help - Sandy Bridge Netboot Image Creation

[#1]

Hey guys,

I am having the worst time building a current netboot image off the Sandy Bridge Macbook Pro (early 2011). Has anyone had any success in building one. I have tried a number of methods all based on the shipping OS for the current Hardware. All fail. I can netboot off the image created, any Mac previous to the Sandy Bridge Macbook Pro.

I have tried both Apple's Server Admin Tools for 10.6.7 and Casper 8.1 Composer / Netboot creation tools and get the same results. The images were created on a newly unboxed SB Mac. The SB Mac net booting on the image created, hangs on the Apple screen after it finds the image on the network.

Anyone with steps involved in creating a successful image, please fill me in.

Thanks,

Charles G. Reed
blurb Internal IT Support
580 California Street, STE 300
San Francisco, CA 94101

[stevewood]

Any time I've had a new machine that has a new OS, I've followed the below
On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 2:16 PM, Charles Reed <creed at blurb.com> wrote:
steps to create an OS image for imaging and for creation of an NBI set using
Casper NetBoot Creator. These steps should work for the Sandy Bridge MBPs
as well:

1. Partition the hard drive on one of these new MBPs into two partitions.
   Install a minimal OS on both partitions and fully patch using Software
   Update.

2. Load Composer on the partition you are booted into.

3. Run Composer and snapshot the OS on the other partition.

4. Run JAMFs NetInstall Creator and use the OS DMG you created in step 3
   and create your NBI.

The key is that you have to do all of this on the new MBP. You cannot run
Composer or the NetInstall Creator from another machine while the MBP is in
target disk mode. Everything has to be done on that new MBP.

That should get you what you need.

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

[rockpapergoat]

Sounds like a lot of work. I use instadmg to create a base image with either the retail disc or the hardware specific disc that ships with the newest hardware.

From there, create a netboot set, and it should work fine. I have netboot sets that properly boot the latest thunderbolt laptops (and anything older) this way.

[stevewood]

At the time I came up with that process I was having problems with InstaDMG
On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 2:55 PM, Nate St. Germain <nate at techsuperpowers.com>wrote:
working. From what I've seen, ID will only work with retail discs and not
with hardware specific discs. In which case, you have to make sure you are
putting the correct 10.6.7 Combo update in the Catalog file (or manual
folders), the one specific for the Sandy Bridge machines.

The real key to this, whether you use what I outlined or you use InstaDMG,
is that all of it has to be done from one of the Sandy Bridge machines.

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

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ets that properly boot the latest thunderbolt laptops (and anything older) this way.<br>
<div><div></div><div class"h5"></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><
div>At the time I came up with that process I was having problems with Inst
aDMG working. =A0From what I&#39;ve seen, ID will only work with retail dis
cs and not with hardware specific discs. =A0In which case, you have to make sure you are putting the correct 10.6.7 Combo update in the Catalog file (
or manual folders), the one specific for the Sandy Bridge machines.</div>

<div><br></div><div>The real key to this, whether you use what I outlined o
r you use InstaDMG, is that all of it has to be done from one of the Sandy Bridge machines.</div><div><br></div><div><div><br></div><div>Steve Wood</d
iv>

<div>Director of IT</div><div><a href"mailto:swood at integer.com">swood at in
teger.com</a>=A0</div><div><br></div><div>The Integer Group | 1999 Bryan St
. | Ste. 1700 | Dallas, TX 75201=A0</div><div>T 214.758.6813 | F 214.758.69
01 | C 940.312.2475=A0</div>

</div></div>

--000e0cd2898eff945304a2648f73--

[rockpapergoat]

I built mine on a new-ish iMac or whatever else I had handy at the time, so the build process can work without building on the actual hardware.