Creating El Capitan Netinstall Image

All that should be needed is the following:

1: A machine running Server.app or any machine running System Image Utility

2: Download the El Capitan installer from the App store and have it present in the Applications folder

You have four choices. NetInstall, NetRestore, NetBoot, and Package only. NetInstall is the easiest because you only need the El Capitan installer. Yes, you can add additional items to the payload, but at the basic, all that is needed is the Installer present in the Applications folder of the machine running System Image Utility.

NetRestore images assume you have created a master image that is than captured to the NetInstall service. NetBoot allows the capture of a prepared drive for booting and package only will deliver installation pkgs to the target machine when booted from the network.

I am guessing you forgot to download the El Cap installer.

Reid

Apple Consultants Network

Author "El Capitan Server – Foundation Services" :: Exclusively available in Apple's iBooks Store

Author Mavericks Server and Yosemite Server series, also available in Apple's iBooks Store

I created a partition, Installed EL Capitan.

Then 'stripped' the unwanted apps etc.

Then, Open System Image Utility, Source: New partition,

Then: 'next'

Then select netboot image, Then click 'customise'

Then do the 'bless netboot server' and add IP's

Go ahead and create the Netboot image,

I copied that up to the server and 'bob's your uncle'

cheers

Oh, I selected the new partiton as the Source.

Selecting the drive as a source is valid if you want to perform a NetRestore image. Here is the basic difference.

A NetInstall image is designed to place your OS installer onto your network, allowing all machines to install from a centralized LAN server. It is created directly from the El Capitan App Store installer. When the workstations are booted from this image you perform an install.

NetRestore is network cloning. You build a master machine, capture it to the server, and then clone to the rest of the devices over your network. This is much like cloning DMGs through Disk Futility but you centralize it on the network.

Reid

Apple Consultants Network

Author "El Capitan Server – Foundation Services" :: Exclusively available in Apple's iBooks Store

Author Mavericks Server and Yosemite Server series, also available in Apple's iBooks Store

I'm trying to make a net install of El Capitan as well. Same problem, only get the option to create a NetBoot Image, not Net Install as a require.

Has anyone had any success?

I've tried even to make a NetBoot version and I get a "The operation couldn't be completed. (System Image Utility error 2.)

I tried using Yosemite to make the net restore image but it doesn't see the newer installer which is normal I think.

A "NetInstall" is an image which is sourced from the Install OS X application and basically boots into the Install OS X application over the network.

If you are starting with an already installed volume, and you want that volume transferred to another machines hard drive, "NetRestore" is the option you are looking for.

I know the difference between them. It's not giving the option to create a NetInstall or NetRestore, it just gives the option to create a NetBoot Image.

I'm testing it on an iMac with 4 partitions with 10.10 and 10.11 installed and it's not seeing any of those either when giving me the choice of source.

The only reason I can think of for that is if the installed volume (the El Capitan one... you are correct that the Yosemite volume isn't valid) doesn't have Recovery HD associated with it.

Looks like you need to install server for the full functionality to be enabled. I installed server and have the 3 usual options, NetBoot, NetInstall and NetRestore.