10.10.3 Recovery HD Missing using AutoDMG

[tthurman]

This was posted in the 10.10.3 released article.

After a while, I noticed there were quite a few posts on it. I figured we should split it off into it's own discussion.

@bentoms

What I posted originally:

For some reason, After creating a 10.10.3 dmg with AutoDMG and place it in imaging, it fails to place the Recovery HD.

I'm recreating the 10.10.3.dmg on a machine that is running 10.10.3 to see if that makes a difference.

Recreating the dmg using AutoDMG on a 10.10.3 machine doesn't seem to make a difference. The Recovery HD doesn't get laid down. Also, I'm running casper 9.63

Regards,

[tthurman]

I've had this problem in the past. I thought that was the issue. I wiped to test but to no avail. I've tested on the following models:

13" Air Mid 2013
13" Air Early 2014
13" MBP Mid 2014
13" MBP Late 2013
13" MBP Early 2015
15" MBP Mid 2014
15" MBP Mid 2012
15" MBP Late 2011
15" MBP Mid 2010

None came down with Recovery HD.

Also, I don't remember if I said this. The NBI that I'm using is 10.10.3 (created on 10.10.2) with Casper Imaging 9.63.

Regards,
TJ

[tthurman]

@RobertHammen Posted this:

Casper Imaging 9.63 and 9.64 have serious issues, don't use them.

Try Casper Imaging 9.65. I'm in the process of testing right now and will see what I end up with. You don't have to be on JSS 9.65, I have clients still on 9.63 JSS and using Imaging 9.65 with zero issues/better functionality and reliability than with 9.64 or 9.63 or earlier.

9.7 has changes to install Recovery automatically, so perhaps something is broken there.

Second Post:

Alright, I got a 10.10.3 Recovery partition.

JSS 9.65, Casper Imaging 9.65.
10.10.3 Base OS created with AutoDMG 1.53
10.10.3 NetBoot (using the above Base OS) created with AutoCasperNBI 1.17.

[tthurman]

@emilykausalik Posted This:

10.10.3 VM 10.10.3 AutoDMG JSS 9.7

:(

Spinning up a fresh VM from the new Apple Store OS X Yosemite installer app to confirm it's not a weird recovery HD update issue. Will report back findings tomorrow.

[tthurman]

I'm currently building out a 10.10.3 NBI with Casper Imaging to test.

Regards,
TJ

[RobertHammen]

Casper Imaging 9.63's version detection sees 10.10.2 as 10.2 and does a file-by-file copy. The version detection code was fixed in 9.64 but that version of the JSS had serious issues and was pulled. Both Casper Imaging 9.63 and 9.64 had beta versions of the jamf binary embedded in them.

So the minimum version of Casper Imaging that you should be using to try to lay down 10.10.2 or 10.10.3 is 9.65.

9.7 has a new feature where you don't have to capture the Recovery Partition separately. Although it may not be working with AutoDMG-created "combination" images.

So, try Casper Imaging 9.65, which can be used with slightly older (i.e. 9.63) or slightly newer (i.e. 9.7) versions of the JSS (the JAMF binary will be upgraded or downgraded automatically as appropriate).

[tthurman]

I tested these:

9.65 Casper Imaging && 10.10.3 NBI
9.70 Casper Imaging && 10.10.3 NBI

Both lay down the Recovery HD properly.

Going to do further testing to make sure.

Will prep to upgrade my JSS in the mean time.

Thanks all!

[bentoms]

Our JSS is on 9.63, but imaging 9.65 worked fine for us & the CoreStorage reversion via Casper Imaging worked too.

[ImAMacGuy]

I'm checking the App Store under purchases for me, and OS X Yos is still listed as being last updated Oct 1 2014. what's yours showing? I downloaded this Wednesday and it was the old version, I'm trying again, but I'm pretty sure it's still the old one.

Update:
Here's the version it downloaded - which I guess is correct now, weird. never mind :)

<key>BuildMachineOSBuild</key>
    <string>14D130</string>

[emily]

Testing out a few things today:

• Using a 10.10.3 NBI (using AutoCasperNBI 1.16) to lay down a 10.10.2 configuration, see if Recovery HD is included
• Build fresh 10.10.3 VM with updated Yosemite installer from app store to build 10.10.3 AutoDMG then install with AutoCasperNBI 1.16
• Do the above with AutoCasperNBI 1.17
• cry a little

[rtrouton]

I'm using AutoDMG to generate my images, but I'm also using Per Olofsson's Create-Recovery-Partition-Installer tool to generate a installer package that installs a working Recovery HD. That way, in the event something went wrong when the image was laid down, the Recovery installer package will ensure there's a working Recovery HD at the end of the process.

Link: https://github.com/MagerValp/Create-Recovery-Partition-Installer

[emily]

10.10.3 NBI (AutoCasper NBI 1.16) & 10.10.2 AutoDMG & JSS 9.7 = No Recovery HD

[tthurman]

@emilykausalik

I used
10.10.3 NBI (Auto Casper NBI 1.17)
10.10.3 AutoDMG
JSS 9.7

Recovery HD laid down properly.

Regards,
TJ

[laurendc]

I ended up running into this problem after all on an iMac and another 2015 Air. To work around it, went back to our old method for adding the partition and was exploring options for making it a part of our bootstrapping process again, probably converting to a script and making it a payload free package or something. This was the @brunerd method: http://www.brunerd.com/blog/2012/03/21/update-create-lion-recoveryhd-partition-quickly-without-reinstalling/

Found that @brunerd actually made a new workflow with this that gives you a pkg and possibly save me some work (thank you!): http://www.brunerd.com/blog/2015/02/28/recoveryhd-updater-now-with-pkg-building/ and created a pkg with the new 10.10.3 build number 14Dxxxx. Just tossed this pkg into our post imaging policy scoped to Macs on 10.10.3 that don't have a Recovery HD or do not report a good status with the partition and booted successfully to the partition.

I'm going to test on a 2015 Air and Retina today as well and will post results. These need to be encrypted so I'll report that as well. Update: Recovery HD exists, FV2 encryption confirmed.

I'm pretty happy with this as I don't wish to try to force everyone to change versions of Casper Imaging unless I absolutely have to

[ToriAnneke]

@rtrouton

Thanks for this!!

Did you tick Install on boot drive during imaging? What priority did you set it at?

I tick that button and set it to priority 20 and it didn't work for me after Casper Imaging.

However, as a test if the package is working correctly, I run it manually and it indeed makes a working 10.10.3 Recovery.

Thanks again!
-p

[rtrouton]

@pvader , I use DeployStudio instead of Casper Imaging, so my experience may not completely map. I have my Recovery installer set to install at first boot, and to be the first package which gets installed at first boot.

[ToriAnneke]

Ok.

thanks dude!
-p

[RobertHammen]

@emilykausalik Try Casper Imaging 9.65 on your NBI, and a 10.10.3 Base OS. You should get a Recovery partition just fine with that configuration.

[bentoms]

@emilykausalik i've had success with the combo @RHammen suggests.

[emily]

10.10.3 NBI & 10.10.3 AutoDMG build on fresh 10.10.3 VM & JSS 9.7 = no go.

Will try older Casper Imaging next.

[emily]

So I kept things the same as above but threw in the Create-Recovery-Partition-Installer pkg to install a Recovery HD… and the machine is still reporting as not having a Recovery HD. Harrumph.

[yr_joelbruner]

@laurendc You're welcome! I've actually refined the RecoveryHDPKGMaker.command a bit more, it is now makes a .pkg that is targetable to volumes other than /

Updated this page:
RecoveryHD Updater now with PKG building

createRecoveryHDUpdater 15.4.6.command

Nothing huge, the script you have (version 15.2.28) works fine to (make a .dmg that can then) make a .pkg that will work when included in a Casper Imaging Configuration, if the package option is set to "Install on boot drive after imaging"... but the new refinement is nice if you need to run it on a host machine but target another volume

Cheers!

[laurendc]

@yr_joelbruner no problem, great work. Saved me a boatload of headache today with this AutoDMG/10.10.3 issue. We use FileVault 2 here and I was afraid this problem was going to be a showstopper for 10.10.3. It also forced me to revisit how the recovery partition is added since there have been rarer cases in the past where the partition didn't come down, and I advised to just format and image the box again. So this problem was a blessing in disguise since I ended up revising the process and always adding a Recovery HD if the machine ends up being provisioned without one (or without a good one) for some reason after the imaging process, similar to what @rtrouton stated. (I prefer this practice actually)

You can also add that the pkg works when included as a part of a policy. I have most installs running after the machine reboots and then have subsequent reboots afterwards (depending on the need, but at minimum at least one other reboot) and have been tinkering with the recovery installer all day.

I currently have no need to run it outside of / but it's nice to know that the option is available!

Thank you again!

[emily]

10.10.3 NBI & 10.10.3 AutoDMG & 9.65 Casper Imaging = success

Still a no-go for 10.10.3 AutoDMG and Casper 9.7.

[elsmith]

Just to throw this out there - I'm having issues with just MacBook Air machines not creating the Recovery HD. I'm going to try the Create Recovery Partition tool to get one machine fixed, but has anyone else seen this problem on only one model of machine? We're running Casper 9.65 and using Imaging 9.65 and Imaging 9.7 both give the same result.

[pchang]

I'm still testing, but so far I have had the Recovery HD laid down when imaging.

Using a 10.8.4 Netboot Image running Casper Imaging 9.32
10.10.3 Base Image using AutoDMG
JSS running 9.7

This has so far worked on:
-2012 Macbook Pro
-2012 MacBook Air

[RobertHammen]

Casper Imaging 9.32? I would not use a version of Casper Imaging prior to 9.65 to try to lay down a 10.10.2 or later base OS. Can't believe it's working for you, knowing the version detection code in Casper Imaging was horribly broken before the (pulled) 9.64 release.

[emily]

Is anyone still seeing this behavior with 9.72?

[RobertHammen]

9.72 (JSS/Casper Imaging app) is working fine for me. Lays down an AutoDMG-created 10.10.3 and Recovery HD, no secondary installers/packages needed.

Having some issues with imaging new OOB machines with CoreStorage enabled out-of-the-box, can diskutil core storage revert /dev/diskx and then it works fine, but really wish Casper Imaging would handle this automagically (like it apparently did for some in 9.65).

[emily]

Just tried my first NetBoot imaging with JSS 9.72/Casper Imaging 9.72/AutoDMG'd 10.10.3/AutoCasperNBI 1.2 and it put down the Recovery HD. Huzzah.

[atrivas]

Just a note here. I had the same issue with no Recover Partition using AutoDMG. I was also using create user package. This was done to add a local admin on my image. The package was then added to Additional Software (lower input box on AutoDMG). I found that doing this while creating the image was causing the issue.

Fix was to create the image only with the OSX App. Do not add any additional software. Once the DMG was created you can drop that back into AutoDMG and add the Additional Software. Hope this helps someone.

[RobertHammen]

I usually keep my base OS image clean/virgin and add the CreateUserPkg (and many other packages and scripts) to my imaging workflow, for maximum flexibility.

[guidotti]

Fantastic news, @emilykausalik !
I will be attempting to go from Casper Imaging 9.65/JSS 9.72/AutoDMG'd 10.10.3/AutoCasperNBI 1.2 to Casper Imaging 9.72 tomorrow.

Fingers crossed along with @mhasman !

[donmontalvo]

FWIW...Apple Developer login required:

Recovery HD missing (<REDACTED>)

Don