sqlplus error on select from external table: ORA-29913: error in executing ODCIEXTTABLEOPEN callout

Question

I have setup a simple Oracle external table test that I (alongside a DBA and Unix admin) can\'t get to work.

The following is based on Oracle\'s External Tables Conc

Answer 1

Keep in mind that it's the user that is running the oracle database that must have write permissions to the /defaultdir directory, not the user logged into oracle. Typically you're running the database as the user "Oracle". It's not the same user (necessarily) that you created the external table with.

Check your directory permissions, too.