Can't compile Sierra configuration in Casper Admin 9.96

[ghsimon]

I have been trying to build a new Casper Imaging configuration for the just-released version of Sierra with Casper Admin 9.96, but keep getting errors on the compile. It appears that the blank disk image that it creates is either not a valid target of possibly not large enough to take the Sierra installation. I get the attached error message...

The disk image it creates is a 11.63 GB sparse disk image (compressed format), owned by system:admin (system: Read & Write, admin: Read only permissions).

Any ideas? Anyone else experiencing problems creating a compiled configuration?

[bentoms]

@ghsimon why not use AutoDMG?

[ghsimon]

@bentoms: Just trying to use the tools that come with the Casper Suite if possible.

[bentoms]

@ghsimon you're missing out.

I used Casper Admin (years ago)[https://macmule.com/2014/03/06/how-to-create-an-never-booted-os-dmg-using-casper-admin/]

But have since moved to AutoDMG & have not looked back.

[ghsimon]

@bentoms: I'm trying AutoDMG right now to see how it works. I guess the right tool is the one that actually works....

I was a user of the old InstaDMG years ago when I was still creating a monolithic deployment image, but stopped using it when I started thin-imaging.

[bentoms]

@ghsimon Cool.

Many of the Casper apps do a great job, but project's like AutoDMG just do one thing.. & really well.

[ghsimon]

@bentoms:

So, I have gotten further with this. AutoDMG did a great job of creating my image. But I still plan on using Casper Imaging for deploying the configuration for our rebuilds process. When I compile the configuration in Casper Admin, it complains about it being a multi-partition image and strips it down to a single partition, leaving off the Recover HD partition. This I have worked around in the past and used the RecoveryHDUpdate tool (dmtest or Create Recovery Partition Installer) to create a recovery partition as a first-boot package. This no longer seems to work with Sierra. It looks like the actual Apple dmtest tool (DiskManagement.framework) now fails to create the recovery partition.

Running the installer created from Create-Recovery-Partition-Installer (https://github.com/MagerValp/Create-Recovery-Partition-Installer), gives no indication of an error. It just never creates the Recovery HD. Taking it apart and running the actual command:

/path/to/dmtest ensureRecoveryPartition "/start/volume" "/path/to/BaseSystem.dmg" 0 0 "/path to BaseSystem.chunklist"

I get the error: "Error: (async): File system formatter failed (-69832).

Log entry:
Creating recovery partition: async call initiate
Creating recovery partition: async call exit success; operation now in progress
.
.
.
->-[Local dmAsyncMessageForDisk:string:dictionary:]: del callback: DADR=0x7fe4c95005b0=disk0s3 str=newfs_hfs: cannot create filesystem on /dev/rdisk0s3: Operation not permitted
.
.
.
.
Creating recovery partition: finished
Error (async): File system formatter failed (-69832)

At this point, I am not sure if this is something Apple has changed, or I am just missing something. But I do need to be able to deploy a configuration that contains the recovery hd and I would like to continue utilizing Casper Imaging if possible.

[mpermann]

@ghsimon unless your rebuild workflow is really large, compiling the image may not make a huge difference in time rather than just using a modular workflow. Have you tried using a modular workflow to see if that will meet your needs?

[ghsimon]

@mpermann: I take it you mean using a Casper imaging configuration that doesn't compile, but just installs the individual packages? I can try that to see how it goes.

[mpermann]

@ghsimon yeah that's what I was talking about. It won't be as fast as block-copying down the entire workflow but it's more flexible. If a new version of Flash Player comes out I can just replace that piece and I don't have to re-compile the entire workflow.

[ghsimon · Accepted solution]

@mpermann: I think that will do the trick. Using an image for Sierra I created, using AutoDMG, placed into a configuration in Casper Admin, it still block copies over in Casper Imaging and the rest of the packages hardly take any time at all. I don't think the time difference is anything to worry about.

Thanks to both @mpermann and @bentoms for the help!

[bentoms]

@ghsimon awesome! Glad @mpermann & I could help. :)

FWIW, I have a write up on the imaging workflow like what you're moving too: here

Just in case that connects any extra dots for you.

[ToriAnneke]

Hi all,

I am getting this error to and maybe it is time to move on to AutoDMG.

@bentoms Does it matter what device does the build?
For example, if I build using a MacMini 7,1 would that image be suitable for other machine types?

Thanks as always!
-pat

[mpermann]

@pvader you can build your AutoDMG base image on whatever hardware you like. I prefer to build my AutoDMG base image on the newest SSD based hardware I have for speed reasons. Just remember that if you want to build a 10.11.x base image you will need to do the build on a system with 10.11.

[jreinstedler]

Same issue here - I am needing this to work vs AutoDMG. I'm already using AutoDMG for most cases, but in one instance/case, we'd like to use the built in functionality to compile an InstallESD image. I've opened a case with JAMF if no one else has...

[bentoms]

@pvader Nope. It shouldn't matter.

[Malcolm]

I'm trying to work through this problem my self at the moment, because I have 70+ macbooks to configure within the next two weeks - but preferably sooner than later, as I will also have 150+ ipads to setup soon after.

My challenge, is I need macOS 10.12.1 image with the preinstalled ilife apps, for the end user to register their apple ID against, using AutoDMG to compile the DMG wont do this.

I've found I can still capture an image, of the Macintosh HD and the Recovery HD, but not combined with the one DMG file.

I'm experimenting on how I can work around this issue.

[Malcolm]

Looks like there is a work around, but it's slightly time involved.

So as mentioned previously you can use composer to capture the Macintosh HD without the restore partition selected with 10.12.1 but not with it selected. So still retain the restore partition, I found If I use a autocasper nbi, image, I can restore a base OS with the autocasper generated dmg to create the restore partition, and then I can restore a second time, with just the macintosh HD dmg over the macintosh HD partition, keeping the restore partition intact.

So this will allow me to retain an image which contains the ilife unregistered apps, for the end user to register against their apple id for that device and also a restore parition.

At least I know there is a way to do it, but I think I wont be worrying too much about it, and just push the captured macintosh hd, once I have the image ready. In many ways it stops the kids from messing around with their system.