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Q. My Oracle XE installation was working fine, but today I'm getting an error - which read as follows under Ubuntu Linux :

ORA-12154: TNS:could not resolve the connect identifier specified

How do I fix this problem without reinstalling Oracle?

A. Try following solutions:

Make sure DNS / host name resolution working fine

$ host oracle-server-ip
$ host oracle-server-hostname
Make sure /etc/resolv.conf and /etc/hosts and /etc/host.conf configured properly.

Make sure tnsnames.ora is configured properly:

Type the following command to login as oracle / dba user:
$ su - oracle
$ cd /usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/server/network/admin/
$ vi tnsnames.ora
Make sure hostname / IP is correctly defined and resolving perfectly:

# tnsnames.ora Network Configuration File:

XE =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = vivek-desktop)(PORT = 1521))
    (CONNECT_DATA =
      (SERVER = DEDICATED)
      (SERVICE_NAME = XE)
    )
  )

EXTPROC_CONNECTION_DATA =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS_LIST =
      (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = IPC)(KEY = EXTPROC_FOR_XE))
    )
    (CONNECT_DATA =
      (SID = PLSExtProc)
      (PRESENTATION = RO)
    )
  )

Make sure the host, port and service name specified are correct in listener.ora and above file:
$ cd /usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/server/network/admin/
$ vi listener.ora
My sample working file:

# listener.ora Network Configuration File:

SID_LIST_LISTENER =
  (SID_LIST =
    (SID_DESC =
      (SID_NAME = PLSExtProc)
      (ORACLE_HOME = /usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/server)
      (PROGRAM = extproc)
    )
  )

LISTENER =
  (DESCRIPTION_LIST =
    (DESCRIPTION =
      (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = IPC)(KEY = EXTPROC_FOR_XE))
      (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = vivek-desktop)(PORT = 1521))
    )
  )

DEFAULT_SERVICE_LISTENER = (XE)

Make sure firewall is not blocking TCP ports:
$ sudo iptables -L -n
If everything else failed try to trace problem by running strace:
$ su - oracle
$ strace -o /tmp/debug.sqlplus sqlplus user/password

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