imaging multiple macs?

[randomlinh]

Does anyone have a resource or suggestion for imaging a line of macs, say if I bought a batch of iMacs.

Alternatively, does anyone know how to make a universal image for multiple macs. For windows boxes for instance, I just do a sysprep and clone it after it shuts down. Assumingn i've properly injected all the necessary drivers, I'm good for deploying a base image out. Ideally I'd like this for apple too, w/o spending money preferably, haha.

But, I'd settle for being able to create an image, and store it on the network (and restore it from there too ideally). Or just something.

As it stands, all I'm familiar w/ would be using something like CCC to make an image, save it to an external drive and then slap it on the network for storage/backup. restoring would still need to install OS X though.

Any thoughts?

 

[Kaido]

Mike Bombich has everything you need:

http://www.bombich.com/

 

[Kaido]

SuperDuper can clone to a spareimage file, which you can then restore using Disc Utility on the Leopard DVD. So basically:

1. Clone master to a sparseimage file on a portable USB hard drive
2. Boot up your iMacs using the Leopard DVD
3. Restore the sparseimage clone using Disk Utility

Now, if it's the same exact machine, you can simply clone your master computer to the USB drive, then boot the USB drive on the iMac and clone it live. That'd be even easier, and faster too. That workflow would go like this:

1. Clone master to USB hard drive
2. Boot USB hard drive on iMac
3. Clone USB hard drive to iMac

SuperDuper has a free version available:

http://www.shirt-pocket.com/Su...rDuperDescription.html

The sparseimage file is nice because you can store it on a server and only pop it on an external drive when you need it, without having to sacrifice a USB drive for a drive-to-drive clone.

 

[randomlinh]

ah, that's cool that you can restore the image file on install. that would work well. not as ideal as fetching from a server, but it'll work. actually, on boot can OS X see basic network file shares?

I'm testing CCC right now, and noticed it makes a sparseimage file too... does that mean the image should be bootable too?

Sidenote, do you know if there are "SID" issues like with windows machines? For a base Leopard install, I'd assume I could clone and delpoy on systems before it, given all the drivers should be included, right? presuming the system will meet the leopard requirements of course

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: randomlinh
ah, that's cool that you can restore the image file on install. that would work well. not as ideal as fetching from a server, but it'll work. actually, on boot can OS X see basic network file shares?

I'm testing CCC right now, and noticed it makes a sparseimage file too... does that mean the image should be bootable too?

Sidenote, do you know if there are "SID" issues like with windows machines? For a base Leopard install, I'd assume I could clone and delpoy on systems before it, given all the drivers should be included, right? presuming the system will meet the leopard requirements of course

I haven't had any problems, but then I've only used it on a small scale at home. Remember if you are doing Hackintosh, you'll need to install a bootloader after cloning or else it won't work. You can use a BootCD for the first boot and then install it if you'd like (keep a copy of the bootloader in the Applications folder on your Master for quick installation). Regular Macs don't need a separate bootloader.

Bombich's software has some network deploy tools iirc. I'm not familiar with them, so you'll have to do some reading, but I think you can deploy from a network using them.

 

[Tegeril]

If you can't get the network component to work and have a lot of systems, you can use the systems as you image them to image more. Just boot one with another that's been updated

 

[umrigar]

this is pretty cool, too:
http://clc.its.psu.edu/Labs/Ma...ageconfig/default.aspx

PSU Blast Image Config (aka "BIC") is a complete software solution to quickly restore and configure a Macintosh back to a known state:

* Quickly restore a master system disk image via a local file, http, or from an asr multicast server, to a Mac's internal hard disk
* Excellent alternative to NetRestore and other ASR tools
* One of the fastest system image restore tools available
* Ability to completely autorun with default setting preferences
* Supports Mac OS X 10.2.2 and higher, including Leopard (10.5)
* Configure and set the Open Firmware / EFI security, preventing unauthorized access via single (root) user mode or booting from external devices
* Set the date and time with international format support
* Configure the network settings on the restored disk (via ncutil):
o IP Address : DHCP or Manual (Static)
o Subnet Mask & Router
o DNS Servers
o Network Names (Computer and Local)
* Enable the Airport network interface (on Mac OS X 10.4.7 and later)
* Change the startup disk to the restored disk
* Supports Macs with dual on-board ethernet ports
* Extensible through pre and post restore scripts
* Specify default and autorun settings via the autorun preferences file
* Used by many Universities and Enterprise Companies

 

[randomlinh]

tegeril, that's pretty much what I was going to do.. just wanted to make sure it'd actually work, haha.

umrigar, thanks, looks interesting. I'm not sure I'm going to go through to set that up for the few systems we have. Neat though.

Kaido, no hackintoshes here. That's for my personal system, hah. I will not put that into our work environment, haha. That and it's a pain to actually buy stuff from vendors not on our "approved list" haha. Tho, I was thinking about your super budget build to make for work, heh.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: umrigar
this is pretty cool, too:
http://clc.its.psu.edu/Labs/Ma...ageconfig/default.aspx

PSU Blast Image Config (aka "BIC") is a complete software solution to quickly restore and configure a Macintosh back to a known state:

Wow that's awesome, thanks for posting that! :thumbsup:

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: randomlinh
Kaido, no hackintoshes here. That's for my personal system, hah. I will not put that into our work environment, haha. That and it's a pain to actually buy stuff from vendors not on our "approved list" haha. Tho, I was thinking about your super budget build to make for work, heh.

Yeah I don't think I'd use a Hackintosh in a work environment. Maybe with EFI-X, but between the random quirks and legal stuff going on with Psystar, you're much better off with real Macs in a professional environment