When trying to install the Oracle10gR2 (10.2) software on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux release 5 (RHEL5) server, the prerequisite checks fail.

Oracle Universal Installer (OUI) initially fails with the following error:

Checking installer requirements…
Checking operating system version: must be redhat-3, SuSE-9, redhat-4, UnitedLinux-1.0, asianux-1 or asianux-2 Failed <<<<

After adding redhat-5 to the <path>/database/oraparam.ini, OUI fails with the following errors (during the product specific prerequisite checks):

*** Product-Specific Prerequisite Checks Page***
INFO: Entry point:oracle.server_Custom
INFO: Starting Prerequisite checks : Wed Aug 29 17:52:40 CEST 2007
INFO: Checking CertifiedVersions
This is a prerequisite condition to test whether the Oracle software is certified on the current O/S.
INFO: Expected result: One of redhat-3,redhat-4,SuSE-9,asianux-1,asianux-2
Actual Result: redhat-Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server release 5 (Tikanga)
Check complete. The overall result of this check is: Failed <<<<

Cause
Oracle10gR2 (10.2) was released before RHEL5, so the base installation media does not make provision for installing on RHEL5.
Solution

To resolve the initial problem (starting OUI), use one of the following workarounds:

Workaround #1

Ignore all the prerequisite checking by using

% ./runInstaller -ignoreSysPrereqs

Workaround #2
If you are installing 10.2 from DVD, copy the <path>/database/install/oraparam.ini to a temporary directory (for example, /tmp).

If you are installing 10.2 from an OTN download or have copied the 10.2 media to disk, take a backup of <path>/database/install/oraparam.ini

Now edit oraparam.ini and change the appropriate line:

    Original

    [Certified Versions]
    Linux=redhat-3,SuSE-9,redhat-4,UnitedLinux-1.0,asianux-1,asianux-2

    New

    [Certified Versions]
    Linux=redhat-3,SuSE-9,redhat-4,UnitedLinux-1.0,asianux-1,asianux-2,redhat-5

Now, if you copied oraparam.ini to /tmp, start OUI like this:

    % ./runInstaller -paramFile /tmp/oraparam.ini

If you edited <path>/database/install/oraparam.ini on disk, just start OUI as normal
 

To resolve the second problem (the product specific prerequisite checks), do the following:

Edit <path>/database/stage/prereq/db/refhost.xml

Find the code where the redhat 4 checking ends and the SUSE 9 checking starts

<PROPERTY NAME=”rmem_default” VALUE=”262144″ />
<PROPERTY NAME=”rmem_max” VALUE=”262144″ />
<PROPERTY NAME=”wmem_default” VALUE=”262144″ />
<PROPERTY NAME=”wmem_max” VALUE=”262144″ />
</KERNEL>
</OPERATING_SYSTEM>

++++++ add the new redhat-5 bit in here

<OPERATING_SYSTEM>
<VERSION VALUE=”9″/>
<ARCHITECTURE VALUE=”x86″/>
<NAME VALUE=”Linux”/>
<VENDOR VALUE=”SuSE”/>

Add the following code in the place suggested above:

<OPERATING_SYSTEM>
<VERSION VALUE=”5″/>
<ARCHITECTURE VALUE=”x86″/>
<NAME VALUE=”Linux”/>
<VENDOR VALUE=”redhat”/>
<GLIBC ATLEAST=”2.5-12″>
</GLIBC>
<PACKAGES>
<PACKAGE NAME=”make” VERSION=”3.81″ />
<PACKAGE NAME=”binutils” VERSION=”2.17″ />
<PACKAGE NAME=”gcc” VERSION=”4.1″ />
<PACKAGE NAME=”libaio” VERSION=”0.3.106″ />
</PACKAGES>
<KERNEL>
<PROPERTY NAME=”semmsl” NAME2=”semmsl2″ VALUE=”250″ />
<PROPERTY NAME=”semmns” VALUE=”32000″ />
<PROPERTY NAME=”semopm” VALUE=”100″ />
<PROPERTY NAME=”semmni” VALUE=”128″ />
<PROPERTY NAME=”shmmax” VALUE=”536870912″ />
<PROPERTY NAME=”shmmni” VALUE=”4096″ />
<PROPERTY NAME=”shmall” VALUE=”2097152″ />
<PROPERTY NAME=”file-max” VALUE=”65536″ />
<PROPERTY NAME=”VERSION” VALUE=”2.6.9″ />
<PROPERTY NAME=”ip_local_port_range” ATLEAST=”1024″ ATMOST=”65000″ />
<PROPERTY NAME=”rmem_default” VALUE=”262144″ />
<PROPERTY NAME=”rmem_max” VALUE=”262144″ />
<PROPERTY NAME=”wmem_default” VALUE=”262144″ />
<PROPERTY NAME=”wmem_max” VALUE=”262144″ />
</KERNEL>
</OPERATING_SYSTEM>

Save the changes to refhost.xml and perform the 10.2 software installation.

If you would prefer not to change the refhost.xml file, please manually check that your RHEL5 server meets all of the prerequisites defined in Note:419646.1 and then check the boxes on the “Product Specific Prerequisite Checks” page in OUI to confirm that you have performed manual verification. This should allow the 10.2 software installation to continue.

For more information, before installing, check metalink note :419646.1 – Requirements For Installing Oracle 10gR2 On RHEL/OEL 5 (x86)