Universal OS Image - for laptop and desktops

[#1]

Wanted to see if any of you have developed an OS package that you use
for your laptops and desktops. How about a universal image for the
different chip sets, PPC and x86. I hear there is a universal installer
but have not researched this much. If so, can you share your learnings
regarding this approach?

Thanx in advance,

Cyrus Vahhaji
Accenture
Best Buy Technology Group
desk - 612.291.3643
fax - 952.430.4260
email - mailto:cyrus.vahhaji at bestbuy.com

[ernstcs]

Hello Cyrus,

If something like that already existed it would be nice to know, but perhaps when it is a universal installer it really is just that...just the install and not universal in terms of using an OS image it installs on a PPC and X86. The only thing that I'm aware of for universal OS X will be Leopard if I'm not mistaken.

I'd gladly like to hear otherwise. Anyone?

Craig Ernst

[#3]

Craig,

Thank you for your feedback. Since you didn't touch on using the same OS for
laptops and desktops can I assume you use two different OS images? Did you
ever try using a single OS image and if so what prevented you from taking
that approach.

Thanx again,
Cyrus

[ernstcs]

Craig,
On 8/23/07 9:20 AM, "Cyrus Vahhaji" <Cyrus.Vahhaji at bestbuy.com> wrote:

Thank you for your feedback. Since you didn't touch on using the same OS for laptops and desktops can I assume you use two different OS images? Did you ever try using a single OS image and if so what prevented you from taking that approach.

Thanx again,
Cyrus

[ernstcs]

It's going to be one of those days where I hit send without typing anything...great.

All I have are two base install OS images for 10.4.9, one for PPC and one for X86. These images are used on all the Macs we deploy. Customizations for their deployment area are handled either with scripts or packages to configure those settings for that area, like disabling the Airport in labs since they all get wired, etc.

Was that what you are referring to?

Craig

[#6]

No worries.

Yes, that's exactly what I'm referring as you mentioned below. Which
hardware type to you build your base OS on? Laptop or desktop? My concern is
differences in the hardware such as track pad with all the different
settings, wireless which we don't use on desktops, energy saver which a
laptop has more options are a few items that stand out. Looks like you
package/script the few differences I listed above and make them a part of a
configuration.

Thanx for your feedback and I'm all ears if there is anything else you can
share.

Cyrus

[ernstcs]

I always have to build my images on the newest model of hardware from scratch with the discs that came with the system as older discs don't normally boot correctly, they don't know what the new hardware is. When building with the latest hardware it should be backwards compatible with anything older, that's how Apple deals with that. I also have separate Restore images and Netboot images for each processor type.

The only issues that I've run across so far have already been mentioned here, but the main one was building an image from the newer MacBook Pro with the new video card hardware. Apple later released an update specifically for those systems to update video drivers. If I added that update into my base it totally screwed up the image being usable on my older MacBook Pro laptops. The track pad and other devices typically aren't an issue on any system thus far that I've noticed. If you put your image on another machine and go into the Network panel it will configure a device for each different model Mac typically. I load the image on as much older hardware once to initialize other devices as possible, but it is a lot of work.

My energy saver settings I actually have as a package that was built on a laptop so that options on how to behave when plugged in translate over to a desktop, but then when it's on battery those options are in there as well. It works fine for me and just overwrites the com.apple.PowerManagement.plist. You could configure it how you wanted differently for separate configurations.

Virtually all of the configuration options you can customize with a packaged file or script that configures it. There have been some things though that I can't do, like predefining a VPN connection with Internet Connect. There is some custom hashing that takes place for security I imagine that doesn't transfer over to a newly imaged box. Had to use the Cisco software for that.

I'm going to MAYBE be hosed when the new iMacs come in next week though because I don't want to update to 10.4.10. If my 10.4.9 image recently built on a santa rosa processor laptop doesn't boot on those and the iMacs only ship with a 10.4.10 installer disc, I may be forced to use 10.4.10 with those. That would normally be ok, but there is one particular bug in 10.4.10 previously mentioned that dock items show up as question marks even though the alias is correctly pointing. Clicking on the item makes the icon reappear. I'd rather not get calls about that.

Craig