Compile new 10.7.3 with Casper 8.43?

[jwojda]

Has anybody tried to compile a new OS of 10.7.3 with Casper 8.43 and gotten it to work? We are still currently using our 10.7.1 compile (last one we were successfully able to make), with recovery partition patch and 10.7.3 layered on top. While this works - it's slow to add and would be nice to cut them out.

[jhalvorson · Accepted solution]

The following has work for me. I obtained the InstallESD using a Mac with 10.6.8 and by using the App Store to re-download Lion. I did this on 02-03-2012, which was a few days after 10.7.3 was released. That allowed me to get an 10.7.3 InstallESD instead of the previously available 10.7.2 InstallESD.

Next, I completed the following on a Mac Pro (Mid 2010) with 12GB memory, with Intel 320 160GB SSD, Mac OS X 10.7.3, Casper Suite 8.43. The process took less than 45 minutes.

Placing the InstallESD into CasperAdmin
I copied the InstallESD.dmg to my desktop from the Install Mac OS X Lion.app
Renamed the InstallESD.dmg to 10.7.3precompInstallESD.dmg
Drag and dropped 10.7.3precompInstallESD.dmg into Casper Admin
Located the dmg within Casper Admin and double-clicked on it
Within the Info Tab, select "This file is a disk image containing and installer..."
After the analysis completed, clicked on OK.
Within the Info Tab, set the category to "OS - source for compile"
From Casper Admin Menu, choose File > Save

Create a Config to compile
From the Casper Admin Tool Bar, click on New Config
Provide a name, such as "xAdminIT 10.7.3 compile prep"
In the Management tab, unselect "Ensure computers imaged with this config ..."
Do not change any settings in the other tabs
Add the 10.7.3precompInstallESD.dmg to the newly created Configuration
Add any OS updates or printer drivers. (At this time the following were included)
-iTunes (10.5.3).pkg
-AirportUtility (6.0).pkg
-JavaForMacOSX10.7.pkg
-HPPrinterDriver(2.8).pkg
-LexmarkPrinterDrivers(2.7).pkg
-SamsungPrinterDrivers(2.2).pkg
Verify the Configuration is selected and click on Compile. You will be prompted for a local admin password several times during the process.

Placing the Compiled base OS into Casper Admin
When completed, use Finder to browse the CasperShare distribution point for the dmg that resulted from the process above. It's located in CasperShare/CompiledConfigurations folder
Drag and drop that dmg to the desktop. In this example, it is called "xAdminIT 10.7.3 compile prep.dmg" (It takes on the name of the Configuration mentioned above.)
Rename the dmg to "10.7.3 Compiled Base OS MMDDYYYY.dmg", or as in this example 10.7.3 Compiled Base OS 02032012.dmg
Drag drop the 10.7.3 Compiled Base OS 02032012.dmg back into Casper Admin
Locate 10.7.3 Compiled Base OS 02032012.dmg and double-click on it.
Within the Info Tab, set the category to "OS - compiled".
Within the Options Tab, set priority = 1, enable "Requires Reboot", Enable Install only if Processor is "x86".
From Casper Admin Menu, choose File > Save

Create a new Config for Imaging team to use on new and Lion compatible Macs
Now you can create an new Configuration that uses the 10.7.3 Compiled Base OS 02032012.dmg as your base OS. Instruct your imaging folks to select "erase hard drive" when using this configuration.

For me this installs the OS and creates the Restore partition. I haven't had to do any extra steps to get the Restore partition to work.

[Lhsachs]

I built one the day 10.7.3 came out. I installed 10.7.2 from the esd file, then ran 10.7.3 and all other updates, created a dmg with Composer, and used System Image Utility and the Casper Netboot Automator action.

Netboots to 10.7.3, and the imaging process is installing 10.7.3...

[jhbush]

I found in testing that when I made a new Casper NetBoot Set using 10.7.3 that Casper Imaging failed to reboot. If I manually rebooted Casper Imaging continued just fine.

[fsjjeff]

I'm having lots of problems getting a 10.7.3 image going nicely for Netboot/Casper Imaging as well...

I started out by creating a nice clean install of 10.7.3 and configured ARD and SSH and such, just like the instructions say. So far so good.

Then I've used Casper NetInstall Image Creator 3.2 (freshly download as part of Resource Kit) running on a 10.7.3 computer to create an NBI file. I then move the NBI to my netboot server into /Library/Netboot/NetbootSP0 with my other NBIs. In Server Admin I can see the new NBI and enable it, but when I try to netboot a test machine from there, the test machine is unable to see the new NBI. It can see and boot from others no problem.

I bit of digging into the NBIs and comparing with a working NBO and right aways I notice that the new 10.7.3 NBI is missing the i386 folder containing the kernal and boot resources. On a hunch I copied those over from a working NBI generated by SIU and voila, I can boot from my client... Unfortunately, the NetInstall Image Creator has not configured auto-login, desktop background or auto-launch of Casper Imaging.

Digging around inside the Casper Netinstall Image Creator it looks like there is no built in knowledge of 10.7 - I see scripts and LaunchAgents for Leopard and Snow Leopard, but nothing for Lion. So I'm presuming that this tool has not been updated for Lion, or it has but for some reason has not been posted on the website.

I move onto SIU and the Casper Netboot Automator action - this toolset is at least able to generate a working NBI, but it does not configure the auto-log, auto-launch, or copy Casper Imaging onto the final product, leaving me with the understanding that the Automator action is basically not doing anything. Grrrrrr.

Soooo... is there a newer version of the tools hiding somewhere? Or another methodology of creating a Lion based NetInstall image that supports the auto-login and auto-launch of Casper Imaging without having to load a full Finder?

[jhalvorson · Accepted solution]

The following has work for me. I obtained the InstallESD using a Mac with 10.6.8 and by using the App Store to re-download Lion. I did this on 02-03-2012, which was a few days after 10.7.3 was released. That allowed me to get an 10.7.3 InstallESD instead of the previously available 10.7.2 InstallESD.

Next, I completed the following on a Mac Pro (Mid 2010) with 12GB memory, with Intel 320 160GB SSD, Mac OS X 10.7.3, Casper Suite 8.43. The process took less than 45 minutes.

Placing the InstallESD into CasperAdmin
I copied the InstallESD.dmg to my desktop from the Install Mac OS X Lion.app
Renamed the InstallESD.dmg to 10.7.3precompInstallESD.dmg
Drag and dropped 10.7.3precompInstallESD.dmg into Casper Admin
Located the dmg within Casper Admin and double-clicked on it
Within the Info Tab, select "This file is a disk image containing and installer..."
After the analysis completed, clicked on OK.
Within the Info Tab, set the category to "OS - source for compile"
From Casper Admin Menu, choose File > Save

Create a Config to compile
From the Casper Admin Tool Bar, click on New Config
Provide a name, such as "xAdminIT 10.7.3 compile prep"
In the Management tab, unselect "Ensure computers imaged with this config ..."
Do not change any settings in the other tabs
Add the 10.7.3precompInstallESD.dmg to the newly created Configuration
Add any OS updates or printer drivers. (At this time the following were included)
-iTunes (10.5.3).pkg
-AirportUtility (6.0).pkg
-JavaForMacOSX10.7.pkg
-HPPrinterDriver(2.8).pkg
-LexmarkPrinterDrivers(2.7).pkg
-SamsungPrinterDrivers(2.2).pkg
Verify the Configuration is selected and click on Compile. You will be prompted for a local admin password several times during the process.

Placing the Compiled base OS into Casper Admin
When completed, use Finder to browse the CasperShare distribution point for the dmg that resulted from the process above. It's located in CasperShare/CompiledConfigurations folder
Drag and drop that dmg to the desktop. In this example, it is called "xAdminIT 10.7.3 compile prep.dmg" (It takes on the name of the Configuration mentioned above.)
Rename the dmg to "10.7.3 Compiled Base OS MMDDYYYY.dmg", or as in this example 10.7.3 Compiled Base OS 02032012.dmg
Drag drop the 10.7.3 Compiled Base OS 02032012.dmg back into Casper Admin
Locate 10.7.3 Compiled Base OS 02032012.dmg and double-click on it.
Within the Info Tab, set the category to "OS - compiled".
Within the Options Tab, set priority = 1, enable "Requires Reboot", Enable Install only if Processor is "x86".
From Casper Admin Menu, choose File > Save

Create a new Config for Imaging team to use on new and Lion compatible Macs
Now you can create an new Configuration that uses the 10.7.3 Compiled Base OS 02032012.dmg as your base OS. Instruct your imaging folks to select "erase hard drive" when using this configuration.

For me this installs the OS and creates the Restore partition. I haven't had to do any extra steps to get the Restore partition to work.

[CasperSally]

I'm having similar issues. I have a 10.7.3 image that works, until I compile it. Once I compile it, Macintosh HD is no longer a boot option.

Here's my steps
Download installer via app store (in my case it was 10.7.2)
Create bootable CD (http://www.macrumors.com/2011/07/18/make-an-os-x-lion-boot-disc/) , then boot to this CD on machine creating image on and perform clean install (recovery partition was created)
Set various settings as suggested in JAMF's administrators guide PDF - "configuring the OS" section
Ran combo updater so image should have all latest 10.7.3 machine drivers, etc.
Ran repair permissions and few cleanup steps.
Booted to Lion external drive (was 10.7.3) with Composer and Casper Imaging on it
Use Composer to build OS package (I selected Macintosh HD thinking it wouldn't grab the recovery partition)
Uploaded OS Package from Casper Admin on External Drive - set it to priority 1

My config is base image plus a post image script that runs at reboot.

My netboot servers are still 10.6.8 but restore 10.7.3 image fine (at least until it's compiled). We are 8.4. What jhalvorson did above is interesting, but in our environment I don't want recovery partition and I prefer to set a very few basic settings on the base image.

[jhbush]

The only issue I had with compiled configurations was that my Juniper VPN would not work properly. It seemed isolated to Java. Otherwise it makes things go very fast due to the block copy.

[jwojda]

Create a Config to compile From the Casper Admin Tool Bar, click on New Config Provide a name, such as "xAdminIT 10.7.3 compile prep" In the Management tab, unselect "Ensure computers imaged with this config ..." Do not change any settings in the other tabs Add the 10.7.3precompInstallESD.dmg to the newly created Configuration Add any OS updates or printer drivers. (At this time the following were included) -iTunes (10.5.3).pkg -AirportUtility (6.0).pkg -JavaForMacOSX10.7.pkg -HPPrinterDriver(2.8).pkg -LexmarkPrinterDrivers(2.7).pkg -SamsungPrinterDrivers(2.2).pkg Verify the Configuration is selected and click on Compile. You will be prompted for a local admin password several times during the process.

I get part to the part of compile, I hit compile then it starts to process, gets about 5% complete then jumps to 95% complete and puts up an error.
http://flic.kr/p/bqbJ52

[Chris · Accepted solution]

I got this error today when i tried to compile just the OS.
When i added Java to the config, it went through without problems.

[jwojda]

I got this error today when i tried to compile just the OS. When i added Java to the config, it went through without problems.

*blinks*

You're right, it's going through and converting the DMG now. Thank you :)

Unfortunately it's getting late here, I will have to check it in the morning.

Thank you everybody for your help!

[jwojda]

Success!

I marked 2 right answers - i wanted as close to a base system as possible, so I followed from jhalvorson but left out adding the extra stuff to the compiled image - which didn't work. Once I put in Chris's sugggestion of adding Java everything compiled and created a the image.

Thank you both!

[mzago]

Like others I believe the best first step is to re-download Lion from the App store on a 10.6.8 computer to get the InstallESD. They seem to be pretty good about updating the Install Lion app after a point update.

I used InstaDMG's InstaUp2Date to take the 10.7.3 InstallESD and update with a catalog that had the Java update and the Airport 6.0 Utility (we don't put any printer drivers on top).

The DMG that InstaDMG created for me has tested fine so far on our Lion configuration, but i haven't yet tried using it for NetBoot.

[MikeF]

I recompiled using a composer imasge of 10.7.3. It is woring fine for me.

[quedayone]

I too followed jhalvorson's work flow, sans the packages. I got the same error jwojda got when I tried to compile. When I added JavaForMacOSX10.7.pkg it worked. Anyone know why? This Base OS images to a SSD MacBook Pro in under 2 min, With the restore partition!

Thank you all for this post it just saved me a huge amount of time.

Wi11

[Kevin]

Following jhalvorson 's procedure…
I downloaded a new Lion installer 10.7.3 from a 10.6.8 Mac Pro.
Copied the InstallESD.dmg file to my (Lion 10.7.3) Desktop.
Dropped that file into Casper Admin.

When I click "This file is a disk image…" I get the following error: " There was an error parsing the data:
2012-02-17 11:08:36.118 installer[24149:b07] AutoBackupWasOn
<?xml version="1.0…"

What follows is a long list of plist items.

Ideas?

[rob_potvin]

Turn off timemachine. It will work then

[Kevin]

That fixed it.

Now, why?

[tanderson]

I'm trying this with 8.31 and getting an error that the InstallESD.dmg file doesn't contain a valid installer. Does this process require 8.43?

Update: User error. Have to be running Lion on the workstation you do the Casper Admin work from. Duh.

[Kumarasinghe]

I'm having issues with getting this done with v8.51.

This used to be working fine with v8.43

Now when I compile this configuration with v8.51 Casper Admin, it compiles an image with no additional packages installed (e.g- AirportUtility (6.0).pkg).

Has anyone come across the same issue?

[wangl2]

Hi everyone,
I am going to ask a very basic question.
I want to create a NetInstall from my Lion 10.7.3 server. Once I started SIU, the NetInstall is greyed out and asks for OS X installer. I know everyone is talking about download the Lion Installer Application from App Store, but I can't work it out. When I go App store and click on purchase, it says Lion Server is already installed and does not allow me to download the Installer.
I know most of you here have done this. Could anyone share with me?
Thanks.