10.6.4 released...hoping it helps NetBoot i5/i7 machines

[donmontalvo]

...long list of fixes:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1019

Working on a NetBoot image that'll boot the latest iMacs and MacBook Pros. Our support ticket was closed after two days of testing with engineers..."Unresolved - No workaround". Hoping the 10.6.4 update does the trick. According to Dan (et al) on the Macenterprise list, not looking very promising. Working on an updated NetBoot image, will know by morning if this is going to work.

Don

[donmontalvo]

Wrong link:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1048

Sorry!
Don

[fsjjeff]

I've had one 27" iMac come through my office and it was a huge pain to get imaged - I ended up rebuilding my NetBoot image several times and it was very hit and miss - usually just locked up while NetBooting. Strangely a series of the 21" iMacs that were released at the exact same time had no problems at all.

I find it discouraging to hear that this might be a systemic issue with Apple's newer machines - here's hoping that's not the case and Apple gets this under control.

Jeff

[#4]

Don, why wouldn't you just build your .nbi from the OS that shipped
On Tue, Jun 15, 2010 at 8:41 PM, Don Montalvo <donmontalvo at gmail.com> wrote:
with the i5/i7 MacBook Pro? It's been best practice for years to build
your .nbi with the newest machine/newest OS you have, as it would then
include bootability for the machine in question, plust any older
equipment.

Am I missing something? Is there something in your environment that
wouldn't allow you to build your .nbi from the i5/i7 version of the OS
that ships with those MacBook Pros?

Damien Barrett
System Technician
Montclair Kimberley Academy
Montclair, NJ
973-842-2812

[donmontalvo]

Hi Damien,
On Jun 16, 2010, at 6:25 AM, Damien Barrett wrote:

That's the first thing we tried. My predecessor had a 10.6.2 .nbi that worked with everything until the i5/i7 computers were released. We followed the routine and made an .nbi from one of the 27" Late 2009 iMac computers (iMac11,1) that shipped with a 10.6.2 build. We tried with and without running Software Update to get it fully updated. Didn't work. When 10.6.4 was released yesterday, we tried again. Same result. When we try to NetBoot the machine, we get the spinning globe for about a minute, then the computer boots normally. The computer and Xserve (running 10.5.8) are on the same subnet, no issues NetBooting older computers.

I spoke to JAMF but it was clearly an Apple NetBoot issue, so we opened a ticket with Apple. We spent a few hours with a few engineers trying different things to get it to work. In the end, we were told they currently don't support NetBooting the i5/i7 computers so the ticket was closed "Unresolved, no work around". We were told that the "fix" would likely need to be a new *bootable* 10.6.4 image release by Apple. But the engineers were unable to provide any kind of timeline for this, or any kind of fix.

After the ticket was closed by Apple, the 10.6.4 update was released. That's when I posted the above. What's interesting, there's a somewhat parallel thread over at the Omnigroup MacOSX-admin list (subject "SL on MBP i7")...here's a link:

http://www.omnigroup.com/mailman/archive/macosx-admin/2010-June/date.html

For now it looks like we're going to go with manual imaging, followed by an install of QuickAdd and Self Service.app so we can at least get the packaged apps onto the computers. Not pretty, but we need to get these computers rolled out. The users who get them will be told that we recommend reimaging their computers once Apple releases the 10.6.4 bootable image. Hopefully that'll happen soon. :)

Thanks,
Don

[Bukira]

I have 10.6.3 netboot image created using the Casper netboot creation tool and it works perfectly well,

thats made with a brand new 27 inch imac via a retail copy of 10.6.3 using 10.6.3 servers

so theres not an issue with that so maybe its an issue with your setup

works on older imacs and older macbooks so it works fine, no need to update to 10.6.4 as 10.6.3 works fine

how you making your netboot image?

maybe a dhcp issue, are you using dns or ip to set the startup disk?

regards

Criss

Criss Myers
Senior Customer Support Analyst (Mac Services)
iPhone Developer
Apple Certified Technical Coordinator v10.5
LIS Development Team
Adelphi Building AB28
University of Central Lancashire
Preston PR1 2HE
Ex 5054
01772 895054

[stevewood]

And I can report the same as Criss. I have had a sample of just about every
On Wed, Jun 16, 2010 at 9:06 AM, Criss Myers <CMyers at uclan.ac.uk> wrote:
new i5/i7 machine come through my shop in the last 60 days:

17" MBP
15" MBP
13" MBP
27" iMac

All of them boot fine off of an NBI I created with the Casper NetInstall
creator, using the 17" MBP as the machine and OS to work with. The steps I
had to take were these:

1. Install the Drop In Box DVD OS on the 17" MBP (SRF disc number 6676-A
   and OS 10.6.3)

2. Run through the Setup Assistant on the machine.

3. Install the same DIB DVD onto an external hard drive from the 17" MBP.

4. Boot off the external hard drive.

5. Run Composer and grab an OS Snapshot of the 17" MBP internal HD.

6. Run Casper NetInstall Creator and point to the snapshot grabbed in step
   5.

7. Load the NBI onto my NetBoot server (10.5.8 server).

I have had no issues with NetBoot after following those steps. I have
booted every machine that I mentioned above off of that NBI. And all of
those machines, especially the notebooks, were the models released in April,
or whatever month it was.

I have had issues getting the 13" and 15" to install an OS after the
NetBoot, but that is a different story.

Can you confirm that your team is following these steps? The key to this is
that everything has to be done on the machine you are building the NBI for.

Steve Wood
Director of IT
swood at integer.com

The Integer Group | 1999 Bryan St. | Ste. 1700 | Dallas, TX 75201
T 214.758.6813 | F 214.758.6901 | C 940.312.2475

[donmontalvo]

Hi Criss,
On Jun 16, 2010, at 7:06 AM, Criss Myers wrote:

Thanks for your response. I do hope it is an issue with the setup, so we can get this resolved. :)

We used the latest SIU tool to make the NetBoot image from the 27" Late 2009 iMac (iMac11,1), as per the Apple engineer. Not sure about your last question. When we select the new .nbi in Startup Disk, it fails to NetBoot. So it can see the image on the NetBoot server. When we reboot holding the N key, the spinning globe spins for a while, then it gives up and boots from the internal drive. We're not having any issues NetBooting older computers...only the ones with the new processor.

Before I called Apple, I also tried the JAMF routine, which didn't work either. Since this is a NetBoot issue, we took Casper out of the picture for testing with Apple engineers.

Thanks,
Don

[Bukira]

Well i wouldnt use the SIU, i would use capser tools

this is my way of doing things

1. install the os from the retail 10.63 dvd
2. configure if required
3. boot in target mode and connect to an admin mac
4. using composer make and OS dmg from the target mode mac
5. using the capser neinstall creator create a netboot image from the newly made 0s dmg
6. upload to netboot server

as for the dns etc, u can manual set the netboot server but you need ip rather than dns

If you hold down the option and see the netboot icon then its maybe the netboot image, but the issue could be with the apple tools and their SIU rather than 10.6.3/4

Try that

Criss

Criss Myers
Senior Customer Support Analyst (Mac Services)
iPhone Developer
Apple Certified Technical Coordinator v10.5
LIS Development Team
Adelphi Building AB28
University of Central Lancashire
Preston PR1 2HE
Ex 5054
01772 895054

[donmontalvo]

Hi Steve,
On Jun 16, 2010, at 7:19 AM, Steve Wood wrote:

Yep, went through those steps exactly. I also tried with and without running software update. When it failed, called JAMF. They said it was likely a NetBoot issue. So I called Apple, they said the same thing, had me use SIU. The reason, we needed to be sure NetBoot was working before going to the next step, which would be to use the JAMF tools.

I'm heading in now, will try again with fresh eyes. I'll post the results.

Thanks,
Don

[donmontalvo]

Yep, tried using the latest retail version of Snow Leopard, but the iMac doesn't boot from it. Creating the NetBoot image from the latest hardware has always been the safest route.
On Jun 16, 2010, at 7:28 AM, Criss Myers wrote:

Don

[Bukira]

?????

What

Doesn't boot from the retail DVD? How can that possibly be, I have brand new, well 3 weeks old 27" iMac and it boots perfectly well from the 10.6.3 retail DVD that was bought at the same time,

The build number is higher than the copy that was with the iMac so it can't fail to boot,

Criss

Sent from my iPad

[RobertHammen]

Bookmark this article as it includes the versions (builds) shipped with each Intel-based Mac:
On Jun 16, 2010, at 11:07 AM, Don Montalvo wrote:

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1159?

If a machine shipped with some newer build of 10.6.2, the retail 10.6.3 DVD should boot it, and install correctly on it.

If a machine shipped with some newer build of 10.6.3, an OS image updated to 10.6.4. *should* boot the machine, if Apple maintains past practice - but, since 10.6.4 officially only came out yesterday, I obviously haven't tested this yet...

--Robert

[donmontalvo]

Hi Robert,
On Jun 16, 2010, at 11:01 AM, Robert Hammen wrote:

Thanks for the response and info. Yep, already had it bookmarked. In the past, we've always been able to boot computers that ship with OS "N" using the newer retail "N+1" disc. Unfortunately this doesn't seem to work with these new computers. It *should* work with at least the iMacs since they shipped with 10.6.1 and 10.6.2, even if they have higher build numbers for whatever reason. Since the Mid 2010 MBP (MacBookPro7,1 or MacBookPro6,2 or MacBookPro6,1) have 10.6.3 builds later than the retail 10.6.3 disc, not surprised *those* don't boot from it.

The Apple engineer is as surprised as I was that the Late 2009 iMacs (iMac11,1) didn't boot from the 10.6.3 retail disk. It should have. But it didn't. I'm following some steps I received off list to see if I can get an .nbi that works with the iMac11,1 and will shout back.

I hate it when this happens...so much wasted time. With these multimedia firm users, impossible to push back. So I guess we'll be building these boxes using a bootable external drive containing Casper Imaging and the DP.

Thanks,
Don.