Mac OS X 10.6 set computername, hostname, and localhostname after netboot

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Mac OS X 10.6 set computername, hostname, and localhostname after netboot

I have a couple of iMacs Netbooting from a Mac Mini Server on a local LAN. I am using Mac OS X 10.6 on all of the systems. I am fairly new to MACs in general,but have gotten the Netboot to work well. I want to find the best way to set the computername, hostname, and localhostname for the netbooted iMacs.

I am starting simple and learning, but for now this is what am doing. I set up the Server running DHCP and create a static map to the IP address for each netbooted iMac. I loaded an iMac with a clean install and updated the system. I booted in Target Disk mode and used the System Image Utility to create a Netboot image and get that setup on the Netboot server. I use NFS to serve the image and at this point can netboot just fine with the proper IP address assigned. I just want to set the hostname(s) to something other than Netboot001 etc and Macintosh-macaddress... I believe running a script at boot to set these will work just fine and I can write the script and learn how to get it to run at boot time. There are likely 20 different ways to script it ,but in general it could be scripted. However, I would like to know If there is a better or more standard way to do this. Another apparent option is to use a file with the configuration information when creating the netboot image via the SIU, but that seemed to be for installs and not necessarily Netboots. I tried it anyway and it did not work. I am sure there are a myriad of things I could have done wrong when creating the image, so I thought it was a good time to get on the forum and ask the question of those who will have much more experience and expertise. That way I can concentrate on the best method that will actually work well.

I do plan to use instadmg and build from the install disk, but that will be later as I refine my installation.

TIA for any help

Mac mini, Mac OS X (10.6.8), iMacs netboot from Mac Mini Server

Posted on Dec 9, 2011 9:52 AM

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Answer 1

Camelot

Level 9

54,339 points

Dec 9, 2011 12:19 PM in response to PGD63

Despite the fact that changing hostnames after the machine is booted is not a great idea, you're making it hard for yourself.

NetBoot already has the ability to set hostnames for each client. There's a clue in Apple's Knowledgebase Article on the subject, as well as in the Mac OS X Server manuals, namely:

Optional: Click Sharing Prefs and in the Computer Name field, type the name that the NetBoot or Network Install client gets after installation or booting. Note: Each client will have its computer name and local hostname set to the name you supplied plus the MAC address (without the colons) of the client. Note: Alternatively, type the path to a tab-delimited .txt or .rtf file that has a list of MAC addresses and their corresponding computer names and local hostnames. Each client will get the name that corresponds to its MAC address in the specified file.

So you just need to build a .txt file map of MAC addresses to hostnames, then point your NetBoot image to that.

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Answer 2

Dec 10, 2011 1:00 PM in response to Camelot

In my experience the only Snow Leopard image where the technique mentioned by Camelot actually worked was a NetRestore I made from 10.6.3 + 10.6.8 combo update. It did not work in most other versions of SL and it specifically does not work if you build your image from 10.6 + 10.6.8 combo.

Good luck

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Answer 3

PGD63 Author

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Dec 12, 2011 8:50 AM in response to PGD63

Thanks for the replies! After working to understand more of the details of the netboot process and learning about the NetBootClientHelper and related files, I learned that as I had anticipated, a blunder on my part caused the problem. Camelot responded that using a properly configured text file when creating the netboot image can set the hostnames as desired and this is in fact what I thought I had done. My big mistake was that when creating the workflow I included the "Appy System Configuration Settings" task after the Create Image Task, which meant that it would not work. I swapped the tasks, built a new image and it is now working properly.

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