createOSXInstallpkg - DeployStudio - Mavericks

[tf...@rfschools.com]

I asked this over on the DeployStudio forum, but haven't had success, yet:

Has anyone had luck using createOSXInstallPKG to install OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) in the netbooted DeployStudio environment to a erased volume.  I can install said pkg while target machine is mounted via "target disk" mode, but not while netbooted to an .nbi created on a 10.9 machine (with requisite Python), and using DS 1.6.3 netbooted from a 10.7 server... Getting "failed installation... error occurred while running the postflight script" type of log entries.

Thanks, if anyone has some insight here.

Tim Fox

[Gregory Neagle]

On Feb 4, 2014, at 12:46 PM, tf...@rfschools.com wrote:

> I asked this over on the DeployStudio forum, but haven't had success, yet:
>
> Has anyone had luck using createOSXInstallPKG to install OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) in the netbooted DeployStudio environment to a erased volume.

Yes.

> I can install said pkg while target machine is mounted via "target disk" mode, but not while netbooted to an .nbi created on a 10.9 machine (with requisite Python), and using DS 1.6.3 netbooted from a 10.7 server... Getting "failed installation... error occurred while running the postflight script" type of log entries.
>
> Thanks, if anyone has some insight here.

Are you using the latest version of createOSXinstallPkg?

Have you looked at the log at /var/log/install.log (while still NetBooted) for clues as to what is failing in the pkg postflight?

-Greg

>
> Tim Fox
>

[tf...@rfschools.com]

Are you using the latest version of createOSXinstallPkg?

Have you looked at the log at /var/log/install.log (while still NetBooted) for clues as to what is failing in the pkg postflight?

-Greg

Greg,

Thanks so much for your response. I'll respond to this tomorrow.

Tim

[Erik]

I was one of the people that replied over there. I still don't see the benefit of using this package for machines with erased volumes. AutoDMG is going to make an ASR dmg for you that will be much faster, deployment wise.

Greg, am I wrong in my understanding?

[Gregory Neagle]

On Feb 4, 2014, at 7:26 PM, Erik <eriknico...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I was one of the people that replied over there. I still don't see the benefit of using this package for machines with erased volumes. AutoDMG is going to make an ASR dmg for you that will be much faster, deployment wise.
>
> Greg, am I wrong in my understanding?
>

You are not wrong in saying that restoring an image takes less time than running Apple's installer.

I've currently chosen to deploy using Apple's installer. There are several reasons:

1) I have to build an installer package for upgrades of existing machines via Munki; it makes some sense to not duplicate effort and to be able to use that exact same thing to do new installs as well.

2) I can have a deployable package within minutes using any available machine. This is very useful during the developer preview stage.

3) Most new machines here are not "imaged" at all, since the arrive with a perfectly good OS on them already. Instead, we just install a few packages and let Munki configure them.

4) InstaDMG has been a mess for a while and SIU was finicky. Both require building on the same major OS release as the image you want to build. Now that AutoDMG is available, it's possible I might revisit things, but not necessarily. Unlike an EDU organization, I don't have narrow windows in which I need to image or reimage a large number of machines. Instead, deployment and reimaging is continuous throughout the year, and never a huge number of machines at a time. If I had to quickly reimage hundreds of machines over summer or winter break, I would want the process to be as fast as possible, and would definitely use an imaging approach.

Know the tools and approaches that are available and make whatever choice is best for you and your environment.

-Greg

[tf...@rfschools.com]

Well, Greg,

Kind of embarrassed, here.  Now, I can't get the pkg to fail in the way I described.  It seems to be working just beautifully!  FYI, I am using the latest createOSXInstallPkg, with DeployStudio 1.6.3, with NetBoot from a Mac 10.6.8 Server, and a DS created 10.9 .nbi.  I've supplemented the OSX installer with pkgs for:

-first Admin User

-clearReg

-munki tools

-munki prefs

You've developed a lovely solution.  I was a staunch NetRestore, then InstaDMG user, from OS9-OSX 10.6.8 (haven't checked out AutoDMG, yet).  Munki and createOSXInstallPkg have made our workflows incredibly reliable.

Next for us.... Reposado!!!!!!

Thanks, again, Greg! If I run in to the problem again, I'll share install logs...

Tim