Casper Imaging quirks in 10.6

[#1]

Let's see if anyone else has seen anything like this...

We're NetBooting all machines from a 10.6.2 NetInstall image built with the
Casper NetInstall Creator.

On a machine loaded with 10.6.2, we've created a base configuration with
only a 10.6 OS dmg and a bind command, and compiled it.
Selecting this configuration works fine, the OS is loaded and the machine is
bound. The load is done via block copy.

We created a Smart config, with the previous as a parent. Putting in various
packages and scripts (iLife, Office, etc), and compiled it as well.
Selecting this configuration does NOT work. Casper Imaging breezes through
the install, and nothing is loaded on the machine. Boots up with a flashing
folder.

We deleted the Smart config, moving all of the extra packages and scripts
into the original config, and re-compiled.
Selecting this configuration works fine as well, the OS and all extra
packages and scripts are loaded, and the machine is bound, all via block
copy.

Any idea what's going on? Anyone else seen this? Any potential fixes?
I haven't done any testing with uncompiled configurations, as we'd really
like block copy to work in the interest of time.

Thanks,
Bob

[rmanly]

I have not worked with compiled configs yet but usually when we see the
progress bar zip right through the install it is a permissions issue on the
folders in the CasperShare. Except for the one time where our secondary
distribution point replicated and was empty. ;)

Ryan M. Manly
Level 4 Mac Tech
Glenbrook High Schools
1835 Landwehr Rd.
Glenview, IL 60026
(847) 486-4948

? ACSP ? ACMT

[#3]

This is a known issue with our Installer and we are working on a fix.

johnd
-- John DeTroye Email: johnd at apple.com
Sr. Consulting Engineer Systems Management Specialist
Edu IT resources - http://www.apple.com/education/it-professionals/resources/
Tutorials - http://www.apple.com/education/it-professionals/online-tutorials.html

[tlarkin]

I had the exact same problem, and you see you can't make smart
configuration on top of a compiled configuration unless you compile it
again. This has to do with package priority and would totally not work
with that feature, but let me make sure we are talking about the same
thing here.

1 - create compiled configuration of OS and all apps that are standard
across the board

2 - create smart configs (that are not compiled) on top of that base
compiled cofig, ie the compiled config is the parent

3 - add in packages and scripts to run via different smart groups.

The work around this is a tricky one, but it should work. Write a
preflight shell script that uses asr to block copy the image (compiled
configuration) then use your smart configurations to add packages. That
way your smart configuration will just have some smart configuration
specific packages. For example, I have to hard code a full network
path into a testing app that students use. Therefore I need like 9
copies of the same app, with the full network path hard coded into an
app preference with in the app contents. So I need to make a separate
smart configuration for each building, as it is building specific.

So I have a compiled configuration of iLife 09, Office, OS X 10.5.8 of
course, all updates, and some educational apps that every system would
need district wide. However, I cannot make smart configurations with
the compiled being the parent configuration and I am not about to make
16 different compiled configurations since that testing app needs to be
there when a machine is imaged and is unique to each building. So I am
taking the approach of creating my compiled image and tossing it in
Casper admin and making my parent configuration just use a preflight
script that uses asr to block copy said compiled image to the machine
then after it is done the packages get installed.

Please note I, myself, am still testing this out and do not have any
results to share with how effective this is. In fact I haven't had a
chance to sit down for a whole day and hammer it out since Winter break
came to an end. I have just been imaging machines like mad last few
weeks and getting repairs swapped to end users. So I got little time to
play with side projects as our current imaging set up with Casper is
working with out any problems, but I want to make it more efficient and
I want to only have to maintain one compiled image in the future.

-Tom

[#5]

John, Does the size of a disk image install cache have anything to do with
the issue? If you script the install of a very small .pkg like a web plugin,
it will make it into the image generated by SIU.

--

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[#6]

Wait...not being able to install 10.6 from a Smart Config is a problem with
the Apple installer?

[stevewood]

I've had very similar results Bob. Install works fine when it is just the
OS, but once I start layering in applications, updates, or just add it to a
Smart Config, it fails. And where it fails is with the additional software
and with adding the first user to the box.

So, the OS would install, but then on restart you couldn't log into the
machine, via the login window/ARD/SSH, nothing. Only option was to
re-install.

I also had problems in the creation of the images, as the machine creating
the image using Casper Admin or InstaDMG had to be the exact same OS version
(10.6 to do 10.6, 10.6.1 to do 10.6.1, etc).

I have seen a post from Josh Wisenbacher (sp?) on AFP548 that basically said
the same thing as John, that the installer in Snow Leopard is broken. It
has affected the InstaDMG project as well. Hopefully, Apple is working on a
fix and will have it posted soon.

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
Sent from Dallas, TX, United States

[tlarkin]

I don't think it is. I had an open ticket with Jamf because I assume
you could make smart configurations with your parent configuration being
compiled, but you can't. The reasoning is, that it breaks functionality
of package priority. In your compiled configuration if you have
packages that have priority of say 15, but then your smart config based
on that parent compiled as packages that have a lower priority, it
doesn't like it.

So, what I am doing now, is making a preflight script that block copies
my compiled configuration via asr command, and then having a smart
config based on that compiled parent that will add my building specific
packages. That way I can have one compiled config for every single Mac
in my deployment, and then just add a few smart configs based on middle
school, high school, and then building specific and network specific
packages.

Unless we are talking about different things here and I am confused.

[#9]

If you take a reference build (currently a clean 10.6 DVD) and build a NetInstall set from that, you're good to go. If you take the same reference build and add the 10.6.2 combo updater and any other pkgs to it, the final installer image will fail due to a bug in the current Installer. If you build a NetRestore (ours) image from a completely decked out master system, odds are that the retore will fail or the image build will fail. These issues are being hammered on right now, and fixes are planned. Can't say any more.

johnd
-- John DeTroye Email: johnd at apple.com
Sr. Consulting Engineer Systems Management Specialist
Edu IT resources - http://www.apple.com/education/it-professionals/resources/
Tutorials - http://www.apple.com/education/it-professionals/online-tutorials.html

[stevewood]

Thanks John for at least giving us something. It really is appreciated.

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
Sent from Dallas, TX, United States

[#11]

appreciated.

Yes, thank you!

-JD