Using Composer

[#1]

This may be a silly question but before I spend any time trying...

Can I make a Disk Image of an existing box that I can simply use to image
another box and basically have a clone of the original existing box???
Thanks in advance,
Mike

Michael J. Grams
mjgrams at corpgraph.com
Corporate Graphics Commercial
507-386-6319

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[ernstcs]

Hi Mike,

Page 102 of the Casper manual for version 4.1 should help with this.

You can do this with Composer or you can use Apple's Disk Utility located in Macintosh HD >> Utilities

The Composer method helps clean out other unneeded files from the image when it builds it.

Craig Ernst

[#3]

NetRestore and CarbonCopy Cloner (bombich.com) also do a fine job if you
want preserve user preferences and drive names if other than default
(Macintosh HD) being used.

Cyrus

[jhalvorson]

You can view all of the locally stored diff files by:
Right Clicking on Composer.app and selecting 'Show Package Contents'.
Then browse to Contents/Support/NewPackageOptions/Software
(I am able to see 124 diff files and they are all dated Oct 14, 2010, except
for one that is dated Nov 29,2010)

I am not sure if you expect to see all Applications with diff within the
Composer app. You won't see that same list within Composer -> New Package >
Preinstalled > Software that you can see in the Finder. The visible items
only represent apps you have installed on your computer.

Jason

[#5]

All,

I have begun pulling my hair out over this problem.

While I know Composer 8.0 has the ability to use diff files, I have not been able to upgrade them within Composer or manually. I have the disk image mounted on my desktop and see all kinds of them listed. I also have printed out the instructions on how to manually load them into Composer.

Since this isn't working for me, I figured it is time to ask the collective group about this.

Your thoughts?

Mick

[jarednichols]

I haven't done this (as it doesn't work from behind a Proxy) but you should be able to do a "show package contents" on the Composer application and find the existing diffs. Then just drop 'em in there I'd say.

j
---
Jared F. Nichols
Desktop Engineer, Client Services
Information Services Department
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
244 Wood Street
Lexington, Massachusetts 02420
781.981.5436

[#7]

Thanks for the reply Jared.

Interestingly, I can see ALL of the updated diff files within the application using the method you mentioned below. For some reason, they are simply not showing up.

I will keep plugging away at this….thanks again for the reply.

Mick

[#8]

Don't expect to be able to update the diffs while running from a disk image. I'm pretty sure it modifies the application itself when you do this, so you need to be able to write to it. Also note that diffs in Composer will not show up unless you have that specific software installed (if they're working properly). Try installing the software first.

[bentoms]

Check the permissions in the composer.app

Regards,

Ben.

[jarednichols]

That would be my next move. Do a Get Info on the app bundle and propagate the permissions.

j
---
Jared F. Nichols
Desktop Engineer, Client Services
Information Services Department
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
244 Wood Street
Lexington, Massachusetts 02420
781.981.5436