FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
Java does not run! But I can hear it trying to say:

Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0-ea-b135)

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
JRE 7 M12 (build 130) fails to run on Red Hat 4 machines. Retested with the latest build 135, same result. The libjvm shared object has a dependency on GLIBC-2.4, but only GLIBC-2.3 is available on Red Hat 4 through the Red Hat 'up2date' update mechanism.

Please compile against an older GLIBC to remove this dependency.

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
1. Download the Linux (32-bit) JRE from http://download.java.net/jdk7 to a Red Hat 4 (x86) machine.
2. Extract the JRE, e.g. to /export/jre7.
3. Run '/export/jre7/jre1.7.0/bin/java -version'


EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
Java runs.
ACTUAL -
Java fails to run.

ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
Error: dl failure on line 508
Error: failed /export/jre7/jre1.7.0/lib/i386/client/libjvm.so, because /lib/tls/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.4' not found (required by /export/jre7/jre1.7.0/lib/i386/client/libjvm.so)

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
The only workaround appears to be to upgrade to Red Hat 5.

Note support for Red Hat 4 will be available until 2015. "The EOL date for the regular seven year Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 life cycle is February 29, 2012." A 3-year extended life cycle period follows that date. See:
  http://www.redhat.com/f/pdf/RH_ELS_CustomerDatasheet.pdf