Thanks to Wanda Prather, we found the problem.  Here is a snippet of a note
she sent me directly:

> We tried using the instructions in "installing the clients', which says
> to TAR the tape into the install directory, and we got an I/O error.
> It turns out IPO20880 was already in Solaris pkgadd format and didn't
> want to be tar'd.  I think the Solaris admin just pointed the pkgadd
> directly to the tape, and it worked OK.

This indeed was the problem - we have now successfully applied IP20880.

Thanks to Wanda for her help!

Jerry Lawson
jlawson AT thehartford DOT com

________________________Forward Header________________________
Author: INTERNET.OWNERAD
Subject: Re[2]: More Solaris 2.5.x problems....
02-06-97 07:15 PM

Dwight,
Where do you find PTF 5?  When I go to the ftp site:
(ftp://index.storsys.ibm.com/adsm/fixes/v2r1/sun/sol25/), the only PTF I
see available is PTF-6 ( sol25.v2r1m6.IP20999.pkg.Z).  I would love to try
PTF-5.

Jerry,
We also have not been successful in installing from the tape.  Now IBM, 'fess
up, are you intentionally rigging the tapes to avoid a successful install???

Frank Rehor
The Clorox Services Company
frank.rehor AT clorox DOT com
(510) 847 4814
______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________

Subject: Re: More Solaris 2.5.x problems....
Author:  "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU> at Internet
Date:    2/6/97 2:09 PM


......................................................................

Item Subject: More Solaris 2.5.x problems....

     Jerry, why this right as I'm getting ready to be bold and put adsm
     2.1.0.5 for Solaris 2.5 on a Solaris 2.5.1 that happens to be our
     primary name server?  I'm backed into a corner 'cause anything for
     backups is better than nothing at all.

     DON'T BOTHER WITH THE PTF-6 though... IT WILL NOT LET YOU INSTALL IT!

     You can get PTF-5 to go on... I did on our test environment and it
     seems to be working OK.  I'll let you know if all goes fine with this
     current install.  If I'm not heard from later it will be because I
     blew up our name server and can no longer find the mail list ;-)
     later
          Dwight