How are we suppose to image the "New Macbook"

[#1]

Image over USB, Wireless? shudders

USB-C port with support for:
Charging
USB 3.1 Gen 1 (up to 5 Gbps)
Native DisplayPort 1.2 video output
VGA output using USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter (sold separately)
HDMI video output using USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter (sold separately)

http://www.apple.com/macbook/specs/

[cbrewer]

@gachowski

If you have a Dell rep I'd suggest ordering from them. We paid around $33.

[Kumarasinghe]

Confirmed. DELL DBQBCBC064 can NetBoot 13" MacBook Pro 2016 (without Touch Bar in this instance) into existing 10.12.1 NetBoot set.

[fritz_schlapbac]

Did you try to NetBoot a 12-inch MacBook with this Dell adapter? I wasn't able to use it with a MacBook 2015. If it works with the MacBook Pro 2016 this is great news. :)

[Chris_Hafner]

Personally, I've been of the mindset that this "MacBook" (Specifically the 12" Early 2016) is this generations b@stard model. You know how every so often there will be a short lived model between major redesigns that lacks the ability to use TB, Firewire, SCSI for fast file transfer. I keep reading mixed statements on what does or doesn't work for netbooting the new Pro units. Unfortunately, I don't have one to test yet myself... oh well.

[calumhunter]

You all know that Netboot is going away soon right?

Being able to netboot and drop an "image" onto a device is going away.

I'd probably be looking for alternative methods of provisioning or deploying the machines and get ahead of the curve for when apple nix netboot/asr with apfs

[cbrewer]

@calumhunter

"Going away" and "it's gone" are two entirely different things. The state we are in right now still requires a process to get a Mac back to an out of the box state. Your point is valid for new boxed deployments, but a lot of us have to deal with restoring machines back to a clean state. NetBoot still seems like the right tool for that, but that's just me. I'm all for moving forward once macOS has a way to restore the device to just the OS bits as iOS does.

It would also be nice to stop associating NetBoot with old school imaging. I think many of us are using NetBoot as a method of laying down a clean unbooted OS image and maybe some layered packages on top. Just cause one NetBoots does not necessarily mean he/she is still "imaging" in the old sense of the word.

[Chris_Hafner]

I've had this same conversation with a number of folks, particularly from jamf. I'd be happy to move from the need to lay down an OS during an "imaging". After all, this is all we're really talking about without getting into the whole monolithic vs modular vs thin imaging approach. Once Applen starts to make the shift then I'm there. Right now, that's all beta talk and conjecture. When I've got hundreds of BYOD/unconfigured machines needing to be prepped quickly, then I'm going paved earth and laying down an OS. There's simply no faster, more reliable way as of yet.

[jwojda]

In preparation for the 2016s, I've been working on a 2015 model using DEP and only WiFi... and I have about 90% of it functional, with a webex with jamf support today to hopefully flesh out the last bit. It's not so bad, and kind of slick..

Option boot a machine, then cmd+r to recover (recovery partition with failover to internet). then I can wipe the partitions and reinstall. It's worked smoothly and pretty quickly.

[RyanDan]

While I like the machines for being light and convenient for working on trains / away from your desk / in meetings, I agree that I don't think that they are really a corporate piece of hardware. To image them I have had to purchase a mini dock circa. £25 but the user if they want to have straight through power connection, connect to (a) monitor(s), use a LAN connection and have USB ports then they need to purchase a full dock and the best I have found so far is circa £160. This is a lot of money to go with the price of the laptop.

[gachowski]

@calumhunter

Can you elaborate on "going away" and "soon"? Was it an Apple source? I didn't seen anything at WWDC presentations about this?

C

[andysemak]

We're reading between the lines.

I'm expecting significant changes next OS with APFS.

[Chris_Hafner]

Yea, I'm hearing it all over the place. Then again, I also heard a lot about support for ZFS in the past and that didn't seem to go anywhere. Still, I think it would be a very welcome change.

[rquigley]

ZFS won't happen due to the licensing agreements Apple would need to sign with Oracle.

APFS will give Apple the ability to replicate the good parts of ZFS without needing to use the licensing for that.

As for imaging with APFS, we'll see how it goes.

[Chris_Hafner]

@rquigley Quite right, and I very much hope so!

[nikjamf]

Hello Is there any update on workflow for imaging with High Sierra, a new 2017 MacBooks and how long takes it? I experienced a few issues, the Office 2016 takes forever to installed after bind it to the domain!

[CasperSally]

@nikjamf maybe check out this thread where there is more recent discussion.

[itupshot]

We get these adapters for every USB-C Mac we purchase. They are more reliable than the Apple "dongle," and add all the ports that were lost. Since they don't need addtional drivers, you can use them to NetBoot and image your MacBook, and new MacBook Pros, and then just keep them with that computer.

[https://www.cdw.com/shop/products/USB-C-Hub-Mini-Docking-Station/4274004.aspx?pfm=ord](link URL)

[cwaldrip]

The dongle that @itupshot mentioned is sold by several companies too, btw. I believe it's manufactured and sold by Saitechi who sell it as the OEM to 3rd parties.

I can recommend them as we've ordered over a hundred of them.
https://tinyurl.com/ychy3x5y

We like this type of dongle (with the cord) over the ones that plug into the side since these shouldn't break as easily if being used in a bumpy road, or cramped airplane, etc.