Python + CGI script cannot access environment variables

Question

I'm coding a webservice on python that uses an Oracle database. I have cx_Oracle installed and working but I'm having some problems when I run my python code as CGI using Apache.

For example the following code works perfectly at the command line:

#!/usr/bin/python 
import os 
import cx_Oracle 
import defs as df 

os.putenv('ORACLE_HOME', '/oracledb/10.2.0/') 
os.putenv('LD_LIBRARY_PATH', '/oracledb/10.2.0/lib') 

con = cx_Oracle.Connection(df.DB_USER, df.DB_PASS, df.DB_SID) 
print con

But when I run it as CGI I get a "cx_Oracle.InterfaceError: Unable to acquire Oracle environment handle" at the apache error log.

I searched the Net and everybody says that I have to set the ORACLE_HOME and LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variables. Somehow the CGI script cannot access this environment variables even when I define them using os.putenv as you can see at the code.

What I'm I doing wrong? Thanks!

Answer 1

This is working for me:

os.putenv('ORACLE_HOME', '/oracle/client/v10.2.0.3-64bit')
os.putenv('LD_LIBRARY_PATH', '/oracle/client/v10.2.0.3-64bit/lib')
os.environ['ORACLE_HOME'] = '/oracle/client/v10.2.0.3-64bit'
os.environ['LD_LIBRARY_PATH'] = '/oracle/client/v10.2.0.3-64bit/lib'

Mind that first putenv, then update environ.

Answer 2

You need this:

os.environ['ORACLE_HOME'] = '/oracledb/10.2.0/'
os.environ['LD_LIBRARY_PATH'] = '/oracledb/10.2.0/lib'

instead of using os.putenv() because os.putenv() doesn't update os.environ, which cx_Oracle is presumably looking at.

Documentation: Miscellaneous operating system interfaces says: "Note: Calling putenv() directly does not change os.environ, so it’s better to modify os.environ."