OPatch cannot find a valid oraInst.loc file to locate Central Inventory. OPatch failed with error code 104

 ./opatch lsinventory -all
Invoking OPatch 11.2.0.1.7

Oracle Interim Patch Installer version 11.2.0.1.7
Copyright (c) 2011, Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.


Oracle Home       : /u01/app/oracle/product/db11gR2
Central Inventory : n/a
   from           :
OPatch version    : 11.2.0.1.7
OUI version       : 11.2.0.3.0
Log file location : n/a

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

OPatch failed with error code 104

For now we have two options to fix since Opatch is looking at oraInst.loc in default /etc/oraInst.loc  but unfortunately its not there is in different location. 

In my situation oraInst.loc file located in /u01/app/oraInventory/oraInst.loc

Work Around: 

a) Use the -invPtrLoc /etc/oraInst.loc  ( use the proper location of that file where its located oraInst.loc )

 ./opatch lsinventory -all -invPtrLoc /u01/app/oraInventory/oraInst.loc

Invoking OPatch 11.2.0.1.7

Oracle Interim Patch Installer version 11.2.0.1.7

Copyright (c) 2011, Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.

Oracle Home       : /u01/app/oracle/product/db11gR2

Central Inventory : /u01/app/oraInventory

   from           : /u01/app/oraInventory/oraInst.loc

OPatch version    : 11.2.0.1.7

OUI version       : 11.2.0.3.0

Log file location : /u01/app/oracle/product/db11gR2/cfgtoollogs/opatch/opatch2013-01-11_22-13-35PM.log

Lsinventory Output file location : /u01/app/oracle/product/db11gR2/cfgtoollogs/opatch/lsinv/lsinventory2013-01-11_22-13-35PM.txt

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List of Oracle Homes:

  Name          Location

   OraDb11g_home1         /u01/app/oracle/product/db11gR2

Installed Top-level Products (1):

Oracle Database 11g                                                  11.2.0.3.0

There are 1 products installed in this Oracle Home.

There are no Interim patches installed in this Oracle Home.

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