🚀 Oracle Sandbox – Developer Environment

Hi folks!

If you’ve ever tried setting up Oracle AI Database, APEX, and ORDS from scratch, you understand the challenges involved. The process is slow, complicated, and error-prone. The process involves downloading gigabytes of installers, configuring Java, tweaking system settings, creating databases, connecting ORDS, installing APEX, fixing listener issues, troubleshooting permissions, and ensuring compatibility across macOS, Windows, and Linux, a complex chain of dependencies.

Hi folks!

Even experienced Oracle developers can spend 4-6 hours getting everything running. Newcomers might spend an entire day or more. Teams often end up with slightly different setups, leading to inconsistent behavior and “works on my machine” issues. Instructors waste valuable workshop time fixing installation issues. Students with ARM-based laptops can’t run Oracle natively at all. By the time setup is complete, developers often lose momentum for their actual development goals.

Oracle’s tools are powerful, no question. But the traditional setup process slows down innovation, disrupts learning, and distracts from what really matters: writing SQL, building APEX apps, testing ideas, and exploring Oracle’s latest features.

This is precisely the problem the Oracle Sandbox was created to solve.

🚀 What is the Oracle Sandbox Environment?

The Oracle Sandbox is a fully containerized, ready-to-use development environment designed to simplify Oracle setup. Created by Ahmed El-Demasy and maintained by Demasy Labs, it provides a complete Oracle Database 26ai Free stack, including APEX, ORDS, and SQLcl, via a straightforward Docker Compose deployment.

Instead of spending hours installing, configuring, and troubleshooting Oracle components, developers can quickly launch a fully integrated, production-like workspace. The environment runs reliably across Windows WSL2, macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), and Linux, providing a clean, isolated, and repeatable setup for PL/SQL development, APEX applications, REST API testing, and AI-enhanced SQL exploration.

⭐ Why does the Oracle Sandbox project exist?

Setting up Oracle AI Database, APEX, and ORDS traditionally takes hours, requires extensive system knowledge, and often leads to inconsistent results across developer machines. Variations in versions, operating system limitations, and installation challenges slow down onboarding, training, and prototyping, especially on Apple Silicon and older hardware.

The Oracle Sandbox addresses these issues by packaging the entire Oracle stack into pre-configured, containerized images. With Docker as the only requirement, developers can quickly set up a fast, reliable, and reproducible environment that runs uniformly across Windows WSL2, macOS (Intel & ARM), and Linux.

This approach eliminates configuration drift, removes installation problems, enables instant cleanup, and makes it easy to switch between versions. Most importantly, it allows teams and learners to focus on building solutions rather than fighting infrastructure.

Oracle Sandbox aims to make Oracle development straightforward, consistent, and accessible for everyone.

Key Features at a Glance

Oracle 26AI Free, APEX 24.2, ORDS 25.3: all components are pre-configured and ready for immediate use.
SQLcl and SQL*Plus: Includes both modern and classic developer tools.
Docker-based Architecture: Features a clean two-container design for the database and services.
Cross-Platform Support: Compatible with macOS (Intel/ARM), Linux, and Windows with WSL2.
Preconfigured Defaults: All ports, services, and runtime settings are already set up.
Built-in Tools: Offers health checks, APEX installers, and easy-to-use CLI commands.
Developer-Friendly: Perfect for learning, prototyping, workshops, and demonstrations.

Use Cases: From Learning to Prototyping

The Oracle Sandbox supports a wide range of scenarios across development, training, and rapid experimentation. Its consistent, containerized design makes it ideal for:

Isolated Development and Testing Run independent Oracle environments without affecting your machine. Safely build and test SQL, PL/SQL, ORDS, and APEX.

Feature Exploration and AI Learning Experiment with Oracle 26c AI features, vector search, and AI-enhanced SQL in a controlled local environment.

Rapid Proof of Concept (POC) Create prototypes and demos in minutes, without infrastructure requests, waiting, or manual setup.

APEX Application Development Build, test, and refine APEX applications in a stable, consistent runtime environment before deploying to production.

Training and Education Deliver workshops and classroom labs with identical setups for all participants, with zero installation issues.

Team Consistency and Collaboration Ensure every developer uses the same environment to eliminate configuration drift and “works on my machine” problems.

Prerequisites and System Requirements

Hardware:

CPU: Minimum of 2 cores
RAM: At least 4 GB (8 GB recommended)
Disk Space: 12-20 GB of free space

Software:

Docker: Docker Desktop or Docker Engine + Compose v2
Git: Necessary for version control
Web Browser: A modern browser is required for APEX/ORDS

Network:

Internet Access: Required for initial image downloads
Open Ports: Ensure the following ports are open: 1521, 8080, 3000, and 5500.

NOTE: Oracle installation, Java setup, and operating system tuning are NOT required; everything operates smoothly within Docker.

⭐ Quick Start - 5 Minutes to First Run

Starting with the Oracle Sandbox takes only a few minutes. Everything is containerized and automated; you configure, build, and run.

Clone the Repository and Configure the .env File

git clone https://github.com/demasy/oracle-sandbox.git
cd oracle-sandbox
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env — set strong passwords:
# ENV_DB_PASSWORD, ENV_APEX_ADMIN_PASSWORD, ENV_APEX_ADMIN_EMAIL
docker compose up -d

Open the .env file and update three required variables:

ENV_DB_PASSWORD=YourSecurePassword123!
ENV_APEX_ADMIN_PASSWORD=YourApexPassword123!
ENV_APEX_ADMIN_EMAIL=you@example.com

All other settings are pre-configured and can stay as they are for your initial run.

Build & Start the Environment

Build the container images:

docker compose build --no-cache

Start the whole stack.

docker compose up -d

Check database readiness:

docker logs -f demasylabs-oracle-database

Wait for:

DATABASE IS READY TO USE!

Install APEX & Access the Environment

Install APEX and ORDS (automated script):

docker exec -it demasylabs-oracle-server install-apex

Once completed, open your browser: ORDS: http://localhost:8080/ords/f?p=4550:1

Login using:

Workspace: INTERNAL
Username: ADMIN
Password: the one you set in .env

You now have a fully functional Oracle Database 26ai environment with APEX and ORDS, ready for development, experimentation, and prototyping.

Oracle Sandbox Architecture

Oracle Sandbox features a straightforward, modular design consisting of two dedicated containers, each optimized for its specific role.

Database Container (Oracle AI Database 26ai Free)

Listener (port 1521)
Enterprise Manager (port 5500)
Persistent storage for all data
Lightweight health checks

This container provides a stable, isolated foundation for all database operations.

Management & Services Container:

ORDS 25.3
APEX 24.2
SQLcl/SQL*Plus
Automation scripts and API endpoints
Exposed on ports 3000 and 8080

This container manages tools, runtime services, and automation while maintaining independence from the database layer.

Result: This architecture achieves a clear separation of concerns, enhancing reliability, maintainability, and flexibility across all platforms.

Built-In Tools & Automation

The sandbox offers a collection of ready-to-use commands, all designed to make your life easier.

sqlcl              # Instant database connection using your .env settings
sqlplus            # Connect with SQL*Plus (AMD64 only)
install-apex       # Install APEX + ORDS (automated)
start-apex         # Start ORDS web server
stop-apex          # Stop ORDS web server
healthcheck        # System diagnostics (DB, ORDS, APEX, network)
install-client     # Reinstall Oracle Client
download-apex      # Download latest APEX/ORDS
commands           # Show all available commands

The scripts automatically detect CPU architecture, load credentials from .env files, provide color-coded logs, and handle errors gracefully. This ensures consistent behavior across macOS, Linux, and Windows WSL2 environments without requiring manual configuration.

Begin Your Oracle Development Journey

Whether you’re learning Oracle 26ai, building APEX applications, experimenting with REST APIs, or teaching others, the Oracle Sandbox offers a fast, modern, and dependable foundation.

👉 Start here: oracle-sandbox on GitHub Build smarter, prototype faster, explore freely.

🌟 Try It & Contribute

Check out the GitHub repository demasy/oracle-sandbox and give it a try.

I’d love ❤️ to hear your feedback. Please share any bug reports, feature requests, or contributions. Together, we can make Oracle development smoother, faster, and more accessible for everyone.

⚠️ Warning

DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING ENVIRONMENT ONLY This environment is intended solely for development, testing, evaluation, and educational purposes. It is not secured, hardened, or optimized for production workloads. For production-grade deployments, organizations should consult Oracle’s official deployment guidelines and work with Oracle Support or certified Oracle partners to ensure appropriate architecture, security, and compliance.

Disclaimer

This project is an independent development and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by Oracle Corporation. Oracle Corporation owns Oracle Database, Oracle APEX, Oracle ORDS, and related trademarks. Please use Oracle Database Free Edition in accordance with Oracle’s license terms.