Installer on 8.1.5, Character interface is gone??

I'd really appreciate sone guidance here folks..

The release notes/ install guide state that the character interface is toast. They further state that  runInstaller -silent -file response_file.rsp should be used when no graphics is available.

Well, no matter what i try, the runInstaller command bails out, Wailing about not opening the display. DUH! I dont have one.(remote install across a WAN, CD copied to local disk on target system, X11 blocked by firewall).

Has anyone used the -silent switch successfully, and if they did, HOW'd YA DO IT? Im stumped, and have a project stalled until i resolve this.

                  Thanks!!!

    Mike Donnelly
     Sr Unix Systems Admin,
     just enough DBA knowledge to be dangerous.