using command substitution from inittab?

Hi, I execute a script from inittab passing one or two arguments.

The script needs to call "oraenv" which sets up an ORACLE_HOME environment variable by using command subsitution with another script that it calls called dbhome that echos out the path.

Anyway, if I do

ORACLE_HOME=`dbhome $ORACLE_SID`

echo $ORACLE_HOME > /tmp/somefile

when ever this script is executed from inittab there's nothing in $ORACLE_HOME.

NOTE: I can replace dbhome with a script like this

#! /bin/sh

echo robert

I'd expect to see "robert" in the /tmp/somefile but it too has nothing in it.

So, is this related to the lack of a terminal from inittab or something?

I mean earlier today I got _comments_ from my script appearing in my environment under HP/UX which seemed very strange.

-- 
You are amazed that they exist and they burn so 
bright whilst you can only wonder why.