Imaging

MacSysAdmin 2018 links

GregN

Here are some links from my presentation at MacSysAdmin 2018 in Göteborg, Sweden, “Imaging is Dead: What Now?”

Der Flounder, “Imaging will be dead soonish”: https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2017/01/10/imaging-will-be-dead-soon-ish/

AutoDMG: https://github.com/MagerValp/AutoDMG

Imagr: https://github.com/grahamgilbert/imagr

DeployStudio: http://www.deploystudio.com

Apple, “Upgrade macOS on a Mac at your institution”: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208020

Apple, “APFS and Imaging”: https://help.apple.com/deployment/macos/#/apd545ec8b69

Apple, “Restore Apple T2 firmware on iMac Pro”: https://help.apple.com/configurator/mac/2.7.1/#/apdebea5be51

Apple, “Restore Apple T2 firmware on 2018 MacBook Pro”: https://help.apple.com/configurator/mac/2.7.1/#/apd0020c3dc2

Apple, “How to create a bootable installer for macOS”: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372

createbootvolfromautonbi.py: https://github.com/munki/macadmin-scripts/blob/master/createbootvolfromautonbi.py

Bootstrappr: https://github.com/munki/bootstrappr

Installr: https://github.com/munki/installr

Erik Gomez, Custom DEP series: http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/03/08/Custom-DEP-Part-1-An-Introduction/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/03/08/Custom-DEP-Part-2-Creating-a-custom-package-and-deploying-Munki/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/03/08/Custom-DEP-Part-3-Best-Practices/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/03/08/Custom-DEP-Part-4-The-Future/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/04/05/Custom-DEP-Part-5-Dynamic-InstallApplication/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/04/27/Custom-DEP-Part-6-Vendor-Announcement-and-Presentation/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/07/27/Custom-DEP-Part-7-Getting-started-with-AirWatch-9.1.3/

Victor Vranchan, “Munkiing around with DEP”: https://groob.io/posts/dep-micromdm-munki/

installinstallmacos.py: https://github.com/munki/macadmin-scripts/blob/master/installinstallmacos.py

Armin Briegel, “macOS Installation for Apple Administrators”: https://scriptingosx.com/macos-installation-for-apple-administrators/

MacSysAdmin 2018 links

PSU MacAdmins 2018 Links

GregN

Here are some links from my presentation at the 2018 MacAdmins Conference at Penn State, “Imaging is Dead: Now What?”

Der Flounder, “Imaging will be dead soonish”: https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2017/01/10/imaging-will-be-dead-soon-ish/

AutoDMG: https://github.com/MagerValp/AutoDMG

Imagr: https://github.com/grahamgilbert/imagr

DeployStudio: http://www.deploystudio.com

Apple, “Upgrade macOS on a Mac at your institution”: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208020

Apple, “APFS and Imaging”: https://help.apple.com/deployment/macos/#/apd545ec8b69

Apple, “Restoring an iMac Pro with Configurator”: https://help.apple.com/configurator/mac/2.6/index.html?localePath=en.lproj#/apdebea5be51

Apple, “How to create a bootable installer for macOS”: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372

createbootvolfromautonbi.py: https://github.com/munki/macadmin-scripts/blob/master/createbootvolfromautonbi.py

Bootstrappr: https://github.com/munki/bootstrappr

Erik Gomez, Custom DEP series: http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/03/08/Custom-DEP-Part-1-An-Introduction/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/03/08/Custom-DEP-Part-2-Creating-a-custom-package-and-deploying-Munki/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/03/08/Custom-DEP-Part-3-Best-Practices/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/03/08/Custom-DEP-Part-4-The-Future/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/04/05/Custom-DEP-Part-5-Dynamic-InstallApplication/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/04/27/Custom-DEP-Part-6-Vendor-Announcement-and-Presentation/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/07/27/Custom-DEP-Part-7-Getting-started-with-AirWatch-9.1.3/

Victor Vranchan, “Munkiing around with DEP”: https://groob.io/posts/dep-micromdm-munki/

Armin Briegel, “macOS Installation for Apple Administrators”: https://scriptingosx.com/macos-installation-for-apple-administrators/

installinstallmacos.py: https://github.com/munki/macadmin-scripts/blob/master/installinstallmacos.py

PSU MacAdmins 2018 Links

Updated notes on deploying images to iMac Pro

GregN

A brief update to https://managingosx.wordpress.com/2018/01/25/early-notes-on-deploying-images-to-imac-pro/ :

This is much easier now with 10.13.4, which has updated asr restore to handle some of the tasks needed when restoring an image to iMac Pro.

I still recommend using AutoDMG to generate a deployment image from a 10.13.4 Install macOS High Sierra.app (and optionally your own additional packages).

The one restore workflow I know works is this:

Start up the iMac Pro in Target Disk Mode. Connect it to another Mac running 10.13.4. Make sure that Mac also has an active Internet connection that can reach Apple’s servers.

As root:

asr restore --source osx_updated_180402-10.13.4-17E199.apfs.dmg --target /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD\ 1 --erase

Where --source points to the AutoDMG-generated deployment image, and --target points to the iMac Pro’s internal disk (mounted via Target Disk Mode). The restore session should look something like this:

# asr restore --source osx_updated_180402-10.13.4-17E199.apfs.dmg --target /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD --erase
Validating target...done
Validating source...done
Erase contents of /dev/disk4s1 (/Volumes/Macintosh HD)? [ny]: y
Retrieving scan information...done
Validating sizes...nx_kernel_mount:1359: : checkpoint search: largest xid 72, best xid 72 @ 143
done
Restoring  ....10....20....30....40....50....60....70....80....90....100
Verifying  ....10....20....30....40....50....60....70....80....90....100
Inverting target volume...done
Remounting target volume...done
Personalization over TDM succeeded

and you should have a working macOS 10.13.4 volume on the iMac Pro.

Updated notes on deploying images to iMac Pro

MacAD.uk 2018 Conference Links

GregN

Here are some links from my presentation at Mac Admins and Developers UK 2018, “Imaging is Dead: Now What?”

Der Flounder, “Imaging will be dead soonish”: https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2017/01/10/imaging-will-be-dead-soon-ish/

AutoDMG: https://github.com/MagerValp/AutoDMG

Imagr: https://github.com/grahamgilbert/imagr

DeployStudio: http://www.deploystudio.com

Apple, “Upgrade macOS on a Mac at your institution”: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208020

Apple, “APFS and Imaging”: https://help.apple.com/deployment/macos/#/apd545ec8b69

Restoring an iMac Pro with Configurator: https://help.apple.com/configurator/mac/2.6/index.html?localePath=en.lproj#/apdebea5be51

createbootvolfromautonbi.py: https://github.com/munki/macadmin-scripts/blob/master/createbootvolfromautonbi.py

Bootstrappr: https://github.com/munki/bootstrappr

Erik Gomez, Custom DEP series: http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/03/08/Custom-DEP-Part-1-An-Introduction/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/03/08/Custom-DEP-Part-2-Creating-a-custom-package-and-deploying-Munki/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/03/08/Custom-DEP-Part-3-Best-Practices/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/03/08/Custom-DEP-Part-4-The-Future/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/04/05/Custom-DEP-Part-5-Dynamic-InstallApplication/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/04/27/Custom-DEP-Part-6-Vendor-Announcement-and-Presentation/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/07/27/Custom-DEP-Part-7-Getting-started-with-AirWatch-9.1.3/

Victor Vranchan, Munkiing around with DEP: https://groob.io/posts/dep-micromdm-munki/

Post-credits scene (installinstallmacos.py): https://github.com/munki/macadmin-scripts/blob/master/installinstallmacos.py

MacAD.uk 2018 Conference Links

Early notes on deploying images to iMac Pro

GregN3 Comments

Overview

Here are some early notes on making and restoring a High Sierra deployment image to an iMac Pro.

“Wait, I thought imaging was dead! Especially imaging the iMac Pro with Secure Boot!” you may be thinking. My reply: “We’ll see, won’t we?” It’s early days here: we’re experimenting. Our experiments might lead to dead ends, or they might lead to useful results.

Continue reading “Early notes on deploying images to iMac Pro” →

Early notes on deploying images to iMac Pro

Bootstrappr

GregN

A little while ago, I made a new Mac deployment tool available:

https://github.com/munki/bootstrappr

Bootstrappr is really nothing more than a Bash script that installs any packages it finds in an adjacent packages directory. There’s no GUI, no bells and whistles.

What is it for? Why would you use it?

You’d use it for installation-based deployment workflows on iMac Pro (and potentially any Mac).

Continue reading “Bootstrappr” →

Bootstrappr

macOS installation-based workflows

GregN1 Comment

Perhaps you are starting to worry about the future of “imaging” as a deployment/initial configuration method for Macs.

(I’ll define “imaging” as block-copying the contents of a disk image file to a disk volume, and resulting in a bootable, fully-functional machine.)

If you are concerned about the future of imaging, you might want to start investigating macOS installation-based workflows for deployment/initial configuration.

The basic idea is this: a workflow that either installs macOS, or starts with the factory os installation. It then installs additional packages that serve to enroll the Mac in whatever your ongoing management system is (Jamf Pro, Filewave, Munki, etc). It then becomes the management system’s job to finish the initial setup of the machine.

Here are a few things you might want to look at:

Continue reading “macOS installation-based workflows” →

macOS installation-based workflows

MacTech Conference 2017 Links

GregN

Here are some links from my presentation at MacTech Conference 2017, “Imaging is Dead: Now What?”

Der Flounder, “Imaging will be dead soonish”: https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2017/01/10/imaging-will-be-dead-soon-ish/

AutoDMG: https://github.com/MagerValp/AutoDMG

Imagr: https://github.com/grahamgilbert/imagr

DeployStudio: http://www.deploystudio.com

Apple, “Upgrade macOS on a Mac at your institution”: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208020

Apple, “APFS and Imaging”: https://help.apple.com/deployment/macos/#/apd545ec8b69

createbootvolfromautonbi.py: https://github.com/munki/macadmin-scripts/blob/master/createbootvolfromautonbi.py

Erik Gomez, Custom DEP series: http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/03/08/Custom-DEP-Part-1-An-Introduction/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/03/08/Custom-DEP-Part-2-Creating-a-custom-package-and-deploying-Munki/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/03/08/Custom-DEP-Part-3-Best-Practices/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/03/08/Custom-DEP-Part-4-The-Future/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/04/05/Custom-DEP-Part-5-Dynamic-InstallApplication/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/04/27/Custom-DEP-Part-6-Vendor-Announcement-and-Presentation/
http://blog.eriknicolasgomez.com/2017/07/27/Custom-DEP-Part-7-Getting-started-with-AirWatch-9.1.3/

Victor Vranchan, Munkiing around with DEP: https://groob.io/posts/dep-micromdm-munki/

MacTech Conference 2017 Links

Stupid Tricks with createOSXinstallPkg and VMware Fusion

GregN3 Comments

Like many people tasked with managing OS X/macOS machines, I use VMware Fusion to do a lot of testing. Fusion enables me to test in various versions of OS X, and to easily make changes and revert to a prior state. It’s a great tool.

For some of the testing I do, it’s important to be able to quickly and easily build a VM that is configured just like the “real” machines I manage. There are a few way to do that. Since we build our machines by booting into a NetBoot image and using Graham Gilbert’s excellent Imagr (https://github.com/grahamgilbert/imagr) to restore an image, it’s great that we can also boot Fusion VMs from a NetBoot image.

Continue reading “Stupid Tricks with createOSXinstallPkg and VMware Fusion” →

Stupid Tricks with createOSXinstallPkg and VMware Fusion

Setting up server-side resources for Imagr testing

GregN, 2 Comments

Imagr requires a web server (or servers) to get its workflows, images to restore, and packages to install.

In an earlier post, I described setting up an existing DeployStudio NBI for Imagr testing.

If you are testing Imagr, or even better, hoping to help with its development, you’ll need to configure a test server.

You’ll need a web server, and a way to get some files on it. I just used my existing Munki repo web server. I created a new folder called “testing” and copied a few packages into it. (For first-boot install, Imagr currently supports only flat packages. For immediate install, bundle packages are OK if they are at the root of a disk image/.dmg file.).

Next, create a configuration plist. There’s an example here: https://github.com/grahamgilbert/imagr#the-configuration-plist. Here’s another:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
  <key>password</key>
  <string>40e78b0d11c553be61645796fdb9438271a23ed8b4aadb253a9222c6e4c861e2dbc75139000b0709fc0c5ad66b0f2573e38a72a8f629e270e59530fc3159d8e4</string>
  <key>workflows</key>
  <array>
    <dict>
      <key>name</key>
      <string>Munki Bootstrap</string>
      <key>description</key>
      <string>Installs the required pkgs to begin a Munki bootstrap on restart.</string>
      <key>components</key>
      <array>
        <dict>
            <key>type</key>
            <string>package</string>
            <key>url</key>
            <string>http://munki/repo/testing/DA_adminaccount_1.5.pkg</string>
            <key>pre_first_boot</key>
            <true/>
        </dict>
        <dict>
            <key>type</key>
            <string>package</string>
            <key>url</key>
            <string>http://munki/repo/testing/DisableSetupAssistant.pkg</string>
            <key>pre_first_boot</key>
            <true/>
        </dict>
        <dict>
            <key>type</key>
            <string>package</string>
            <key>url</key>
            <string>http://munki/repo/testing/munkitools-2.2.4.2431.pkg</string>
            <key>pre_first_boot</key>
            <true/>
        </dict>
        <dict>
            <key>type</key>
            <string>package</string>
            <key>url</key>
            <string>http://munki/repo/testing/munki_kickstart.pkg</string>
            <key>pre_first_boot</key>
            <true/>
        </dict>
      </array>
    </dict>
  </array>
</dict>
</plist>

The password is a hash for “LETMEIN”; you can certainly generate your own as explained here: https://github.com/grahamgilbert/imagr#password

The various URLs point to the pkgs I copied into the testing folder in my Munki repo share. Adjust as needed.

I saved this plist in the same folder as the testing pkgs as “testing.plist”. (Boring, I know.)
Make sure you can open it in a web browser before you continue — in my case it’s available
at http://munki/repo/testing/testing.plist

We are now done with the server config.

Boot a test client into the DeployStudio NBI that was configured as in my earlier post.

Open the Terminal.app.
We need to tell Imagr how to find the configuration plist, so:

defaults write com.grahamgilbert.Imagr serverurl http://munki/repo/testing/testing.plist

Make sure you replace the URL with the actual URL to the config plist you created.

Now launch Imagr:

/private/var/tmp/DSNetworkRepository/testing/Imagr.app/Contents/MacOS/Imagr

And bask in your success (or grumble at your failure…)

Setting up server-side resources for Imagr testing