Casper Imaging Yosemite Recovery HD Issue

[elsmith]

I feel like I'm going crazy, so someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but these are the steps we've used since 10.9 came out for making Casper Imaging images:
1. Obtain OS X installer from Apple
2. Drag OS X installer to Casper Admin
3. Let Admin do it's thing, then save the package as an OS X installer
4. Create a new configuration with that ESD file, configure for admin account, etc on those tabs & add our hide recovery HD script and our custom preconfig script
5. Compile

For 10.9.2, 10.9.3, and 10.9.5 this worked perfectly.

10.10 comes out and I follow the exact same steps - seems fine. Go to enable FileVault and there's no Recovery HD. So I ran it over and over and over - one out of five times, it created a Recovery HD.

I know I can use another program to create my own image with Recovery HD, but I'm just curios if I'm going crazy or if other people are seeing this same result?

[bentoms]

@elsmith][/url, which version of OSX did you compile on? It should be the same as the OS your compiling.

Also, Casper Admin 9.6.x?

Lastly, move to AutoDMG.. Makes this process "stupid easy" https://github.com/MagerValp/AutoDMG/releases

[RobertHammen]

I think @bentoms meant this URL:

https://github.com/MagerValp/AutoDMG/releases

A huge +1. The OS X 10.10 DMG created with AutoDMG includes an up-to-date never-booted OS + recovery partition. No scripts, no partitioning required, just works. If you must create a user on your base image, use his CreateUserPkg and add it to your AutoDMG workflow:

http://magervalp.github.io/CreateUserPkg/

[elsmith]

@bentoms Casper Admin should do all the work, but yes, 9.6 on an iMac running 10.10.

I'm using AutoDMG now, but I just wondered if JAMF was aware that anyone was seeing this problem. I'm really not sure why 10.10 wouldn't do the Recovery HD automatically like 10.9 did.

[elsmith]

AutoDMG is an awesome product, don't get me wrong. My question is: the Casper Imaging process for creating an new OS X installer that is taught in the CCA class is to drag the image to Casper Admin, create a new configuration, and compile. My question is, did this change on purpose or is JAMF unaware that it isn't working?

Thank you again for the responses with workarounds, but that's not answering my question.

[bentoms]

@elsmith, great points.

Have you logged the defect with you TAM?

Certainly should be there, especially as you're ticking all the boxes for what should work.

[elsmith]

@bentoms I just sent an email to do that. I also reached out to my CCA instructor - as long as I know I'm not crazy!

Thanks for everyone's responses!

[pblake]

@elsmith - Please post what you found. I am working on my Yosemite deployment now, and we deploy solely with Casper Imaging. My image worked fine, but the creation of the Recovery HD that I created how I did for 10.9.x failed to boot.

[elsmith]

@pblake - So I've put in a ticket with my TAM, and it's been logged as a defect.

In the meantime, I used AutoDMG to create an image, applied that image to a machine via Target Disk Mode, and used Composer to capture the "Macintosh HD" and "Recovery HD" partitions from that freshly imaged machine. I then imported both of those dmg files into Casper Admin and created the following configurations for use with Casper Imaging:

- Yosemite 10.10 which includes our custom-made pre-config script, the Macintosh HD image, and the HideRecoveryHD.sh script.

- Yosemite Recovery HD which is just the Recovery HD image.
For the Yosemite 10.10 configuration, I had to specify a second partition for the Recovery HD which included that Recovery HD configuration.

It's a little more work, but I couldn't get the AutoDMG image to apply the Recovery HD automatically, either. This workaround allows us to apply the images for our purposes for now. The one thing to note is that it also adds Yosemite Recovery HD as another option to select in Imaging.

Hopefully the defect will be fixed soon!

The step-by-step instructions are shown here: http://resources.jamfsoftware.com/archive/Deploying-OS-X-v10.7-or-Later-with-the-Casper-Suite.pdf

[pblake]

@elsmith][/url - So was your Recovery Partition Bootable? I did this method originally to create my 10.10 base image and my recovery partition. Everything installed fine, but when I option booted and tried to boot to my Recovery Partition, I got the dreaded prohibitory sign.

external image link

[elsmith]

@pblake][/url - I just re-checked to be sure . . . yeah it booted right up to the Recovery partition. We booted with the command-R held down instead of the Option menu.

[pblake]

Command-R? Wont that do an internet boot as well? Are you sure it booted to the local recovery?

[elsmith]

@pblake - Yes, I'm sure it's the local recovery.

[pblake]

@elsmith - Then I messed up somewhere. Time to try it again :)

[pnbahry]

I have the 10.10 recovery HD working for me using the same process I always have been. (Caspers way)

Have you tried booting off the Recovery HD before capturing it ? I always do that to confirm it has upgraded before I capture it.

I am happy to upload the .dmg for anyone that wants to DL it.

[emily]

I'm using AutoDMG and while it is making the Recovery HD, it's not showing up in the startup/boot menu. Which is…irritating.

[elsmith]

@emilykausalik if you're hiding the Recovery HD partition with the script, it won't appear at all in the Option boot menu, but it will boot if you use Command-R. I believe that started back in 10.8, at least for us...

[pblake]

@elsmith - I didn't know that either. Let me test with my new image.

[elsmith · Accepted solution]

Just wanted to post an update for anyone following this thread - the drag-n-drop method is working now for 10.10.2 with Casper 9.65.

Thanks for fixing this, JAMF!!!

[Chris_Hafner]

I'd check out 9.7 along with composer. Recovery partitions are now super easy to deal with!

[RobertHammen]

Or, have been using AutoDMG and have it work correctly since last year. Why it took JAMF 3+ years to not have to dick around with capturing a 2nd recovery partition, and mess with partitioning and a script to re-hid it, I have no idea.

[Chris_Hafner]

@RobertHammen Yep, AutoDMG works quite well. For those that prefer to prep base images via Composer it's a pretty massive leap forward. I just wanted to drop the mention in a post as it's a brandy new feature relevant to future users. As to why it took 3 years? Who knows, this stuff gets complicated and has to be fully supported. I know that we (JAMFNation) pretty much unanimously asked them to stop rushing features to market in order to provide far more solid releases. Regardless:

• Drag and drop works again for the user as of 9.65
• AutoDMG is still a great solution
• Composer can now capture and package recovery partitions either separately from a base OS or in a single .dmg with the primary OS. It also handles all of the hiding and partitioning automatically.

I'd say that this is a win, win, win solution Now there are three (or more) ways to reliable capture and distribute recovery partitions.

[elsmith]

@RobertHammen Sadly, AutoDMG does NOT work correctly every time for us. I don't know why, but on MacBook Air models it does not seem to consistently create the Recovery HD. It only seems to happen on the Airs, though.

I've only been doing our images since 10.8, but the drag-n-drop into Admin is, in my opinion, the least time consuming and most effective way to get this to work every time.

All our 10.9 images (and we made one for each release) took about 3 minutes of my time (and then the compile time, of course).

All our 10.10 images thus far with AutoDMG have taken me a lot longer - with the other work I have to do, I usually have to set aside an entire half day to get those done.

I guess it's all your personal preference but I'd prefer not to "babysit" the image creation.

Sorry - didn't mean to start an argument - I just wanted anyone who was actually following this post to know that I confirmed it was fixed with 9.65.

[bentoms]

Casper Admin can also created never booted OS.dmg's & has been able to since it has been able to compile configurations. (v6 or v7??).

Don't forget the "Install Mac OSX.app" can be dragged into Casper Admin & then the OS installer can be used.