how to access Oracle DB using Python in Debian

environment

• Debian Squeeze (which should be released in a few months).
• Python 3.1, but I suspect that this should work well with Python 2.6.

installation

• get registered on Oracle website (pain)
• download oracle-instantclient11.2-basic*.rpm from Oracle's website (around 40MB worth)
• convert the rpm to a deb ($ sudo alien oracle-instantclient11.2-basic*.rpm)
• install the deb to your system ($ sudo dpkg -i oracle-instantclient11.2-basic*.deb)
• get cx-Oracle rpm for python 3.1, convert it to a deb and install it

setup

• $ sudo apt-get install libpython3.1 libaio1
• $ sudo ln -s /usr/lib/python3.1/site-packages/cx_Oracle.so /usr/lib/python3.1/lib-dynload/
• $ sudo ln -s /usr/lib/oracle/11.2/client/lib/libnnz11.so /usr/lib
• $ sudo ln -s /usr/lib/oracle/11.2/client/lib/libclntsh.so.11.1 /usr/lib
• $ echo export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/oracle/11.2/client/lib >> ~/.bashrc
• $ source ~/.bashrc

test
If the following executes without printing a message to the screen, the install is most likely successful.

• $ python3.1 -c "import cx_Oracle"