DaddyHoggy: To use the debug OXP, you must have the debug console running. On Windows, this is distributed as a separate executable. As far as I can tell, there is no debug console port for Linux yet, although the Python source files are part of the console distribution on Berlios and in theory it can be set up and should work. Someone will have to do it first, though.
Alternatively, you can try what we had done with Ahruman when the debug console was being tested for the first time: One system capable of running the console on one side (Mac or Windows PC), your Linux system running Oolite with debug OXP on the other, connected via TCP/IP. You execute commands on the console computer and see the results on the Linux side.
If this is not feasible, then I guess for now Disembodied's solution should be the best that can be done for Linux.
Edit: In fact, there _is_ a readme in the console package and it states this:
OODebugConsole_Readme.txt wrote:
So, I guess you can go for it, after all.