How to Verify Applied Patches in Oracle 26ai: The Reality of the Latest RU 23.26.1.0.0

In January 2026, the long-awaited Oracle Database 26ai installer was released. To fully leverage the latest AI capabilities, it is essential to understand whether the underlying corrective patches have been correctly applied. This article provides a thorough explanation of the procedures to accurately verify “applied patches” in a fresh Oracle 26ai installation and the meaning of each patch ID.

Conclusion: Patch Verification Commands for a Fresh 26ai Installation
Background: 26ai Versioning and RU 23.26.1.0.0
Procedure: Verifying Applied Patches (Linux)
1. 1. Simple Display: lspatches
  1. Execution Example: Output from a 26ai Environment
Troubleshooting: Issues During Verification
Operational Notes
FAQ
Summary

Conclusion: Patch Verification Commands for a Fresh 26ai Installation

The shortest procedure to list the applied corrective programs (Release Updates) in an Oracle 26ai environment is as follows:

Log in as the oracle user and set environment variables such as ORACLE_HOME.
Execute the following commands depending on your objective.
- Simple verification: $ORACLE_HOME/OPatch/opatch lspatches
- Detailed verification: $ORACLE_HOME/OPatch/opatch lsinventory

Background: 26ai Versioning and RU 23.26.1.0.0

While the marketing name is “26ai,” the internal Release Update (RU) number is managed as 23.26.1.0.0 (January 2026 version). This is because it is a continuous model based on the 23ai architecture with significantly enhanced AI capabilities.

What is a Gold Image?: This is a distribution format where the latest fixes (RUs) are pre-integrated into the installer itself. 26ai is provided with the January 2026 fixes already applied from the start.

Procedure: Verifying Applied Patches (Linux)

The Oracle patch management utility “OPatch” primarily offers two options for verification.

1. Simple Display: lspatches

Use this when you want to quickly identify only the “ID” and “Description” of the applied patches.

Execution Example: Output from a 26ai Environment

The following is an actual verification log immediately after installing Oracle Database 26ai.

Command execution:

$ORACLE_HOME/OPatch/opatch lspatches

Output results:

[oracle@26ai-single ~]$ $ORACLE_HOME/OPatch/opatch lspatches
38743688;OCW RELEASE UPDATE 23.26.1.0.0 (GOLD IMAGE) (38743688) Gold Image
38743669;Database Release Update : 23.26.1.0.0 (38743669) Gold Image

OPatch succeeded.
[oracle@26ai-single ~]$

Explanation of Patch IDs:

38743688 (OCW RU): Fixes related to Clusterware. Even in a single-instance configuration that does not use Grid Infrastructure, it is applied to update shared libraries.
38743669 (Database RU): Major fixes for the database engine itself. This is the core update for 26ai.

Troubleshooting: Issues During Verification

Phenomenon	Cause	Countermeasure
opatch: Permission denied error	Improper permission settings (chmod)	Ensure that the owner of everything under `$ORACLE_HOME` is the `oracle` user.
Patches are not displayed	Using an initial build version	Re-download the latest Gold Image or apply the RU patches individually.
ORA-00942 (during dictionary check)	datapatch not executed	In addition to the binaries, `datapatch` execution may be required after database creation.

Operational Notes

Security: Although 26ai is the latest version, new RUs are released quarterly. Always check My Oracle Support (MOS) for the latest patch IDs (e.g., 387xxxx).
Log Utilization: Running lsinventory saves a detailed text log in /cfgtoollogs/opatch/lsinv/. It is standard practice to attach this file when contacting support.
Rollback: For patches integrated into a Gold Image, “Out-of-place patching” (moving to a binary of a previous version) is typically recommended over opatch rollback.

FAQ

Q: When should I use lspatches versus lsinventory? A: Use lspatches for routine status checks. Use lsinventory for investigating patch application failures or reporting to support.

Q: Does the number 23.26.1 refer to 23ai? A: Yes. While it inherits the internal versioning of the 23ai series (23.x), it is branded as 26ai for the 2026 release.

Q: Is datapatch necessary immediately after installation? A: If the database was created using DBCA, it is reflected automatically. However, for manual creation or migration, execution is required.

Summary

Oracle 26ai is managed under the internal version 23.26.1.0.0.
Use opatch lspatches for a quick check and opatch lsinventory for detailed investigation.
Ensure environment health by verifying the latest patch IDs (such as 38743669).

[reference]
Oracle AI Database 26ai – Patching

This article covers 23ai / 26ai (other versions may have different screens or default values).