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Casper Imaging and pkg installs

  • April 22, 2014
  • 4 replies
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Within Casper Imaging 9.3, I have an uncompiled configuration that contains a few installs that are direct from their maker (example: Java 8 JDK or Xquartz 2.7.5). These are in .pkg format and I merely dropped them strait into Casper Admin and then added them into my configuration to deploy to 10.9.x boxes.

My problem is, the two examples listed above do not seem to install during Casper Imaging but they will install just fine if done from Capser Remote.

My questions are, why on earth does one pkg deploy correct using one product and not the other? Is there a secret to these pkgs to get them to install correctly from Casper Imaging? Must I really do everything in imaging as a DMG?

Best answer by jhalvorson

For a PKG to be installed in a Configuration using Casper Imaging, you want to make sure that "Install on boot drive after imaging" is enabled for each of the packages. This can be set in Casper Admin, select the package and verify the settings on the Options tab.

If it is, then you'll want to review two important log files to learn why they failed. Open the Console application on the recently imaged Mac. Spin down to the reveal the logs under /var/log and look at the logs for "install.log" and "jamf.log"

The jamf.log will show the order items were installed and might indicate if it was Successful or not.

The installer.log may offer greater details about success and failures. While reviewing installer.log, press 'command'+'f' to search on either "fail" or "error". Cycle through each to see which package failed and the reason why.

    4 replies

    J
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    • jhalvorson
    • Honored Contributor
    • Answer
    • April 22, 2014

    For a PKG to be installed in a Configuration using Casper Imaging, you want to make sure that "Install on boot drive after imaging" is enabled for each of the packages. This can be set in Casper Admin, select the package and verify the settings on the Options tab.

    If it is, then you'll want to review two important log files to learn why they failed. Open the Console application on the recently imaged Mac. Spin down to the reveal the logs under /var/log and look at the logs for "install.log" and "jamf.log"

    The jamf.log will show the order items were installed and might indicate if it was Successful or not.

    The installer.log may offer greater details about success and failures. While reviewing installer.log, press 'command'+'f' to search on either "fail" or "error". Cycle through each to see which package failed and the reason why.

    mpermann
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    • mpermann
    • Valued Contributor
    • April 22, 2014

    @winningham.2, I've found that most "direct from their maker" .pkg files must be set to "install on boot drive after imaging" otherwise they fail to install. If I use Composer to create my own .pkg file then sometimes I can have it installed prior to first boot. It depends where the stuff in the .pkg file needs to be installed. In my experience, if the .pkg file needs to install anything in a users home directory then it has to be done after imaging.

    A
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    • alexjdale
    • Contributor
    • April 22, 2014

    I set every single package to "install on boot drive after imaging" just to be safe. Some packages can't install properly to a target drive.

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    • winningham_2
    • Author
    • Contributor
    • April 22, 2014

    Thank you to @mpermann @jhalvorson for your quick replies. I was unaware that option existed, perhaps because I always used to use DMGs until recently. Who knows... But that option was the trick and I greatly appreciate the help.
    Cheers!

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