Unable to create a NetInstall Image for Lion

[brandonusher]

Hello, I am currently trying to create a NetInstall Image for OS X 10.7.4, which will be deployed from a server running 10.6.8.

I have already setup a brand new computer to how my company would like to have them setup and I have taken an image of the computer using DiskUtility and Composer.

I have attempted to use the NetInstall Image Creator provided by JAMF, but I am still unable to boot from the network with the new MBP's. I have also done the System Image Utility on a 10.7.4 machine, using the Automator Action provided in the Resource Kit by JAMF, still to no avail.

Is there any major steps I am missing, or should be aware of before beating my brains out on the desk trying to figure out this issue?

When my company first received training with the product, the tech just gave us the NetInstall image. Anyone know of where I could get my hands on one for Lion if I can't create one myself? (Although, if I can do it, I would much appreciate that over being handed one that "works")

[justinworkman]

For 10.7, you'll have to use System Image Utility with the Automater action from the Resource Kit. When it asks for the current user's password it means YOUR password for the current logged in user that is running SIU. Also when you upload to your netboot server, make sure you have diskless checked.

I went through all these headaches earlier this summer. I also did some kung-fu after the fact to get it just like I wanted(No iCloud popup, etc). If you're interested in all that let me know.

[brandonusher]

Thank you for the help justinworkman, just another question though if you don't mind. Do I need to run the System Image Utility on one of the new computers, or am I able to create it on any machine as long as I have 10.7.4 on that computer? Also I have mounted the InstallESD.dmg and still to no avail have I been able to successfully work this out. I shall try again however and hope it works :)

Also that No iCloud popup sounds nice, would you mind sharing that with me? Thanks in advance!

[gregneagle]

You haven't been clear on what "one of the new computers" exactly is, but if it's one of the new laptops introduced at this year's WWDC, you'll need to build your NetInstall image on one of those machines. 10.7.4 was released prior to those machines' introduction, and the 11E53 build won't boot those machines.

[justinworkman]

What I do is: After I have set up my netboot image(which is basically just Lion), I boot the machine with said image to an external HD that has Casper Composer on it, I create an OS package of the "image." Then I plug the external HD into my work machine(10.7.4 although I don't know that it matters) and run SIU with the OS Package DMG mounted from the external HD and use it as source for SIU. That might sound kind of confusing, but I think thats it. I'm not sure about the InstallESD method. I just tried to follow the old workflow as close as possible.

[brandonusher · Accepted solution]

I was able to solve the issue for the most part today with the following steps provided from my company's rep at JAMF:

The base image needs to be built on the new machines, and the netboot needs to be built off of that base image on the new machines as well. Please check out this link to make sure the OS build number for the base image and netboot are correct for the hardware model. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1159 If using the new Thunderbolt adapters, the latest software updates need to be in place on the base image and the netboot image. As far as building a new base image, the method we suggest is boot into the Recovery partition of one of the new machines, and then choose the option to Reinstall Lion, and we will want to have an external hard drive handy. During the first few screens of this, choose to re-install Lion to the external hard drive instead. This will give you a good bootable base OS. Now, boot into the actual hard drive of the machine, install the Composer application, and capture both the boot partition of the external hard drive and the recovery partition. Please follow Scenario 3 of this KB: https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/article.html?id=173 Now that the base image is done, we need to build a netboot image. Using the external hard drive as our guinea pig again, boot into it and follow the second section of this article to configure the OS: https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/article.html?id=63 Then, use Composer to capture just the boot partition of this external drive. Once this is done, use System Image Utility from Apple to create the netboot and follow these instructions: https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/article.html?id=64

The only thing that I have to do now with the computers is run through the little setup that comes with the new MBP's (2012 refreshed from WWDC) and then once I can log into the computer, I then restart and netboot the machine and everything works perfectly.

Anyone else experience that? If so how did you get around that seeing as it is something it looks like Apple put into place?

[natejosiah]

This is a copy paste email to my rep, lightly edited. I just need to figure this out and wanted any more help I could get.

Using usher.br's post as a guide this is what I do.

Starting at the second paragraph. (these iMacs I am using came with Lion, last week, so I'm sure they are compatible) I began by the fresh install on the iMac and the external. Two basic 10.7.2 installs which I then updated to the most current 10.7.4 through system updates.

With the external still plugged in I boot to the iMac's hard drive. I open Composer from a flash drive and capture 'Macintosh HD'.

Moving over to this article, https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/article.html?id=173 I run 'sudo diskutil mount disk#s#' to mount the 'Recovery HD' which is the appropriate numbers according to a 'diskutil list' command I ran. I also take an image of that with Composer. So now I have two base images of 'Recovery HD' and 'Macintosh HD'. [Though previously just capturing Macintosh HD works fine on an imaging test. Only when I have booted to an external hard drive and run Casper Imaging]

Per the third paragraph I boot to the external and set up root and everything according to this article https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/article.html?id=63

I then booted back into the iMac and used Composer again to capture the Macintosh HD off the external as a netboot image.

I then install Server Admin Tools on the iMac and run System Image Utility. I mount the image I just took and capture it. I move it over to the server and drop it in the Netboot folder with my Leopard and Snow Leopard .nbi images. Then in Server Admin: Netboot I enable it, and check diskless. Then save.

I network boot and it finds it, loads it just fine. Casper Imaging auto runs and I log into the JSS. I choose a configuration. Any configuration fails if I am netbooted. Even JUST a base Lion image.

Now, this whole process of imaging the computer runs perfectly fine if instead of network booting I boot to the external where this netboot image came from and run Casper Imaging. I can select any of the 10.7 configurations and they install fine. When I am netbooted it will skip through everything saying it begins the block copy then is finishing it in seconds. When I run it off the external it actually block copies and cleans up etc.

The server I am using is 10.6.8. Anything else that you might need to know just ask.

[natejosiah]

The answer to my problem was this thread. https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=4755