27" iMac shuts off at Netboot

We just got some Mac Minis and it was shipped with 10.6.2 Disks, it
netbooted from our server using 10.5.8 still but were having time issues
where the time is off and it is not being corrected after the build. I
even created a new netboot set and the a new image from the 10.6.2 disks
and were having the same issue. So it won't join our domain.

Patrick Bachuwa

Client Technical Services

Sears Holdings Corporation

Michigan Campus

3000 W. 14 Mile Road

P.O. Box 8073

Royal Oak, MI. 48068-8073

Phone: 248 637-0350

I know, I stated below I created a new net boot set and image with
disks that came with it, same issue during the build.

Patrick Bachuwa

Client Technical Services

Sears Holdings Corporation

Michigan Campus

3000 W. 14 Mile Road

P.O. Box 8073

Royal Oak, MI. 48068-8073

Phone: 248 637-0350

We have been dealing with NetBoot issues for a couple weeks, first with 10.6
in general and then with the new iMac hardware...

JAMF Support gave me the link to download the beta of the new NetInstall
Creator, which is compatible with 10.6. I popped the iMac 10.6.2 disk into
one of the new iMacs, installed it, started it in target disk mode, and
captured it as an OS image from Composer. Then ran that image through the
new CNIC on a machine running 10.6.2, added Casper Imaging 7.1, and we've
been having great success (finally!) for a couple days now.

I was also seeing the AD error that said that AD only allows a minimal
discrepancy between the local time and date and the server time and date,
but I just let that machine sit for another 5-10 minutes and it apparently
corrected itself, because the machine was bound just fine.

Thanks, I will try that.

Patrick Bachuwa

Client Technical Services

Sears Holdings Corporation

Michigan Campus

3000 W. 14 Mile Road

P.O. Box 8073

Royal Oak, MI. 48068-8073

Phone: 248 637-0350

For what it’s worth, I haven’t used the NetInstall Creator. I simply used the System Image Utility on the partition that I wanted to create the NetBoot disk from. Then, just made sure it was set to diskless in Server Admin. Haven’t ran into any trouble having done it that way.

j

Yeah, I have this too.

I thought that i needed to upgrade my Netboot image because the hardware is so new.

Haven't done that yet... it's on my list.

Peter

Yes. Use the DVD install disk that arrives with the 27' iMac to create a
new netboot image. You'll also want to use that disk to create a new base
OS for your Snow Leopard configurations.

The result will be Mac OS X 10.6.2, with the build number 10C2234. That
built of 10.6.2 has worked will all of our previous Intel models that
support Snow Leopard.

This is documented on Apple's site:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1159
(I am not sure why Apple's web site says 10A2234, when all our builds are
showing 10C2234. Is it a typo on Apple's site?)

Jason

The only issue i've had with the new iMacs is that even though my 10.6.2 image is set as the default NetBoot image, the computer still tried to boot from the 10.5.8 image. I disabled the old one and have had no problems since. I used System Image Utility to create the NetBoot images.

Well, as much as Apple would like us to believe this, this is not always the case. This year, when Snow Leopard shipped, there were no revisions made to any Mac hardware for at least a couple of months. Even if these 'new' computers shipped with a Snow Leopard image, they would run Leopard 10.5.8 perfectly fine. In fact, many machines just came with a "drop-in" Snow Leopard DVD, since they had already been imaged with Leopard 10.5.8.

Once the first hardware revision comes out after an OS release, that's when you should follow the guidelines listed in the Apple Knowledge Base article below. Since a hardware revision usually means new drivers, the previous OS version will no longer work, since, you would need the System Restore disks (which would be snow leopard) or the next combo update (which will also only be snow leopard) to get the system running properly.

Sometimes our own OS support policies can't always be as absolute as Apple's :-)

-Ted

Are there any compelling reasons to use the NetInstall Creator over just building your own NetBoot set from scratch? I just have NetBoot set login as root and auto-launch Casper Imaging. Plus this gives me the ability to control the machines with ARD if the install is not automated, and have access to utilities I've installed such as DiskWarrior for other troubleshooting if necessary.

Thanks,

-Ted

I can give you one;
People switching to Casper Imaging from Deploy Studio, like me, want to
re-create the functionality of DS. The only way to do this is to use the
NetInstall Creator. I have to image during the day and I couldn't
imagine having a "root" logged in machine just sitting there ready to be
tampered with.

I tested the concept you've been using which is actually a recommended
procedure from the knowledge base. Once I saw that I could open terminal
as root while it was imaging and issue any command I wanted, I had
enough of that. I'm still not totally pleased using the Netinstall
Creator but it's a little better IMO.

- JD

That's very true - but easily resolved by just deleting the On Jan 21, 2010, at 4:39 PM, James Palmer wrote:
Terminal.app from /Applications/Utilities folder on your NetBoot set before you build the .nbi. I go in and clean out several applications that aren't needed (iCal, Address Book, etc) for imaging from the NetBoot set.

--
Ted August
Salve Regina University

Are there any compelling reasons to use the NetInstall Creator over just building your own NetBoot set from scratch? I just have NetBoot set login as root and auto-launch Casper Imaging. Plus this gives me the ability to control the machines with ARD if the install is not automated, and have access to utilities I've installed such as DiskWarrior for other troubleshooting if necessary. -Ted I can give you one; People switching to Casper Imaging from Deploy Studio, like me, want to re-create the functionality of DS. The only way to do this is to use the NetInstall Creator. I have to image during the day and I couldn't imagine having a "root" logged in machine just sitting there ready to be tampered with. I tested the concept you've been using which is actually a recommended procedure from the knowledge base. Once I saw that I could open terminal as root while it was imaging and issue any command I wanted, I had enough of that. I'm still not totally pleased using the Netinstall Creator but it's a little better IMO. That's very true - but easily resolved by just deleting the Terminal.app from /Applications/Utilities folder on your NetBoot set before you build the .nbi. I go in and clean out several applications

that aren't needed (iCal, Address Book, etc) for imaging from the NetBoot set.

With it logged in as root there is nothing stopping me from plugging in
a flash drive with my own little "apps" or "tools" on it. Just because
you take it away doesn't mean I can't put it back because after all, I'm
root.

- JD

I'm not sure I'm seeing the purpose of logging in as root. On my netboot I
have it logging into the admin user and Casper Imaging launching on startup.
It asks for an admin username and password to keep users out, the nice thing
is that if I have a computer with Autorun data it doesn't ask for the admin
password and will start imaging like it is supposed to as long as that admin
username and password has been entered in with the Autorun data. So even if
a user tries to do anything on that computer since it is logged in as an
admin and not root, they will still need to authenticate to do any real
damage.

--
Alan Benedict
?
Macintosh Technician
The Integer Group
O: 515-247-2738
C: 515-770-8234
http://www.integer.com

Another good point. I'm experimenting with a launchd job that would On Jan 21, 2010, at 4:59 PM, James Palmer wrote:
run a script to lock the workstations as soon as Casper Imaging is launched at login. This would prevent tinkering but still allow me to see what the status is from the ARD Console.

I don't automate the imaging tasks that much, so I'm not overly concerned about someone coming in and tinkering with the machine while its logged in as root. Usually, I'm the one forcing the imaging sequence to begin, so I'm aware of what machines are doing - but I'm really enjoying this brainstorming session about this type of setup.

-Ted

I'll be honest, my NetBoot imaging set logging in as root is a hold over from the NetRestore days, since it used to have a lot of issues if NetRestore wasn't running as root. Old habits die hard.

-Ted

Actually, at the London CCA held last week (which I passed :)), root was still being recommended as the best account to use on for a netboot/netinstall auto-login account.

Ben Toms, Tel: +44 (0) 20-3037-3819
IT Helpdesk: +44 (0) 20-3037-3883
GREYgroup, The Johnson Building, 77 Hatton Garden, London, EC1N 8JS

I'm also running my netboot as root. Prevents any pesky permissions things.
Seeing how it's a temporary run mode, I don't see the harm.

j

On 1/25/10 1:13 PM, "Toms, Ben (Grey Communications Group - IT)" <Ben.Toms at grey.com> wrote:

Hi All,

I just wanted to qualify this recommendation. Using root is arguably the easiest option since root will never be prompted for authentication. That said, so long as you store the credentials for an administrative account that exists on your NetBoot image in your autorun data, automatic imaging will function.

If you don't use root, you have to be aware of the stored credentials in autorun data. For example, if you use a NetBoot image, a Restore partition and /or external hard drives to perform imaging, then you'll need to make sure that all of these systems contain the administrative account that is stored in your autorun data in order to allow automatic imaging to function and to avoid triggering an error message when launching Casper Imaging.

I hope this makes sense and clarifies the issue rather than confusing it.

Thanks,
--
Miles Leacy
Technical Training Manager
Mobile (347) 277-7321

miles at jamfsoftware.com
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