前几个步骤可参考这篇文章：http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~mitra/csSpring2011/cs327/cx_mac.html
在进行到sudo python setup.py build 以及install的时候
明明echo $ORACLE_HOME等这些环境变量都设置的，但还是报找不到ORACLE HOME的错误，错误如下：
userdeMacBook-Pro:cx_Oracle-5.1.2 mac$ sudo python setup.py build
Password:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "setup.py", line 132, in <module>
raise DistutilsSetupError("cannot locate an Oracle software " distutils.errors.DistutilsSetupError: cannot locate an Oracle software installation
userdeMacBook-Pro:cx_Oracle-5.1.2 mac$ sudo echo $ORACLE_HOME
/Users/mac/oracle/instantclient_11_2
根据提示找到setup.py文件的132行，写的是
119
120 # try to determine the Oracle home
121 #userOracleHome = os.environ.get("ORACLE_HOME")
122 userOracleHome="/Users/mac/oracle/instantclient_11_2"
123 if userOracleHome is not None:
124 if not CheckOracleHome(userOracleHome):
125 messageFormat = "Oracle home (%s) does not refer to an " 126 "9i, 10g or 11g installation."
127 raise DistutilsSetupError(messageFormat % userOracleHome)
128 else:
129 for path in os.environ["PATH"].split(os.pathsep):
130 if CheckOracleHome(path):
131 break
132 if oracleHome is None:
133 raise DistutilsSetupError("cannot locate an Oracle software " 134 "installation")
找不到目录就打出异常，程序退出，我这里在122行给他这个目录强行写死了（确保该目录的确存在）
然后在执行安装，程序顺利通过。
mac安装cx_Oracle 出现cannot locate an Oracle software错误解决办法
原文：http://www.cnblogs.com/chuny/p/4137823.html