Deploying 10.6.8 NetRestore Image from 10.7.2 Server

Hi

It's a question that's been asked many times before. Basically it goes something like this:

10.7 SIU can only create images for 10.7 systems

10.6 SIU can only create images for 10.6 systems

10.5 SIU can only create images for 10.5 systems

10.4 SIU can only create images for 10.4 systems

10.7 SIU can only be installed and launched on a 10.7 system

10.6 SIU can only be installed and launched on a 10.6 system

10.5 SIU can only be installed and launched on a 10.5 system

10.4 SIU can only be installed and launched on a 10.4 system

You can't 'serve' 10.4 nbis on a 10.7 Server. You can't 'serve' 10.7 nbis on a 10.4 Server. You can 'serve' 10.4, 10.5, 10.6 & 10.7 nbis on a 10.6 and 10.5 Server. You can install and launch SIU on a Client OS. It works just as well as it does on a Server OS. Once the nbi has been created you can use any number of methods to transfer it to a designated NetBooSP0 folder. You could, for example, share the NetBootSP0 folder over AFP first. Mount it and either create/save the nbi locally and transfer it across when done or create/save it directly to the share.

HTH?

Tony

I agree with everything Tony said, except this part.

Antonio Rocco wrote:

You can't 'serve' 10.4 nbis on a 10.7 Server. You can't 'serve' 10.7 nbis on a 10.4 Server. You can 'serve' 10.4, 10.5, 10.6 & 10.7 nbis on a 10.6 and 10.5 Server.

Tony, do you have experience that says this doesn't work? The service hasn't changed (much) over the releases. I no longer have a 10.4 server, nor any images, but I've regularly served 10.5, 10.6, and 10.7 images from a server that I've upgraded over time from 10.5. -> 10.6 -> 10.7.

Hello Brian

Page 17 of the Upgrading & Migrating Manual for 10.7 states in the Understanding what can be reused section:

"NetBoot images created using Mac OS X Server v10.5 or later can be reused. NetBootimages created using earlier versions cannot be used"

Up until a few weeks ago I still had a 10.4 Server I could use. So I tried it. The 10.4 NetBoot Service did not even register the 10.7 nbi in the Interface. If I could have been bothered I may have found out - possibly - why. But seeing as I was de-commissioning the Server anyway, why bother? I've not tried 10.5 NetBoot but I would imagine it can serve 10.7 images. Like yourself I know 10.6 Server and 10.5 Server can serve all 10.4 nbis in addition to later versions. The 10.7 Server I have access to certainly does serve 10.7, 10.6 and 10.5 nbis. I did have a 10.4 nbi (working happily on a 10.6 Server) which I transferred to the 10.7 Server and just like the 10.4 Server with the 10.7 nbi, it did not register in the interface.

HTH?

Tony

Interesting. Although I can think of a number of reasons that could cause the 10.7 image to not appear on 10.4... most of those would also break 10.5 & 10.6. I suppose the 10.4 image might fail to appear on 10.7 due to the lack of PPC support.

Thanks for the info!

Hello Brian

That's my thinking as well.

Perhaps you can shed some light on something for me?

Any reason why NetBoot images created in 10.7 SIU simply disappear from NetBooSP0 folder? I've tried this twice now and the nbis are created without any problems. As soon as you go to the interface to activate them they don't register in the interface and they've completely disappeared from the folder. Again I've not had time - or the inclination to be honest - to find out why. I'm thinking it might something to do with the RecoveryHD partition altough I could be completely wrong?

Although still possibly relevant apologies to OP for being slightly off-topic.

Tony

Tony, I've never seen anything like that occur. That would be a serious bug in the netboot backend if it's removing *anything* from the NetBootSP0 folder. I see you have an email address in your profile. Let's take this offline and try to figure it out.