Here's what I finally used to get Oracle 8.1.7 up and running on my 7.2. box:
***** INSTALL JRE
***** CLEAN THE DIRECTORIES
cd /etc
rm oraInst.loc
mv oratab oratab.old
cd /tmp
rm -rf Orainstall
cd /usr/bin
rm dbhome oraenv coraenv
cd /usr/local/bin
rm dbhome oraenv coraenv
***** FIX THE ENVIRONMENT (./install/oraparam.ini)
cd ./stage/Components/oracle.swd.jre/1.1.8/1/DataFiles/Expanded/linux
mv jre jre.bak
ln -s /usr/local/jre jre
JRE_MEMORY_OPTIONS=-nojit -ms16m -mx32m
***** INSTALL BACKWARD_COMPATIBILIY RPMS:
rpm -Uvh compat-libstdc++-6.2-2.9.0.16
rpm -Uvh compat-glibc-6.2-2.1.3.2
rpm -Uvh compat-egcs-c++-6.2-1.1.2.16
rpm -Uvh compat-libs-6.2-3
rpm -Uvh compat-egcs-6.2-1.1.2.16
rpm -Uvh compat-egcs-objc-6.2-1.1.2.16
rpm -Uvh binutils-2.10.91.0.2-3
***** RUN INSTALLER (could take a few consecutive times running - i.e. ./runInstaller... screen dump/CTRL-C... ./runInstaller...)
Nearly upon completion, there will be an error stating "Error in
invoking target install of makefile $ORACLE_HOME/ctx/lib/ins_ctx.mk",
then you copy /tmp/env_ctx.mk to $ORACLE_HOME/ctx/lib/ and click on the retry button.
At the end you MIGHT get an error when setting up Net8 configuration. In a shell:
cd /ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7/
mv JRE JRE.bak
ln -s /usr/local/jre JRE
CONTINUE to FINISH.
Good luck!
REFERENCES:
http://staff.in2.hr/denis/oracle/817install_rh72_en.html
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22error+in+invoking+target+install22+oracle&start=10&selm=95cd51c.0110081928.3d792850%40posting.google.com&rnum=19
http://linuxlab.dk/fcl/technotes/ora_817_3.html
