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Update: AutoCaspeNBI has been released, for more information see: https://macmule.com/autocaspernbi/


Hi All,



Over the past couple of months I've been working on an app that with streamline NetBoot creation for use with Casper Imaging (as well as creation of Read-Only DMGs to restore to USB sticks.. if that's your thing).



The basic idea is that you start with an clean never booted OS.dmg either from AutoDMG https://github.com/MagerValp/AutoDMG, Casper Admin http://macmule.com/2014/03/06/how-to-create-an-never-booted-os-dmg-using-casper-admin/ or a Composer captured OS.dmg from a never booted Mac (as in with forked builds).



Then add a copy of Casper Imaging, from there you can click build or amend the options on the first window or click the options button for more.



All the options should have popovers that explain their functions in a bit more detail. Most of the options set will be written to a plist (~/Library/Preferences/com.macmule.AutoCasperNBI.plist) will allows for AutoCasperNBI to be re-run when needed with the settings you haves used before.



external image link



You should see some blanks in the GUI & parts i've not added yet (due to the fact that I'm not sure how yet). These should be added at some point.



Then there will be a full 1.0 release & include:




  • Calculate space needed & alert if we do not have enough

  • Enable the "Additionals" tab. This will allow you to install pkgs to customise the .nbi further as well as additional JSS certs

  • Add some sort of sparkle updater

  • Add .jamfTarget creation

@Zvordauk, @smith.kyle, @mfcfadmin when the NBI's were not restarting.. had you reduced the NBI?



I've been testing with @neil.martin83 (thanks again fella!), & it seems that the hanging only happens to images that have been reduced.. also doesn't happen to all.



One other thing, are you all using NetSUS?

@bentoms



I can say that that if reduced image is a default setting then yes that would truly be the case. Also we are not using NetSUS

0.17
-- New App Icon.
-- Changed status icons to OSX's in built.
-- Now approximately calculates there is enough space needed to create
the NBI (including if we're expanding & creating readonly or reduced) &
errors if not.
-- Serve over options now hidden until OS.dmg & Casper Imaging.app
successfully added.
-- Changed order of additional items check, to avoid hang on launching
AutoCasperNBI.
-- Resized tableviews, so can scroll to see long paths of additional
certs & pkgs.
-- Added pre-check, to alert if any additional certs or pkgs are
missing.
-- Moved from installing PKGs for launchagent etc to flat file copy.
-- Amended powermanagement.plist to displaysleep after 3 hours, removed
from boot.sh
-- Corrected setting input source for selections with spaces in names.
Such as, Swiss German for example. (@fritz.schlapbach)
-- Enabled copy & paste. (@RHammen)
-- Disables screen saver. (@neil.martin83)
-- Disables app nap. (@neil.martin83)
-- On successful build, volumes are now unmounted. (@neil.martin83,
@mfcfadmin, @Harsdorff)
-- Always reducing cache now, to help with hang on restart (I hope! 1
more thing to try if not). (@neil.martin83, @mfcfadmin, @smith.kyle &
@Zvordauk)
-- Set attaching of OS.dmg to --noverify, to see if this helps in those
cases where it's failed. (@smith.kyle, @boberito)
-- Removed check OS version as no longer needed & may have caused false
positives erroring as not being able to mount dmg. (@smith.kyle,
@boberito)
-- Populates NBIImageInfo.plist's EnabledSystemIdentifiers array, to
allow model filtering (@evanmellichampe)



To all whom are mentioned above, I've put you names either against issues you have told me about.. or fixes for issues that I think apply to what you have been seeing.



Please test & get back to me.

Updated:



0.18
-- Corrected size calculation, sorry about that.



Please don't use 0.17.



oh & @fritz.schlapbach when testing 0.18, please reselect "Swiss German" before proceeding.



To be added:



-- Full 10.10 support.
-- Sparkle updater support.
-- Calculate progress bar correctly.
-- Correct behaviour when cancelling at location selection, so app doesn't need to be restarted.

@bentoms



In 0.18,
There is a blank line loaded by default in Optional Certs section which causes AutoNBI to bomb out at that step.

@willpolley, can you delete the com.macmule.AutoCasperNBI.plist.. then open AutoCasperNBI & try again?

@willpolley, don't worry @neil.martin83 has mentioned the same thing. Working on it now.

@bentoms, persisted after pref deletion and logout/on.



10.9.5
mobile network account
local account used when prompted

@bentoms, this also happens now:



https://www.dropbox.com/s/bw4kxkwc3b9w6dl/Screenshot%202014-10-05%2016.32.18.png?dl=0



Restarts the creation process after a completion.



Logs from today: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1015641/AutoCasperNBI-2014-10-05.log

Same error as before for me



When I select the dmg it reports "Cannot read OS Version".



I've deleted com.macmule.AutoCasperNBI.plist from my ~/Library/Preferences

Hi @boberito,



Just to check are you using 0.17 of AutoCasperNBI or above?



Also, what does it say in /System/Library/CoreServices/SystemVersion.plist from the DMG? is should read like:



<dict>
<key>ProductBuildVersion</key>
<string>13F34</string>
<key>ProductCopyright</key>
<string>1983-2014 Apple Inc.</string>
<key>ProductName</key>
<string>Mac OS X</string>
<key>ProductUserVisibleVersion</key>
<string>10.9.5</string>
<key>ProductVersion</key>
<string>10.9.5</string>
</dict>

Using .18



And actually restarting fixed it. I couldn't mount the dmg, it said the resource was busy. So rebooting fixed that and the AutoCasperNBI issue.

I have started playing around with the additions and it is nice to have this. But I got a copy of the latest version .18 and I have been unable to complete a build now. It starts the build process and after a while I get an error that says
Error: One or more addition Certificates are missing
I have deleted the plist file and tried again but I still get this error. The process stops at this point and does not complete.

A blank line gets inserted into the certificates section - highlight it and remove it and it should work.

@bentoms



Seeing the exact same behaviour as @MikeF. Did not select any packages nor did I click I click anywhere on the Certificates panel, but I do notice that the first line in the certificates pane is highlighted blue. Don't know if that is significant or not but I too am unable to build a NBI that actually completes.

Sorry guys, v0.19 will be out tonight/tomorrow that should fix the cert issue (amongst others).



@boberito, was the DMG mounted when you had tried before?

It was not. But in testing I see the DMG has to be mounted or else it won't work.



After getting past the certificate issue I'm still not able to make an NBI. This is from the log file.



Mon Oct 6 13:27:29 EDT 2014 Trying to create .nbi folder /Users/rgendler/Desktop/10.9.5 AutoCasperNBI.nbi
Mon Oct 6 13:27:30 EDT 2014 Successfully created '/Users/rgendler/Desktop/10.9.5 AutoCasperNBI.nbi'
Mon Oct 6 13:27:30 EDT 2014 Trying to create NetBoot.dmg in /Users/rgendler/Desktop/10.9.5 AutoCasperNBI.nbi
Mon Oct 6 13:27:35 EDT 2014 Successfully created NetBoot.dmg in '/Users/rgendler/Desktop/10.9.5 AutoCasperNBI.nbi'
Mon Oct 6 13:27:35 EDT 2014 Trying to mount: '/Users/rgendler/Desktop/10.9.5 AutoCasperNBI.nbi'
Mon Oct 6 13:27:36 EDT 2014 Mounted to: /Volumes/10.9.5 AutoCasperNBI
Mon Oct 6 13:27:37 EDT 2014 Copying contents of '' to '/Users/rgendler/Desktop/10.9.5 AutoCasperNBI.nbi'/NetBoot.dmg
Mon Oct 6 13:27:37 EDT 2014 Error: Cannot copy contents of to '/Volumes/10.9.5 AutoCasperNBI'
Mon Oct 6 13:27:43 EDT 2014 Trying to detach /Volumes/10.9.5 AutoCasperNBI
Mon Oct 6 13:27:53 EDT 2014 Trying to detach
Mon Oct 6 13:27:53 EDT 2014 Goodbye for now!

@boberito, can you recreate your AutoDMG 10.9.5 OS.dmg & run 0.19 (when out), without mounting the OS.dmg before?



I removed the verify flag from the hdiutil mount command to see if that helped you, but I'll add it back as it's needed.



The dodgy DMG would also be why SIU failed too.

@mfcfadmin



I missed the post about the blank line. That fixed it for me.

0.19
-- Build & Options buttons are no longer disabled after clicking "Build"
-- hdiutil commands verify the volumes being mounted again.
-- kernelcache reduction always happens on 10.9 NBI's.
-- Fixed an issue with creating read-only 10.8.x NBI's & auto login. (The User Templates folder is no longer emptied).
-- Should no longer try to re-run on completion (@neil.martin83 & @willpolley)
-- Size calculations should now correctly get the volume selected to create the NBI on, including FSTAB mounted paths (@neil.martin83)
-- Size calculations now reads terabytes, not just gigabytes (@neil.martin83)
-- Fixed issue with a blank cert value added to the additional certs array (@neil.martin83, @smith.kyle, @MikeF, @mfcfadmin, @boberito)
-- Fixed an issue with ARD not correctly being enabled (@neil.martin83, @Jimmymac641)

Hi @bentoms, sorry, still seeing an issue with 0.19 trying to re-run on completion. Clean installation.

@dmueller, dammit.



Are you expanding the NBI?

Hi @bentoms][/url][/url. No, reducing it only. A quick rundown of my settings:




  • 10.9.5 system with a clean disk image from AutoDMG (10.9.5 13F34)

  • 9.32 Casper Imaging Apps

  • Set to be served from more than one server (NFS)



Options:




  • Netboot description checked

  • Reduce Image size checked

  • Custom Desktop Image checked

  • Advanced tab - install modified rc.netboot file checked

  • Additionals - certs added

-- Corrected setting input source for selections with spaces in names.
Such as, Swiss German for example. (@fritz.schlapbach)


@bentoms
I can confirm that the problem with the Swiss German keyboard is solved. Just tested it with version 0.19. Thank you. :)



Another problem I'm seeing is when I choose an image name that already exists in the chosen folder. It asks me prior building the image if I would like to delete the folder or choose a new folder. That's Ok and it works in my tests. But if I choose "Delete Existing" it builds the image and after building the image I get the same prompt again.

@bentoms



I too see the issue of it seemingly wanting to run the workflow a second time. As @fritz.schlapbach eluded to, upon completion of the NBI set the tool wants to start again and sees the folder name there (it just created) and it a.) errors out with "NetBoot successfully created at the following location: Error: Calculating space needed /Library/NetBoot/NetBootSP0/10.9.5ACNBI.nbi http://www.math.uwaterloo.ca/~jmcconac/NetBootError.png, then b.) wants to create the entire NBI folder for a second time.

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