2 part question here about Imaging a machine via Netboot

[VIZ-Jabellar]

Hi All,

1. When re-imaging a machine with a new OS (Mac OS 10.10.3), does it matter if the netboot image is a version lower (Mac OS 10.9.5) than the image being pushed out?

2. I've re-imaged a machine using the method above and it was successful, the issue I'm having is that it only installed 2 applications that is included in the image configuration. Why would that be? Also, I was able to resolve this issue in the past by having the same version of Mac OS of the netboot image and the image being pushed out (as to why question #1)

Thanks,

[mm2270 · Accepted solution]

1. Yes and No (often more Yes than No). It can matter if the Mac you're trying to NetBoot requires drivers that are only available in OS X 10.10.x or even a specific build of 10.10. For example. the latest round of Macs released by Apple required a special build of 10.10.2 (before 10.10.3 dropped) You can't boot those Macs from 10.9.5, even from NetBoot. If all your Macs you'll be NetBooting are older systems that shipped before or around the time 10.9.5 was out, then it would be OK, but will they always be? Generally speaking you want to keep your Netboot image as close as possible to the OS that you plan on deploying for compatibility.

2. Not sure why this would happen, but I would double check your configuration as a first step to make sure all the packages included in it are valid and working. Also, many packages require the "Install on boot drive after imaging" option checked to work correctly. This "caches" the packages on the target Mac, then it reboots into a post imaging state and completes the installs. It seems more packages require this type of workflow than the former style of being installed on the Netbooted volume.

[guidotti]

+1 to Number 1from @mm2270 !
This messed with us when they forked 10.10.2 a while back.

[VIZ-Jabellar]

Thank you much! @mm2270