> suggestions would be most welcome > > have deleted password file and recreated password file > oracle user is a member of the dba group > relinked sqlplus > what are we missing? as far as i remember "/ as sysdba" doesn't use the password file, but i could be wrong. is the set sui bit on the binary set? are the permissions on the log directories set correctly? how about the audit file being created OK? got permissions on /tmp OK? -- -- Bill "Shrek" Thater ORACLE DBA shrekdba@xxxxxxxxx ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine (Song of Solomon 6:3) -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l