Oracle APEX Docker

An all-in-one Docker image for Oracle APEX development. This container bundles Oracle Database XE 21c, Oracle REST Data Services (ORDS), and Oracle APEX into a single, easy-to-deploy image based on Oracle Linux.

📋 Table of Contents

• Features
• Prerequisites
• Quick Start
• Image Types
• Building the Image
• Configuration
• Usage
• Accessing APEX
• Default Credentials
• Data Persistence
• Troubleshooting
• License

✨ Features

• All-in-One Solution: Oracle Database XE 21c, ORDS, and APEX in a single container
• Two Build Options:
  • Latest: Downloads Oracle software automatically during build
  • Slim: Uses locally provided Oracle software (smaller build context)
• Persistent Storage: Data persists across container restarts using Docker volumes
• Easy Configuration: Customize credentials and settings via environment variables
• Production-Ready: Includes proper initialization, health checks, and automatic setup
• Modern APEX: Comes with Oracle APEX 24.2

🔧 Prerequisites

• Docker Engine 20.10+ or Docker Desktop
• At least 4GB of RAM allocated to Docker
• At least 15GB of free disk space
• Oracle Software (for latest slim builds)

For Slim Builds Only

Download the following files and place them in the build/ directory:

1. Oracle Database XE 21c: oracle-database-xe-21c-1.0-1.ol8.x86_64.rpm
2. Oracle ORDS 25.3.1: ords-25.3.1.289.1312.zip
3. Oracle APEX 24.2: apex_24.2.zip

🚀 Quick Start

Using Docker Compose (Recommended)

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/oracle-apex-docker.git
cd oracle-apex-docker

2. Start the container:

docker compose up -d

3. Wait for initialization (first start takes 5-10 minutes):

docker compose logs -f oracle-apex

4. Access APEX at http://localhost:8080/ords

Using Docker Run

docker run -d \
  --name oracle-apex \
  -p 1521:1521 \
  -p 8080:8080 \
  -e ORACLE_PWD="Oracle123456" \
  -e APEX_ADMIN_EMAIL="admin@example.com" \
  -e ORDS_PWD="Oracle123456" \
  -v apex_data:/opt/oracle/oradata \
  codjix/oracle-apex:latest

📦 Image Types

Latest (Full Build)

The latest image downloads all Oracle software automatically during the Docker build process:

• Pros: Simpler build process, no manual downloads
• Cons: Larger build context, requires internet during build
• Image Tag: codjix/oracle-apex:latest

Slim Build

The slim image requires you to manually download Oracle software and place it in the build/ directory:

• Pros: Faster builds after initial setup, works offline
• Cons: Manual download step required, needs volume mount during setup
• Image Tag: codjix/oracle-apex:slim

🔨 Building the Image

The project includes a convenient build script:

Build Latest Image

./build.sh latest

Build Slim Image

1. Download required files to build/ directory (see Prerequisites)
2. Build the image:

./build.sh slim

Build Script Options

./build.sh --help     # Show help
./build.sh --version  # Show version

Manual Build (Alternative)

# Latest
docker buildx build -t codjix/oracle-apex:latest -f ./Dockerfile .

# Slim
docker buildx build -t codjix/oracle-apex:slim -f ./slim.Dockerfile .

⚙️ Configuration

Configure the container using environment variables in compose.yaml or via -e flags with docker run.

Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Default	Required
ORACLE_PWD	SYS/SYSTEM database password	Oracle123456	Yes
APEX_ADMIN_EMAIL	APEX admin email address	admin@example.com	Yes
ORDS_PWD	ORDS and APEX user passwords	Oracle123456	Yes
ORACLE_SID	Oracle System Identifier	XE	No
ORACLE_PDB	Pluggable Database name	XEPDB1	No

Ports

Port	Service	Description
1521	Oracle Database	SQL*Net listener for database connections
8080	ORDS/APEX	Web interface for APEX and REST APIs

Volumes

Path	Description
/opt/oracle/oradata	Database files (persistent storage)
/build	Oracle software files (slim image only)

📖 Usage

Starting the Container

docker compose up -d

Stopping the Container

docker compose down

Viewing Logs

docker compose logs -f oracle-apex

Restarting the Container

docker compose restart oracle-apex

Accessing the Database via SQL*Plus

From inside the container:

docker compose exec oracle-apex sqlplus sys/Oracle123456@localhost:1521/XE as sysdba

From your host (requires Oracle Client):

sqlplus sys/Oracle123456@localhost:1521/XE as sysdba

Connecting to PDB

sqlplus sys/Oracle123456@localhost:1521/XEPDB1 as sysdba

🌐 Accessing APEX

Once the container is running, access Oracle APEX through your web browser:

• APEX Development: http://localhost:8080/ords
• APEX Administration: http://localhost:8080/ords/apex_admin

First Login

1. Navigate to http://localhost:8080/ords
2. Click on "Administration Services" or go to /apex_admin
3. Login with:
   • Workspace: INTERNAL
   • Username: ADMIN
   • Password: Value of ORACLE_PWD (default: Oracle123456)

🔐 Default Credentials

APEX Workspace INTERNAL

• Username: ADMIN
• Password: Oracle123456 (or your ORACLE_PWD value)
• Email: admin@example.com (or your APEX_ADMIN_EMAIL value)

Oracle Database

• SYS/SYSTEM Password: Oracle123456 (or your ORACLE_PWD value)
• Connection String: localhost:1521/XE (CDB) or localhost:1521/XEPDB1 (PDB)

APEX Schema Users

• APEX_PUBLIC_USER: Password set to ORDS_PWD
• APEX_REST_PUBLIC_USER: Password set to ORDS_PWD
• APEX_LISTENER: Password set to ORDS_PWD

⚠️ Security Warning: Change default passwords in production environments!

💾 Data Persistence

Database files are stored in a Docker volume mounted at /opt/oracle/oradata. This ensures:

• Data persists across container restarts
• Data survives container removal
• Easy backup and restore capabilities

Reset Database

To start fresh (⚠️ deletes all data):

docker compose down -v
docker compose up -d

🔍 Troubleshooting

Container Exits Immediately

Check the logs:

docker compose logs oracle-apex

Common causes:

• Insufficient memory (increase Docker memory to 8GB+)
• Insufficient disk space
• Port conflicts (1521 or 8080 already in use)

Slow First Start

The first container start takes 10-20 minutes as it:

1. Installs Oracle Database XE
2. Configures the database
3. Installs Oracle APEX
4. Configures ORDS
5. Creates admin user

Subsequent starts are much faster (~30 seconds).

Slim Image: Missing Build Files

If using the slim image, ensure:

ls -lh build/
# Should show:
# apex.zip
# database.rpm
# ords.zip

And in compose.yaml, uncomment:

volumes:
  - ./build:/build

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

👤 Author

Ibrahim Megahed

• Email: codjix@gmail.com
• GitHub: @codjix

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Oracle Corporation for Oracle Database XE, ORDS, and APEX
• The Oracle Linux team for the base image

⚠️ Disclaimer

This Docker image is for development and testing purposes. Oracle Database XE comes with its own license terms. Please review Oracle's licensing before use.

For production use, consider Oracle's official container images or ensure compliance with Oracle's licensing requirements.