MBP Retina's and 10.7.5

[nkalister]

I had an experience today that didn't make a lot of logical sense to me, so I'm wondering if anyone here can explain why i'm getting these results. . . . I have a MBP retina that shipped with 10.7.4. I also have a bootable OS X installation on a USB stick with 10.7.3 installed on it. Today, i downloaded the latest 10.7.5 combo update from apple's dev site and installed that on my USB stick while booted on a 2011 MBP. After installing 10.7.5, that USB stick boots my MBP retina just fine, no issues. Based on that experience, I figured I could take my 10.7.3 installESD.dmg, compile it with the 10.7.5 combo update in Casper Admin, and be able to image the Retina with the resulting configuration. That was not the case. The machine does not boot- I just get the circle-with-slash after the image is applied. The recovery partition that was laid down on the SSD doesn't boot it either.
Why does the USB stick boot the machine while the compiled image does not?

Also, why the HELL can't I download a lion installer from the App store on this machine? It shipped with 10.7.4! WTF, Apple? I opened a case with my applecare rep about this today, he asked me to download the OS using internet recovery. jebus h. cripes, this is bad.

[jhbush · Accepted solution]

I guess my first question is are you on 8.6? If not I would start there. I've seen the complied DMG under 10.7 be a hit or miss at times. 10.8 has produced better results for me using that method. In regards to the custom installer that is an issue I've discussed with Apple lots of times. They are considering some options, but for the time being I just use this method to retrieve the OS on custom build models. http://derflounder.wordpress.com/2012/06/26/downloading-lion-os-installers-for-your-specific-mac-mod... I would go back and try your compile with 10.7.4 and see if that works.

[nkalister]

I was using 8.52 at the time, actually.
I upgraded to 8.6 at the end of the day yesterday, so I will give it another go using the 8.6 casper admin.

still really peeved that you can't just download lion on a 2012 MBP- that really makes no sense since the machine shipped with it. oh, well, that's life as an apple admin! :)

[donmontalvo]

@nkalister Many ways to skin a cat...

http://derflounder.wordpress.com/2012/06/26/downloading-lion-os-installers-for-your-specific-mac-mod...

[color=red][EDIT: OOPS...sorry Jason, I see you already posted the link. :) ][/color]

Don

[nkalister]

yeah, I know about that, Don, but thanks anyway! I'm just annoyed that I have to resort to that method instead of being allowed to re-download from the app store as was the case with the previous models . . . Hopefully our backup software will get 10.8 compatibility soon so I can move to ML.
I'm about to begin the compile attempt with 8.6, btw. Fingers crossed!!

[nkalister]

YAY!
2nd try was the charm- 8.6 casper admin did the trick, the retina imaged and booted successfully.
However, some of my MCX settings were not applied, and it appears that none of my scripts that are supposed to run at first boot were executed.
BUT IT IMAGED AND BOOTS! better than nothing, and now I don't need the hardware specific ESD's to test 10.7.5.