[Casper] Deploy Studio

Thu Feb 5 14:40:56 PST 2009

On Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 5:28 PM, Thomas Larkin <tlarki at kckps.org> wrote:

> if the hard drive is renamed from "Macintosh HD" casper can't find it.

The name of the target disk isn't important to Casper Imaging, but I believe
it does have to exist before you start your imaging process.  For example,
you can have a target volume of "My Obscurely Named Volume".  You can use
"before" scripts to repartition your internal disk(s), create RAIDs, etc.,
but there will have to be a volume called "My Obscurely Named Volume" to
begin with in order for Casper Imaging to target it.

If JAMF were to change this behavior, however, you'll lose some
idiot-proofing.  As it stands, you can't target a volume that doesn't exist
(unless you flub your "before" scripts and destroy that volume without
recreating it).

> I too, would like the ability to have a completely zero'd out hard drive
> and be able to create partitions on the fly, choosing my own file system
> (HFS+, HFS+J, NTFS, ext3, UFS, ZFS, so on) chopping up the drive in
> partitions and then laying it down before the imaging process, then even
> possibly run the bless command as a post image option or lay down a
> different OS be it Linux or Windows, and lastly possibly even configuring a
> boot loader or what not.

I believe you can do all of this via scripting (you may need 3rd party
utilities on your restore partition/utility drive/netboot image if you want
to work with filesystems that Apple doesn't support out of the box).  GUIs
are nice though.

----------
Miles A. Leacy IV

 Certified System Administrator 10.4
 Certified Technical Coordinator 10.5
 Certified Trainer
Certified Casper Administrator
----------
voice: 1-347-277-7321
miles.leacy at themacadmin.com
www.themacadmin.com

On Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 5:28 PM, Thomas Larkin <tlarki at kckps.org> wrote:

> The one thing that irks me, is that if the hard drive is renamed from
> "Macintosh HD" casper can't find it.  I too, would like the ability to have
> a completely zero'd out hard drive and be able to create partitions on the
> fly, choosing my own file system (HFS+, HFS+J, NTFS, ext3, UFS, ZFS, so on)
> chopping up the drive in partitions and then laying it down before the
> imaging process, then even possibly run the bless command as a post image
> option or lay down a different OS be it Linux or Windows, and lastly
> possibly even configuring a boot loader or what not.
>
> Right now GParted comes to mind since its free, open source, and supports a
> very large base of file systems.
>
> ___________________________
> Thomas Larkin
> TIS Department
> KCKPS USD500
> tlarki at kckps.org
> blackberry:  913-449-7589
> office:  913-627-0351
>
>
>
> >>> John Wetter <john_wetter at hopkins.k12.mn.us> 02/05/09 4:08 PM >>>
> Hi Dustin,
>
> An interesting take.   When I was listening to the presentation, to me it
> just sounded like it would be a great version of Casper Imaging utility.
>  Just for the Netboot environment to be able to graphically do all of the
> workflows we're doing with scripting right now while imaging.  I could
> definitely see this for the imaging of being able to build the job of
> formatting, installing, patching, etc.
>
> I think the one thing lost on a good amount of the audience is that
> everything Deploy Studio does is one little corner of what Casper does.  I
> can see huge value in it making Casper Imaging easier, but still just a
> little corner.  I heard one person behind me say "Why do we need Casper
> now?"  So, it sounds like there's still some education out there as far as
> really managing Macintosh computers.  I guess it's a case of where EDU is
> just moving a little slower than everyone else and not wanting to admit that
> we're enterprise environments.
>
> -John
>
>
> On 2/5/09 2:54 PM, "Dorey, Dustin" <Dustin.Dorey at district196.org> wrote:
>
> Ok so I just got back from that apple event and they demoed Deploy Studio,
> and I'd like to point out that he compared it to NetRestore but made a point
> to say it does not replace Casper.
> In any case for what it is, it is really really nice.  A huge improvement
> on Netrestore and shares a lot of similarities with casper in an imaging way
> only, you know without the management, package building, remote tools  and
> inventory pieces.   Unfortunately they did not talk about pxe booting
> non-apple hardware or anything that didn't involve building stuff off of
> anything but apple hardware.   He did mention that there is now a Wiki for
> documentation.  So maybe that will grow.
>
> Hey JAMF if you're reading this, one thing that was cool was the
> partitioning was built into the workflow and it supported partitioning for
> os x, windows, and Linux pre laying down the image.   Any way to get
> preflight disk utility functions built into casper w/o having to script it?
> -Dusty-
> Dustin Dorey
> Technology Support Cluster Specialist
> ISD 196 Apple Valley, Eagan, Rosemount
> dustin.dorey at district196.org
> 952|423|7971
>
>
>
> From: casper-bounces at list.jamfsoftware.com [mailto:
> casper-bounces at list.jamfsoftware.com] On Behalf Of Thomas Larkin
> Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 3:23 PM
> To: casper at list.jamfsoftware.com
> Subject: [Casper] Deploy Studio
>
> has anyone looked at this?  While I don't see anything it does that Casper
> Doesn't, it does do one really neat thing.   I supports PXE booting.  So,
> you can feasibly have PC clients netboot (or PXE boot as they call it) to it
> and image Windows or Linux to them.  This sounds very interesting for mixed
> client environments.  While, I have not played with it yet, I was curious if
> anyone on the list has used it with Casper or what not.
>
>
> I mean if I could also use one server technology to image all of our
> Windows clients, that would be kind of neat.  You could then have one Xserve
> do it all.  Casper does have some, unsupported, but working tools to image
> Windows on a Mac.  I have used them and they do work.
>
>
> I have way too much on my plate to even attempt looking at Deploy Studio,
> however, if anyone else has tinkered with it, what are your thoughts?  I was
> thinking if possible down the road I may run Deploy studio on my Xserves in
> each building for netboot and imaging the PCs only, and then keep Casper for
> the Macs.  I really like the auto run data and would not want to give that
> up.
>
>
> http://www.deploystudio.com/Home.html <
> http://www.deploystudio.com/Home.html>
>
>
> Thoughts?  Experiences?
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
> ___________________________
> Thomas Larkin
> TIS Department
> KCKPS USD500
> tlarki at kckps.org
> blackberry:  913-449-7589
> office:  913-627-0351
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> John Wetter
> Technology Support Administrator
> Educational Technology, Media & Information Services
> Hopkins Public Schools
> 952-988-5373
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Casper at list.jamfsoftware.com
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>
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