Now that your Oracle XE server is installed and running, you might like to hit it with a web page or two. You'll need to get a couple of extras for that, the System.Data.Oracle dll that's part of the MS.Net installation but not the Mono core and also a bit of middleware that will route your application calls through that dll to the Oracle server.

Like most things, this is all really easy once you've done it wrong a few times. Lucky for you, I've made all the mistakes already so all you have to do is just follow the bouncing ball.

Get and install the Mono System.Data.OracleClient - Get and install the Oracle Instant Client "middleware"

Databases, databases, which one to pick. A religious issue with battles bigger than Islam vs Judaism and almost as bloody as the computer language wars.

But let's be practical.

If you're on Windows with a clean slate your first reach is for SQLServer, even the free single-core, 4gb maxed "Express" versions are right up to date with the latest and greatest full-on paid product. MS does the product very well. And if you have SQLServers running you're all set connecting to SQLS2000, 2005 and 2008 via Mono with all of your standard ADO.Net code.