Using cx_Oracle and Python 3 to connect to a DB in Oracle VM

# Accesing Oracle DB with python using the Oracle VM #
# ================================================== #

# STEP 1:  Installing pip over the proxy
# --------------------------------------
sudo yum install install python-pip

# NOTE: It might be necessary to configure first the http proxy
# In order to figure out the proxy used by the Oracle VM host
# we can use the following command in Windows 10: netsh winhttp show proxy
# REF: https://superuser.com/questions/346372/how-do-i-know-what-proxy-server-im-using
# C:\Users\Alfa>netsh winhttp show proxy
# Aktuelle WinHTTP-Proxyeinstellungen:
#    Proxyserver     :  alfaproxy:3128

# STEP 2: Exporting the proxy to the user environment
# ----------------------------------------------------
# In case the Oracle VM is not able to connect to the internet in order to download
# packages, we have to export the proxy settings to the environment.

[oracle@localhost oracle]$ export https_proxy=alfaproxy:3128

# STEP 3: Installing python3 and PIP
# -----------------------------------
# Oracle VM does not come preloaded with python3-pip so I had to install that one
# REF: https://superuser.com/questions/1137207/cannot-install-python-pip-with-yum

[oracle@localhost oracle]$ sudo yum install python3 python3-pip

# STEP 4: Install cx_Oracle from within Python using PIP
# -------------------------------------------------------
# The final required step is to install cx_Oracle using PIP
# REF: https://cx-oracle.readthedocs.io/en/latest/user_guide/installation.html

[oracle@localhost oracle]$ sudo python3 -m pip install cx_Oracle
Installing collected packages: cx-Oracle
Successfully installed cx-Oracle-7.2.3

# STEP 5: Testing Oracle CX
# --------------------------
# To test the connection to the database within python you can type the following

[oracle@localhost oracle]$ python3
Python 3.6.8 (default, Aug  7 2019, 08:02:28)
[GCC 4.8.5 20150623 (Red Hat 4.8.5-39.0.1)] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import cx_Oracle
>>> connection = cx_Oracle.Connection('hr', 'oracle', 'localhost:1521/orcl')
>>> connection.version
'19.3.0.0.0'