A cursory google search reveals that this problem seems to
be occurring on FC4 (possibly 5) while installing OpenNMS.

Each instance of this error I found while searching forums
and lists for: opennms install "without preceding token"
lead me to a post in which the user was attempting to install
on a fedora linux OS.

This leads me to believe either:
a) a problem with the OpenNMS 1.2.8 for Fedora
b) a problem with the java environment in Fedora

Install output posted below
==============================================================================

./install -disUx
==============================================================================
OpenNMS Installer Version $Id: Installer.java 3056 2006-03-26 19:39:16Z djgregor $
==============================================================================

Configures PostgreSQL tables, users, and other miscellaneous settings.

• checking database version... 8.0

• Full version string: PostgreSQL 8.0.8 on i386-redhat-linux-gnu, compiled by
  GCC i386-redhat-linux-gcc (GCC) 4.0.2 20051125 (Red Hat 4.0.2-8)

• using 'opennms' as the PostgreSQL user for OpenNMS

• using 'opennms' as the PostgreSQL password for OpenNMS

• using 'opennms' as the PostgreSQL database name for OpenNMS

• using SQL directory... /opt/OpenNMS/etc

• using create.sql... /opt/OpenNMS/etc/create.sql

• using iplike module... /opt/OpenNMS/lib/iplike.so
  Exception in thread "main" java.util.regex.PatternSyntaxException: At position 1
  in regular expression pattern:
  quantifier (?*+{}) without preceding token
  (?i)\s*create\b.*
  ^
  at java.util.regex.Pattern.Pattern(java.lang.String, int)
  (/usr/lib/libgcj.so.6.0.0)
  at java.util.regex.Pattern.compile(java.lang.String, int)
  (/usr/lib/libgcj.so.6.0.0)
  at java.util.regex.Pattern.compile(java.lang.String) (/usr/lib/libgcj.so.6.0.0)
  at org.opennms.install.Installer.readTables(java.io.Reader) (Unknown Source)
  at org.opennms.install.Installer.readTables() (Unknown Source)
  at org.opennms.install.Installer.install(java.lang.String[]) (Unknown Source)
  at org.opennms.install.Installer.main(java.lang.String[]) (Unknown Source)
  at gnu.java.lang.MainThread.call_main() (/usr/lib/libgcj.so.6.0.0)
  at gnu.java.lang.MainThread.run() (/usr/lib/libgcj.so.6.0.0)
  [root@twain bin]# more /etc/fedora-release
  Fedora Core release 4 (Stentz)