Error on connecting to Oracle from py2exe'd program: Unable to acquire Oracle environment handle

Question

My python program (Python 2.6) works fine when I run it using the Python interpreter, it connects to the Oracle database (10g XE) without error. However, when I compile it using py2exe, the executable version fails with "Unable to acquire Oracle environment handle" at the call to cx_Oracle.connect().

I've tried the following with no joy:

• Oracle instant client 10g and 11g
• Oracle XE Client
• reinstall cx_Oracle-5.0.2-10g.win32-py2.6.msi
• setting ORACLE_HOME as well as PATH
• another computer with just an Oracle client and the exe
• various options for building the exe (no compression and/or using zip file)

My testcase:

testora.py:

import cx_Oracle
import decimal # needed for py2exe to compile this correctly

def testora():
    """testora

    >>> testora.testora()
    <cx_Oracle.Connection to scott@localhost:1521/orcl>
    X
    """
    orcl = cx_Oracle.connect('scott/tiger@localhost:1521/orcl')
    print orcl
    curs = orcl.cursor()
    result = curs.execute('SELECT * FROM DUAL')
    for (dummy,) in result:
        print dummy

if __name__ == '__main__':
    testora()

build_testora.py:

from distutils.core import setup
import py2exe, sys

sys.argv.append('py2exe')

setup(
    options = {'py2exe': {
        'bundle_files': 2,
        'compressed': True
        }},
    console = [{'script': "testora.py"}],
    zipfile = None
    )

Results:

C:\Python26\working>python testora.py
<cx_Oracle.Connection to scott@localhost:1521/orcl>
X

C:\Python26\working>python build_testora.py py2exe
C:\Python26\lib\site-packages\py2exe\build_exe.py:16: DeprecationWarning: the se
ts module is deprecated
  import sets
running py2exe
creating C:\Python26\working\build
creating C:\Python26\working\build\bdist.win32
creating C:\Python26\working\build\bdist.win32\winexe
creating C:\Python26\working\build\bdist.win32\winexe\collect-2.6
creating C:\Python26\working\build\bdist.win32\winexe\bundle-2.6
creating C:\Python26\working\build\bdist.win32\winexe\temp
*** searching for required modules ***
*** parsing results ***
*** finding dlls needed ***
*** create binaries ***
*** byte compile python files ***
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\StringIO.py to StringIO.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\UserDict.py to UserDict.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\__future__.py to __future__.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\_abcoll.py to _abcoll.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\_strptime.py to _strptime.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\_threading_local.py to _threading_local.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\abc.py to abc.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\atexit.py to atexit.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\base64.py to base64.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\bdb.py to bdb.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\bisect.py to bisect.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\calendar.py to calendar.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\cmd.py to cmd.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\codecs.py to codecs.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\collections.py to collections.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\copy.py to copy.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\copy_reg.py to copy_reg.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\decimal.py to decimal.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\difflib.py to difflib.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\dis.py to dis.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\doctest.py to doctest.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\dummy_thread.py to dummy_thread.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\__init__.py to encodings\__init__.pyc
creating C:\Python26\working\build\bdist.win32\winexe\collect-2.6\encodings
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\aliases.py to encodings\aliases.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\ascii.py to encodings\ascii.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\base64_codec.py to encodings\base64_cod
ec.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\big5.py to encodings\big5.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\big5hkscs.py to encodings\big5hkscs.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\bz2_codec.py to encodings\bz2_codec.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\charmap.py to encodings\charmap.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp037.py to encodings\cp037.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp1006.py to encodings\cp1006.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp1026.py to encodings\cp1026.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp1140.py to encodings\cp1140.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp1250.py to encodings\cp1250.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp1251.py to encodings\cp1251.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp1252.py to encodings\cp1252.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp1253.py to encodings\cp1253.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp1254.py to encodings\cp1254.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp1255.py to encodings\cp1255.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp1256.py to encodings\cp1256.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp1257.py to encodings\cp1257.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp1258.py to encodings\cp1258.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp424.py to encodings\cp424.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp437.py to encodings\cp437.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp500.py to encodings\cp500.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp737.py to encodings\cp737.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp775.py to encodings\cp775.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp850.py to encodings\cp850.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp852.py to encodings\cp852.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp855.py to encodings\cp855.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp856.py to encodings\cp856.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp857.py to encodings\cp857.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp860.py to encodings\cp860.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp861.py to encodings\cp861.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp862.py to encodings\cp862.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp863.py to encodings\cp863.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp864.py to encodings\cp864.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp865.py to encodings\cp865.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp866.py to encodings\cp866.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp869.py to encodings\cp869.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp874.py to encodings\cp874.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp875.py to encodings\cp875.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp932.py to encodings\cp932.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp949.py to encodings\cp949.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\cp950.py to encodings\cp950.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\euc_jis_2004.py to encodings\euc_jis_20
04.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\euc_jisx0213.py to encodings\euc_jisx02
13.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\euc_jp.py to encodings\euc_jp.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\euc_kr.py to encodings\euc_kr.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\gb18030.py to encodings\gb18030.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\gb2312.py to encodings\gb2312.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\gbk.py to encodings\gbk.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\hex_codec.py to encodings\hex_codec.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\hp_roman8.py to encodings\hp_roman8.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\hz.py to encodings\hz.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\idna.py to encodings\idna.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso2022_jp.py to encodings\iso2022_jp.p
yc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso2022_jp_1.py to encodings\iso2022_jp
_1.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso2022_jp_2.py to encodings\iso2022_jp
_2.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso2022_jp_2004.py to encodings\iso2022
_jp_2004.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso2022_jp_3.py to encodings\iso2022_jp
_3.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso2022_jp_ext.py to encodings\iso2022_
jp_ext.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso2022_kr.py to encodings\iso2022_kr.p
yc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso8859_1.py to encodings\iso8859_1.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso8859_10.py to encodings\iso8859_10.p
yc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso8859_11.py to encodings\iso8859_11.p
yc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso8859_13.py to encodings\iso8859_13.p
yc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso8859_14.py to encodings\iso8859_14.p
yc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso8859_15.py to encodings\iso8859_15.p
yc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso8859_16.py to encodings\iso8859_16.p
yc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso8859_2.py to encodings\iso8859_2.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso8859_3.py to encodings\iso8859_3.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso8859_4.py to encodings\iso8859_4.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso8859_5.py to encodings\iso8859_5.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso8859_6.py to encodings\iso8859_6.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso8859_7.py to encodings\iso8859_7.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso8859_8.py to encodings\iso8859_8.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\iso8859_9.py to encodings\iso8859_9.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\johab.py to encodings\johab.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\koi8_r.py to encodings\koi8_r.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\koi8_u.py to encodings\koi8_u.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\latin_1.py to encodings\latin_1.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\mac_arabic.py to encodings\mac_arabic.p
yc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\mac_centeuro.py to encodings\mac_centeu
ro.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\mac_croatian.py to encodings\mac_croati
an.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\mac_cyrillic.py to encodings\mac_cyrill
ic.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\mac_farsi.py to encodings\mac_farsi.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\mac_greek.py to encodings\mac_greek.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\mac_iceland.py to encodings\mac_iceland
.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\mac_latin2.py to encodings\mac_latin2.p
yc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\mac_roman.py to encodings\mac_roman.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\mac_romanian.py to encodings\mac_romani
an.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\mac_turkish.py to encodings\mac_turkish
.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\mbcs.py to encodings\mbcs.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\palmos.py to encodings\palmos.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\ptcp154.py to encodings\ptcp154.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\punycode.py to encodings\punycode.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\quopri_codec.py to encodings\quopri_cod
ec.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\raw_unicode_escape.py to encodings\raw_
unicode_escape.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\rot_13.py to encodings\rot_13.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\shift_jis.py to encodings\shift_jis.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\shift_jis_2004.py to encodings\shift_ji
s_2004.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\shift_jisx0213.py to encodings\shift_ji
sx0213.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\string_escape.py to encodings\string_es
cape.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\tis_620.py to encodings\tis_620.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\undefined.py to encodings\undefined.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\unicode_escape.py to encodings\unicode_
escape.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\unicode_internal.py to encodings\unicod
e_internal.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\utf_16.py to encodings\utf_16.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\utf_16_be.py to encodings\utf_16_be.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\utf_16_le.py to encodings\utf_16_le.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\utf_32.py to encodings\utf_32.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\utf_32_be.py to encodings\utf_32_be.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\utf_32_le.py to encodings\utf_32_le.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\utf_7.py to encodings\utf_7.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\utf_8.py to encodings\utf_8.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\utf_8_sig.py to encodings\utf_8_sig.pyc

byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\uu_codec.py to encodings\uu_codec.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\encodings\zlib_codec.py to encodings\zlib_codec.p
yc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\functools.py to functools.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\genericpath.py to genericpath.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\getopt.py to getopt.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\gettext.py to gettext.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\heapq.py to heapq.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\inspect.py to inspect.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\keyword.py to keyword.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\linecache.py to linecache.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\locale.py to locale.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\ntpath.py to ntpath.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\numbers.py to numbers.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\opcode.py to opcode.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\optparse.py to optparse.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\os.py to os.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\os2emxpath.py to os2emxpath.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\pdb.py to pdb.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\pickle.py to pickle.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\posixpath.py to posixpath.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\pprint.py to pprint.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\quopri.py to quopri.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\random.py to random.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\re.py to re.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\repr.py to repr.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\shlex.py to shlex.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\site-packages\zipextimporter.py to zipextimporter
.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\sre.py to sre.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\sre_compile.py to sre_compile.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\sre_constants.py to sre_constants.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\sre_parse.py to sre_parse.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\stat.py to stat.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\string.py to string.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\stringprep.py to stringprep.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\struct.py to struct.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\subprocess.py to subprocess.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\tempfile.py to tempfile.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\textwrap.py to textwrap.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\threading.py to threading.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\token.py to token.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\tokenize.py to tokenize.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\traceback.py to traceback.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\types.py to types.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\unittest.py to unittest.pyc
byte-compiling C:\Python26\lib\warnings.py to warnings.pyc
*** copy extensions ***
copying C:\Python26\DLLs\bz2.pyd -> C:\Python26\working\build\bdist.win32\winexe
\collect-2.6
copying C:\Python26\DLLs\select.pyd -> C:\Python26\working\build\bdist.win32\win
exe\collect-2.6
copying C:\Python26\DLLs\unicodedata.pyd -> C:\Python26\working\build\bdist.win3
2\winexe\collect-2.6
copying C:\Python26\lib\site-packages\cx_Oracle.pyd -> C:\Python26\working\build
\bdist.win32\winexe\collect-2.6
*** copy dlls ***
copying C:\Oracle\XEClient\bin\OCI.dll -> C:\Python26\working\build\bdist.win32\
winexe\collect-2.6
copying C:\Python26\lib\site-packages\py2exe\run.exe -> C:\Python26\working\dist
\testora.exe

*** binary dependencies ***
Your executable(s) also depend on these dlls which are not included,
you may or may not need to distribute them.

Make sure you have the license if you distribute any of them, and
make sure you don't distribute files belonging to the operating system.

   USER32.dll - C:\WINDOWS\system32\USER32.dll
   SHELL32.dll - C:\WINDOWS\system32\SHELL32.dll
   WSOCK32.dll - C:\WINDOWS\system32\WSOCK32.dll
   ADVAPI32.dll - C:\WINDOWS\system32\ADVAPI32.dll
   msvcrt.dll - C:\WINDOWS\system32\msvcrt.dll
   KERNEL32.dll - C:\WINDOWS\system32\KERNEL32.dll

C:\Python26\working\dist>testora
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "testora.py", line 19, in <module>
  File "testora.py", line 11, in testora
cx_Oracle.InterfaceError: Unable to acquire Oracle environment handle

Answer 1

Did you make sure to exclude the OCI.dll when you built with py2exe? If the version of the DLL on your machine is incompatible with the client version on another machine you test it on (I noticed you tried a 11g client but 10g on your machine), then this configuration will not work (I forget the actual error message though).

Answer 2

Revised build_testora.py, for future reference:

from distutils.core import setup
import py2exe, sys

sys.argv.append('py2exe')

setup(
    options = {'py2exe': {
        'bundle_files': 2,
        'compressed': True,
        'dll_excludes': ["oci.dll"]
        }},
    console = [{'script': "testora.py"}],
    zipfile = None
    )