Installing Python cx_Oracle module on Ubuntu 10.04

Installing Python cx_Oracle module on Ubuntu 10.04Step 1: Install Prerequisite Software

You will need to have the following packages installed to get Oracle Instant Client and cx_Oracle installed:

* build-essential
* unzip
* python-dev
* libaio-dev

so go in a terminal and type:


sudo apt-get install build-essential unzip python-dev libaio-dev


Step 2: Download and unzip Oracle's instantclient archives

These hints are based on using Oracle'sinstantclient_11_1. 
It is necessary to download both instantclient-linux-basic and instantclient-sdk-linux fromoracle.com in
order to successfully compile.

Each compressed tarball needs to be extracted to the exact same location.
Uncompress and untar each file from the same location in order to achieve this
result.

After both packages are untarred to there installation location a link needs
to be made inside the instantclient_11_1 directory


cd $ORACLE_HOME
ln -s libclntsh.so.x.x libclntsh.so


Step 3: Set environment variables

It is necessary to set environment variablesORACLE_HOME and LD_LIBRARY_PATH inside $HOME/.profilein
order for cx_Oracle to import properly after installation and in order to build correctly.

Example (/etc/profile):


export ORACLE_HOME=[your installation path]/instantclient_11_1
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:$ORACLE_HOME


Hint:

If after modifying your /etc/.profile the system cannot found  $ORACLE_HOME add this variables in /etc/environment then
log off and log in again to force the environment reload.

Step 4: Update ldconfig

Add the instantclient path ([your installation path]/instantclient_11_1) to ldconfig:

sudo gedit /etc/ld.so.conf.d/oracle.conf

then iussue an

ldconfig

Step 5: Download and build cx_Oracle

Download cx_Oracle at http://cx-oracle.sourceforge.net and unzip wherever you want, then...


cd [your cx_Oracle installation path]
python setup.py build
python setup.py install


Make a quick check:


luca@ubuntu:~$ python
Python 2.6.5 (r265:79063, Apr 16 2010, 13:09:56)
[GCC 4.4.3] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import cx_Oracle
>>> print cx_Oracle.version
5.0.3


In case of troubles

If you get this message during the quick check step:


luca@ubuntu:~$ python
Python 2.6.5 (r265:79063, Apr 16 2010, 13:09:56)
[GCC 4.4.3] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import cx_Oracle
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "", line 1, in 
ImportError: libclntsh.so.11.1: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory


You forgot to add the instantclient path in ldconfig; adding it will fix this problem.