers.com
* epel: mirror.prgmr.com
* extras: mirror.twinlakes.net
* updates: centos.mirrors.hoobly.com
No packages marked for update
And at last, I had Linux up and running.
Final Note
Oracle gives a free instance for free. This instance has some limits. One of the principal limit is the memory. 1gb is a bit short. It also gives a database but it takes a big job to install Oracle Instant Client. Oracle wants us to install their version of Linux (Oracle Linux), that it is a “cousin” of CentOS 7, it is not bad but it is not popular.
