"opatch lsinventory" and "opatch apply" errors and easy fix

This is an annoying error message that we receive sometimes, when trying to check which patches we have applied or even when trying to apply a DB patch. The output below is for version 11.1:


mybox@TESTDB]/u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0.7/OPatch >./opatch lsinventory
Invoking OPatch 11.1.0.6.2

Oracle Interim Patch Installer version 11.1.0.6.2
Copyright (c) 2007, Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.


Oracle Home       : /u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0.7
Central Inventory : n/a
   from           :
OPatch version    : 11.1.0.6.2
OUI version       : 11.1.0.7.0
OUI location      : /u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0.7/oui
Log file location : n/a

OPatch cannot find a valid oraInst.loc file to locate Central Inventory.

OPatch failed with error code 104

We are getting similar error when trying to apply the patch:

[mybox@TESTDB]/u01/app/oracle/product/9393222 >/u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0.7/OPatch/opatch apply

Invoking OPatch 11.1.0.6.2

Oracle Interim Patch Installer version 11.1.0.6.2

Copyright (c) 2007, Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.

Oracle Home       : /u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0.7

Central Inventory : n/a

   from           :

OPatch version    : 11.1.0.6.2

OUI version       : 11.1.0.7.0

OUI location      : /u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0.7/oui

Log file location : n/a

OPatch cannot find a valid oraInst.loc file to locate Central Inventory.

OPatch failed with error code 104

In both cases, the fix is very easy:

[mybox@TESTDB]/u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0.7/OPatch >./opatch lsinventory -invPtrLoc /u01/app/oracle/oraInventory/oraInst.loc

 Same fix for similar error when applying the patch:

[anacaj@CAMSSDB]/u01/app/oracle/product/9393222 >/u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0.7/OPatch/opatch apply -invPtrLoc /u01/app/oracle/oraInventory/oraInst.loc