On the linux machine, as root, you have to run the following commands:

//create user and groups

# groupadd oinstall
# groupadd dba
# useradd -g oinstall -G dba oracle
# passwd oracle
//prepare the filesystem
# mkdir /opt/oracle
# chown -R oracle:oinstall /opt/oracle
//install some needed packages
# yum install libXp gcc make setarch libaio glibc-devel
//change /etc/redhat-release as RHEL5 is not a supported platform
# cp /etc/redhat-release /etc/redhat-release.5
# echo redhat-4 > /etc/redhat-release
OK as root we have now finished!
Now log in with the oracle user and download the Oracle Client 10g from Oracle w
ebsite: once there get the file called 10201_client_linux32.zip. Unzip and run t
he client:
# unzip 10201_client_linux32.zip
# cd client
# ./runInstaller
I pointed the oraInventory directory to /opt/oracle in the first screen; in the
second one I choose to install the Oracle 10g Client in /opt/oracle/product/10.2
.0/client_1/. Just before the installation finishes it prompts to you to execute
two more commands as root: in my own installation I run
//execute the following commands as root
# /opt/oracle/orainstRoot.sh
# /opt/oracle/product/10.2.0/client_1/root.sh
but, as you may guess, your path may be different from mine.
Now the final step: we have to restore the /etc/redhat-release file we changed b
efore:
# mv /etc/redhat-release.5 /etc/redhat-release
I hope this tutorial can help you if you find errors please report them to me and
I will correct as soon as possible.