Creating a bootable hard drive

[aleiding]

We do not have net booting setup. I would like to create an external with an OS image on to reimage 20 laptops. Does anyone have a good way of doing this. I have our dmg we created in casper imaging but how do I image a computer using it from an external? I am new to casper.

Thanks

Aaron

[hkim]

Will these computers your imaging still have access to the network to be able to grab packages via Casper Imaging? Or are they totally offline?

[Chris_Hafner]

If they are totally offline then you need to create a Distribution Point on the external HDD itself. If you have a network connection while being booted from the external then it will be able to access your Distribution Point.

[aleiding]

How do i create a distribute point on the hard drive. We don't have alot of wired connections. Coping over wireless seems very slow.

[Chris_Hafner]

From "Casper Suite 8.6 Administrators Guide" page 42 titled "Replicating FireWire or USB Drives"

To make packages, scripts, printers, and configurations available for Casper Imaging offline, replicate to an external drive and place a copy of Casper Imaging at the root of the drive.
Replicating a FireWire or USB drive involves the following steps:

1. Replicate to an external drive.
2. Use the replicated drive offline.

Step 1: Replicate to an External Drive
1. Open Casper Admin.
2. Drag the hard drive icon from the Finder to the sidebar in Casper Admin.
?Note: Casper Imaging cannot create a management account when imaging offline.
3. If the external drive is already under the Local Drives heading in the sidebar, it is already replicated and is mounted automatically when you open Casper Admin.
4. Select the drive in the sidebar and click the Replicate button.

Step 2: Use the Replicated Drive Offline
1. Make a copy of the Casper Imaging application.
2. Put the copy at the root of the replicated drive at the same level as the Packages, Scripts, and Casper Data
folders.
3. Open Casper Imaging.

[jcurrin]

I'd install Casper Imaging on your computer and just use Target mode to image new machines. That's what I use when I don't want to use my Netboot.

[Chris_Hafner]

That would certainly work, but they want to do this sans network.

[aleiding]

Thank you for all you responses. I will give it a try on Monday.