ORA-04043 in mount mode

There was a question at the OTN Database-General forum today about a problem when trying to describe the view dba_tablespaces.

The poster was getting an ORA-04043 error.

SQL> desc dba_tablespaces
ERROR:
ORA-04043: object dba_tablespaces does not exist

The first thing I thought about this was that the instance might have been in mount mode. I tried it on a database in mount stage and I got the error.

SQL> shutdown abort
ORACLE instance shut down.
SQL> startup mount;
ORACLE instance started.

Total System Global Area  404723928 bytes
Fixed Size                   735448 bytes
Variable Size             234881024 bytes
Database Buffers          167772160 bytes
Redo Buffers                1335296 bytes
Database mounted.
SQL> desc dba_tablespaces
ERROR:
ORA-04043: object dba_tablespaces does not exist

I was expecting to be able to see the view after opening the database, but...

SQL> alter database open;
Database altered.

SQL> desc dba_tablespaces
ERROR:
ORA-04043: object dba_tablespaces does not exist

I could not query it either.

SQL> select * from dba_tablespaces;
select * from dba_tablespaces
              *
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-00942: table or view does not exist

A quick search in Metalink returned note 296235.1 which refers to the bug 2365821 and says that if you describe any dba_* view in mount mode you cannot describe the same view even after opening the database. The only solution is to restart the database.

SQL> shutdown abort
ORACLE instance shut down.
SQL> startup mount
ORACLE instance started.

Total System Global Area  404723928 bytes
Fixed Size                   735448 bytes
Variable Size             234881024 bytes
Database Buffers          167772160 bytes
Redo Buffers                1335296 bytes
Database mounted.
SQL> alter database open;

Database altered.

SQL> desc dba_tablespaces
 Name                                      Null?    Type
 ----------------------------------------- -------- ----------------------------
 TABLESPACE_NAME                           NOT NULL VARCHAR2(30)
 BLOCK_SIZE                                NOT NULL NUMBER
 INITIAL_EXTENT                                     NUMBER
 NEXT_EXTENT                                        NUMBER
 MIN_EXTENTS                               NOT NULL NUMBER
 MAX_EXTENTS                                        NUMBER
 PCT_INCREASE                                       NUMBER
 MIN_EXTLEN                                         NUMBER
 STATUS                                             VARCHAR2(9)
 CONTENTS                                           VARCHAR2(9)
 LOGGING                                            VARCHAR2(9)
 FORCE_LOGGING                                      VARCHAR2(3)
 EXTENT_MANAGEMENT                                  VARCHAR2(10)
 ALLOCATION_TYPE                                    VARCHAR2(9)
 PLUGGED_IN                                         VARCHAR2(3)
 SEGMENT_SPACE_MANAGEMENT                           VARCHAR2(6)
 DEF_TAB_COMPRESSION                                VARCHAR2(8)

I was not aware of this behaviour till now. I tested this on 9.2 but the bug seems not fixed in any version.