Originally posted by stecal
/etc/oraInst.loc? What version of Oracle are you using that puts a file in the /etc directory? I've only seen /var/opt/oracle, created by running /tmp/orainstRoot.sh if /var/opt/oracle doesn't already exist.
The path is not the same on all UNIX flavours. In HP it goes into /etc/oraInst.loc.

As KenEwald pointed, its not a practive a general oracle rep would recomend. I personally have been through some problem, which forced me to do an install from scrach. Its not as simple as you may think once the inventory gets corrupted. The practice what KenEwald had been following was a recomendation made to me from Oracle Inventory development folks long time back. This would keep the things clean, installations smooth. The only pain the one that KenEdwald had pointed out, possibility of messing it.

-Sam