Creating New Base Build

Is the OS DMG set as Priority 1?

Yup set at priority 1? Just re-indexing it now, been on it for about 40 minutes...

Untick the item is a .dmg with OS X Installer.

Set to priority 1 and if you have more than one distribution point make sure it's replicated to the one you're trying to image from.

Side note which may be a bit of a timesaver for you:

Is your distribution point an AFP share? If so, you could also have your Configuration and then hit 'Compile' so you don't have to build it on a physical laptop.

Can you provide the following so we can be of more assistance to you: JSS version, NetBoot set OS version, Casper Imaging version and the version of the OS that you captured with Composer. I think most people would suggest using AutoDMG to create the base OS then upload that to the JSS with Casper Admin. Then upload your Office and Creative Cloud installers and build a configuration that you use in Casper Imaging. I typically mark all of my packages, with the exception of the Base OS, to "install on boot drive after imaging" so the installers get run from the temporary adobeinstall account.

I downloaded that AutoDMG but couldn't find a way to actually run the programme, probably just me being stupid but didn't have much time to play. Whenever I try index my DMG it stays on Indexing package and doesn't actually complete, will leave it over night though and then get back with all the above information and try go forward from there chaps!

Thanks so far, will report back any new findings! Should be fine installing a few apps shouldn't I and then creating the base build? Won't have any problems doing so?

Thanks

Many people here would advise against that, but I won't get into that debate. Do note that you will want to make sure that if you add Adobe CC in your base image that you do not want it to be serialized otherwise you will run into problems. You can deploy the licensing components after a computer has been imaged.

I'm not sure why you would want or need to index the OS package you are creating. I never index the Base OS as there would never be a need/reason to uninstall anything in the Base OS. I don't generally index any of my packages. If something needs uninstalled I usually just use a script to remove the software.

I was always told it's good practice to index them! Will stop that then! Nope CC isn't serialised, not sure why it's frowned upon though? Other imaging tools seem to handle it much better being 1 image? Basically our process takes an age at the moment, we image with the base OS, then bind and join the wireless etc. Then we reboot back to Casper Imaging, we then select the config for the packages to install, it often hangs, or takes stupidly long to install something such as Java, or just doesn't the package it says. So in my old workplace we went to DS, create a base image with most software on and it was much much better! However - we have casper, i know how powerful it can be so want to try get it work this way! Then one a machine is imaged I can give it out knowing they will have the software they need and send the rest out remotely. Hope all that makes sense!

Simon

@betty02 I'm one of the rare ones that has no problem deploying Adobe CC already serialised and ready to go. I do not create a fat image with everything in it, in fact I don't even put down a new OS, I just use the OS that came with the device. Thin imaging, or Hybrid imaging is what I do.

I use Casper Imaging to lay down a first boot script and enroll the machine. Upon the second restart the machine kicks off the first boot script which takes care of installing all of the software I need on a machine (including Adobe CC 2014) via jamf policy calls (jamf policy -id <id>). Once complete the machine restarts a third time and it's ready to deploy to user. I do not bind during imaging because I do not rename machines until they are ready to go to a user, but if you could easily bind as part of the first boot script.

The one advantage I see to a fat image is speed. By using a fat image (I did this recently for a large deployment) I was able to image a machine in under 7 minutes via Thunderbolt using a local DP.

So, I would question why you would need to create a fat image and then reboot into Casper Imaging to lay down packages (this could be done via Self Service or a script instead).

I would try dropping your OS image into Casper Admin and not indexing it. That may be what is causing the image to not be applied to the device.

@stevewood "So, I would question why you would need to create a fat image and then reboot into Casper Imaging to lay down packages (this could be done via Self Service or a script instead).

I would try dropping your OS image into Casper Admin and not indexing it. That may be what is causing the image to not be applied to the device."

This is what I want to avoid, I am a fan off a "fat" image for like you say speed, we need to get these macs out straight away, once that is done I will happily push the rest of the software - mainly print drivers, flash, java etc - out from Casper Policies or as said Self Service. 7 minutes imaging would be a dream.

I have tried it both indexed and not indexed and it just doesn't work, not sure if it's something I did? New machine, installed software, got into Composer, created a DMG, dragged it to my new config on Casper Admin, set priority to 1, then added the bind script we use, rebooted a new machine, NB'd it, chose my new config, and it just didn't actually copy/extra the dmg to the machine? Just took about 30 seconds and went complete, rebooted and nothing ha actually changed!

Sorry to be a pest guys and appreciate your help so far!

Thanks

@betty02 I kind of figured speed was your reasoning behind a fat image, but wasn't sure.

I'm sorry for asking an obvious question, but to help troubleshoot, when you created the image, you did it all from the same machine, correct? Steps would be:

1. Boot machine and configure it the way you want.
2. Boot machine from an external drive.
3. Run Composer and capture OS.

I've found in the past that it is very important to do everything on the same machine. At least that is what has saved me from having troubles in the past.

Can you confirm these are the steps you took?

All done off the same machine indeed! Only difference I can see is "Boot machine from an external drive."

I did step one, got it all down as wanted, then booted into netbook and then opened Composer from there, captured the OS and saved it to an External drive?

Should still be fine doing it though way though surely?

@betty02 yes, you should be fine doing it that way. However, if you have the capability to try it the way I described, I would.

Like I mentioned, I just did this a month or so ago and those were the steps I took.

Oh, and when you are imaging, are you erasing the hard drive?

And one more thing, are you using a JDS for your distribution point by chance? If not, is your DP AFP or SMB?

@betty02 JDS?

@stevewood My comment was specific to including a serialized version of Adobe CC in a thick/fat image. In a thin image, that works perfectly fine.

Yup erasing target drive, and then going from there! I knew it should work, it just isn't :( I will have play tomorrow with another fresh machine and see where I go from there! Were using SMB - So again should be fine! Bloody IT - Why did I choose this as a career haha!

I kid you not, just got a new Mac, turned it on and currently - "Performing Block Copy..." whichI never got before and should work! I have literally changed nothing haha! Fingers crossed it turns out as expected!!

I'm curious if this speed thing is actually an issue on new hardware anymore. Or if its just a case of "this is how we've always done it" mentality

For sure in the old days of spinning metal disks, installing Adobe CC and Office as packages was significantly slower than a block copy of a fat dmg. But I'm installing Adobe CC 2015 master collection and office on new machines with SSD's over a gigabit network prettty damn fast.

It will always come down to bottle necks on networks etc! We don't have the luxury of SSD'd machines, as much as I'm pushing for it! But when you have thousands of macs it isn't a cheap solution or one that can be implemented quickly! I am trying though!

I think last nights test was a success, looks good, it bound first time, apps are on there! Need to try it again on another machine, it took just less then 7 minutes to block copy too! So yeah falling back in love with casper again at the minute!

Simon

@calumhunter I know for me, even with thin imaging and installing all software after Casper Imaging via a script, it can take up to 40 minutes to image one laptop. For the most part, I don't care how long it takes because I turn it on and then ignore it until it's done.

But when I need to get a large batch out, like I did recently, I turned to a FAT image that I imaged using Target Mode Imaging and a DP replicated to the computer I was imaging from. That took the process down to under 10 minutes to get a machine completed. For me that was huge, and I know it is for others that have tight turn times for getting machines done.