How to verify packages got installed by Casper Imaging application?

[donmontalvo]

Leopard used receipts that made it easy for us to track installed packages. Snow Leopard doesn't, although I see a /Library/Receipts/InstallHistory.plist file that shows packages that were installed manually. Is there a way to tell if packages we have in Casper Imaging configuration have actually been applied?

As an example, we recently had to split our config to cover the Mid 2010 iMacs (iMac11,2 & iMac11,3) which require a special 10.6.4 patch:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1065

Today we had a devil of a time trying to see if Casper Imaging actually installed this package. Where do we look? It doesn't show up in the InstallHistory.plist file. Hmmm....

Any feedback most welcome. :)

Don

[ernstcs]

If it was a package installed by the suite it would show up in the inventory of the box in the JSS under Casper Installed Packages.

Does that help?

[ernstcs]

No receipts section in JSS mobile native computer info section....Booooo!

Yohnk!

Craig E

[Cem]

In 10.6, Receipts moved in here
/private/var/db/receipts

I hope this helps.
Cem

[donmontalvo]

Awesome, thanks Cem and Craig,

I was sent this off-list, thought I should share. Substitute "AnyPackageName" for the name of your package:

echo AnyPackageName installed: $( f=/private/var/db/receipts/com.apple.pkg. AnyPackageName; [ -e "$f.plist" ] && defaults read "$f" InstallDate || echo Never )

Comes back with status and also a date/time stamp for the package.

The problem we're wrestling with (one of many) is that we're stuck with JSS 7.1 (until our client buys new Xserve hardware). So we're facing a lot of bugs that just don't exist with the new version. For example, Smart Lists that don't update, etc., so we're uncertain if we can trust the Casper Installer logs that show it was indeed installed:

Initializing Imaging Process... Mounting afp://xserve.maclab.private/CasperShare... Preparing disk for block copy... Performing Block Copy of BaseImage_1064_10F2521.dmg... Cleaning up after block copy... Installing MacOSXUpd10.6.4foriMacMid2010.pkg... Installing QuickTimePlayer7.6.6_SnowLeopard.pkg... Installing RosettaFor10.6.4.pkg... Setting computer name to "imac01"... Creating /private/etc/jamf.conf... Creating /usr/sbin/jamf... Creating Startup Script... Creating Login/Logout Hooks... Creating /usr/sbin/jamfvnc... Ensuring Apple's Setup Assistant does not appear... Creating First Run Script... Adding line to Update ByHost Files... Adding line to Create user jlennon... Adding line to run DDC_setTimeServer.sh... Adding line to run DDC_setTimeZone.sh... Adding line to run flushPolicyHistory.sh... Copying script flushPolicyHistory.sh... Copying script DDC_setTimeServer.sh... Copying script DDC_setTimeZone.sh... Ensuring system files are hidden... Unmounting Distribution Point... Blessing System... Ensuring system files are hidden...

So we're having problems with Mid 2010 iMacs (iMac11,2 & iMac11,3) that were resolved with the Apple patch, so we weren't sure if was actually installed (despite Casper Logs showing it was):

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1065

I'll check the above directories and command when I return to the office on Monday.

Thanks,
Don

[donmontalvo]

OK, so after some more troubleshooting, we resolved the issue.

Our BaseImage that was created with a MacPro5,1 computer that shipped with 10F2521. It was released on the same day as iMac11,2 & iMac11,3 computers, both shipped with 10F2056.

Apple released a patch for all Mid 2010 iMacs that will not install on our 10F2521 image. Here's the patch info:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1065

So we created a new 10F2056 image specifically for Mid 2010 iMacs. Once we did this, Casper properly installs the Mid 2010 iMac patch. The patch leaves the following receipt/BOM files:

/private/var/db/receipts/com.apple.pkg.update.os.10.6.4.imac_11_2_3.plist /private/var/db/receipts/com.apple.pkg/update.os.10.6.4.imac_11_2_3.bom

So from the looks of it, JSS 7.31 *thinks* it is applying the patch, but doesn't. Even if it shows up on the list of Casper-installed packages for the test computer in JSS.

We're back to two images...at least until Apple releases 10.6.5. Thanks, Apple.

Don

[donmontalvo]

OK, so after some more troubleshooting, we resolved the issue.

Our BaseImage that was created with a MacPro5,1 computer that shipped with 10F2521. It was released on the same day as iMac11,2 & iMac11,3 computers, both shipped with 10F2056.

Apple released a patch for all Mid 2010 iMacs that will not install on our 10F2521 image. Here's the patch info:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1065

So we created a new 10F2056 image specifically for Mid 2010 iMacs. Once we did this, Casper properly installs the Mid 2010 iMac patch. The patch leaves the following receipt/BOM files:

/private/var/db/receipts/com.apple.pkg.update.os.10.6.4.imac_11_2_3.plist /private/var/db/receipts/com.apple.pkg/update.os.10.6.4.imac_11_2_3.bom

So from the looks of it, JSS 7.31 *thinks* it is applying the patch [EDIT] when applied to the 10F2521 image that was made from the MacPro5,1, but doesn't. The patch only gets applied on 10F2056 which was made from the 1Mac11,3 computer. But the Casper imaging logs in JSS 7.31 shows the patch as being installed on both 10F2521 and 10F2056, which is simply not true. All tests are done on two Mac test workstations for validation.[/EDIT]

We're back to two images...at least until Apple releases 10.6.5. Thanks, Apple.

Don