PHP & Oracle - oci_connect() ORA-12705: Cannot access NLS data files

Question

We've been using Oracle on our server for years, but someone from IT removed it yesterday without clear warning and it's really thrown our systems!

I've acted on the advice from cwallenpoole (thank you!) and have made good progress, and PHP is now at least including the oracle functions (ie oci_connect) but I am now experiencing another error message:

"Warning: oci_connect() [function.oci-connect]: ORA-12705: Cannot access NLS data files or invalid environment"

We have ensured the tnsnames.ora etc files are in the correct place, but still having no joy :(

thank you

Answer 1

Ok. This is my personal nightmare. I seriously wake up in the middle of the night... or I don't, but I have spent days on this problem.

So, this is what worked for me:

1. Do you have Oracle Instant Client? If not get it.
2. Do you have the Oracle SDK? If not get it.
3. Unzip instantclient.
4. Unzip the SDK into a sub-directory
5. Add ORACLE_HOME as an exported command line variable ($ORACLE_HOME in *nix, %ORACLE_HOME% in win). Have it point to the fully-qualified path to the above instantclient folder.
6. Create ORACLE_BIN and have it point to the SDK.
7. Add ORACLE_HOME to your PATH.
8. Restart Apache...

So... that is what I generally do... And generally it works... Mostly...

I think that realistically all I can say is Good Luck and Godspeed.