IPX floppy boot problems

[Simon Ghent <simon.ghent@Meta4uk.com>]

Hi,

I've just started to setup Debian on a SPARCStation IPX that I've
liberated from work.  I've previously installed Linux on PCs, but have
no experience with SUNs.

On boot it fails the POST with the message 'Replace TOD/NVRAM' - I
assume this is the real time clock backup battery - if so is this
something that I can easily replace?

At the SUN boot prompt I insert the rescue floppy and SILO comes up.
I then get the boot: prompt, press enter and watch the propeller for
a while and get this message:

	Uncompressing Image..
	IDPROM: Unknown format type!
	Program terminated.

then I get dropped back to the SUN boot prompt.  Is this a problem with
the
boot floppy or the hardware?

I'm awaiting delivery of the CD set - is this problem likely to reoccur
when booting from CD?

<This is a re-post of my message of 29/5/99, with a better subject line>

Thanks in advance,
-- 
simon

simon.ghent@meta4uk.com