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Last Post
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Jun 13, 2008 8:28 AM
by: RandyGibbs
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Posts:
5
Registered:
Mar 6, 2007
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Creating Netinstall Images
Posted:
Mar 28, 2008 7:39 AM
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This has been an ever increasingly difficult task with each release or update of Mac OS X Server Admin Tools. Issues ranging from copying Core.Video.framworks files to running Terminal commands to copy forgotten files, all of which have been problems with System Image Utility. I deal with literally thousands of Macs ranging from G4's running 10.4 through Intel Core 2 Duos running 10.5 plus more than 10 MacBook Mobile Labs. Our goal has always been to create a computer exactly the way we want it (settings, applications, users etc) and then replicate it very quickly. I have to run two different servers because of the problems that come up with System Image Utility. One for Intel Macs, a 10.5.2 running a Core 2 Duo and one for PPC Macs, 10.4.11 running on a Dual G5. Each time we go through the process to create images and reconfigure a group of machines it never works the way it did before because of updates to Server Admin Utilities, especially System Image Utility.
What do I use to create NetInstall images of my PPC's and what do I use to make NetInstall images of my Intel Macs that work? Am I the only one that feels this pain.
Intel iMacs
Mac OS X (10.5.2)
I support about 1,000 10.4.11 - 10.5.2
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Posts:
432
From:
New Jersey
Registered:
Oct 17, 2007
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Re: Creating Netinstall Images
Posted:
Mar 29, 2008 5:51 PM
in response to: RandyGibbs
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You are not the only one 
However, I do have a few suggestions. First, build the images exactly the way you want them and then clean house (tmp, Caches, swap, logs, etc). If you are doing universal images, then also purge the kernel caches and the main preferences. This will allow the hardware to configure itself on first boot. That is the easy part. Next, connect the master machine to your NetInstall server over firewire. Yep, it is slow, but it is easier in the long run. See below about directory services for why I go direct to the server.
So, now about that NetInstall server... If you have boot and data drives, setup your NetInstall automounts on the data drive. Then completely DISABLE Spotlight!!! Especially if you are capturing NetInstall images on older hardware. I brought a G4 Xserve to kernel panics and deadlocks repeatedly until I realized that spotlight was trying to keep up with the image creation... Ouch. This will decrease the capture time of an 8 GB image from about 6 hours to under 2. And an 18 GB image from never to under 4. If you can not disable Spotlight entirely, then add the /Library/NetBoot (or your custom path) and /var to Spotlight's exclude list.
And now for SIU... To say that it does not work yet is an understatement. To say that Apple really screwed up on transitioning this to a workflow based application is (well, my own opinion) the second worst idea behind changing Server Admin to the steaming pile of .... that it has become. But I digress. I can say that if you keep everything simple, you can be successful. To start, I recommend that you use the Partition Disk automator action. If you throw the error on the client after imaging:
Dec 6 18:32:58 localhost Installer140: Unable to set 'BasicOS' as boot disk
Dec 6 18:32:58 localhost Unknown141: kextcache: couldn't lock /Volumes/BasicOS: Resource temporarily unavailable
Dec 6 18:32:58 localhost Installer140: Install failed: The Installer could not make the computer start up from the volume “BasicOS”. You may need to select your disk using the Startup Disk utility.
Just hit reboot. It does not appear to cause any problems and it will reboot from the internal drive. Doing a repartition can save a lot of time when workstations just don't want to reimage. Especially in lab environments in which the same image is being dropped on top of itself.
As for the Directory services automator action... forget it. Nothing in here seems to work. This has all been submitted through the proper channels and my fingers are crossed for fixes in the next release. By the way, extra credit for discovering the file format for the "Set host names from a file" file. One hint... tool tip. Oh thank you Apple. And, do those MAC addresses contain colons or not?
The decline of this service since 10.4.9 Server has really made mass deployment with Apple's tool unpleasant. 10.5 started out really badly with a tool set that was almost unusable. 10.5.2 and the few tactics above have made it useable but not fully functional. I can now do labs and simple environments but have to revert to loginhooks and ARD for mass binding since the DS action is bugged. Not ideal.
I can suggest looking at Casper suite from http://www.jamfsoftware.com/ but there is a per workstation cost associated that many of my customers are not willing to pay when the tools are "included."
If you have specific questions, I will try and follow the thread to assist.
Hope this helps - welcome to the forums.
Many
Mac OS X (10.4.10)
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Posts:
22
From:
San Luis Obispo CA
Registered:
Jan 9, 2008
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Re: Creating Netinstall Images
Posted:
Apr 7, 2008 3:39 PM
in response to: RandyGibbs
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In terms of making images i would encourage you to go check out mike bombich's site http://www.bombich.com/ and download and use netrestore and netrestore helper http://www.bombich.com/software/netrestore.html I have found these tools to be far easier to use then apple's own tool and i have also found this solution to be faster and more reliable.
I personally then have machines in labs set up to use the php services which will auto name the machines as well as set other settings.
I hope this helps and if you need more help just reply, i'll put this topic on watch.
As far as an image for intel vs ppc machines, if you move things to leopard, you will only need 1 image and netboot set
Quad G5 PPC 4 EVER!
Mac OS X (10.5.2)
2 GB RAM Dual 500 GB Drives
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Posts:
5
Registered:
Mar 6, 2007
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Re: Creating Netinstall Images
Posted:
Jun 13, 2008 8:28 AM
in response to: WBG4
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I have it all worked out now. Netrestore did the job. I used Netrestore Helper and created a NetInstall Set, one for Intel's one for PowerPC. I then used Netrestore Help and created MAster Images of White Intel iMacs, Aluminum Intel iMacs and G4/G5. I Netboot, select the image and it works perfectly.
Thank you for the information.....
Intel iMacs
Mac OS X (10.5.3)
I support about 500
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