> How do I force software owner oracle to login with username / password > and not rely on OS authentication on Linux/UNIX? Try adding SQLNET.AUTHENTICATION_SERVICES = (NONE) to sqlnet.ora to disable OS authentication. In fact, on UNIX, you can set it to anything other than ALL, such as NTS which is used on Windows, or anystringyouwant. Documentation says the default for this setting is None. But that None really means there's no default, not the word 'NONE'. The password file $ORACLE_HOME/dbs/orapw has no effect on whether oracle can login with no password by sqlplus "/ as sysdba", if oracle owns the software and runs the instance. But without the password file, v$pwfile_users has no entry, not even SYS. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Test of mixed setting (e.g. SQLNET.AUTHENTICATION_SERVICES = (none, radius)): (Warning: this is not recommended according to http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/B19306_01/network.102/b14213/sqlnet.htm#sthref443 ) Test on Windows 10.1.0.3 unless otherwise indicated. OS user is in ORA_DBA group. No advanced security is configured. SQLNET.AUTHENTICATION_SERVICES Setting Result ------------------------------ ---------------------------------- Group 1: nts connected Group 2: [not set] ORA-1031 (insufficient privileges) Group 3: auto ORA-1031; same below none dcegssapi nosuchstring Group 4: all ORA-12641 (Authentication service failed to initialize); same below kerberos5 radius * Mixing Group 1 (i.e. 'nts') with any option in Group 3 or 'all' in Group 4 => connected * Mixing either Group 1 or 3 with Group 4 option => ORA-12641 Comments: 1. Options are case-insensitive. 2. In mixed setting, order of options and spaces after comma or lack of are irrelevant. 3. Only two-option mixing is tested. 4. Setting of remote_login_password is irrelevant (can be either none or exclusive or shared). 5. In 9i (tested in 9.2.0.1.0 on Windows), in cases I would get ORA-12641 in 10g, I get ORA-1031. Mixed setting result differs a little ('nts' can mix with anything and get authenticated).