PKGImage 2.0.6
PKGImage 2.0.6 Fixed issue where the Registration Screen would not switch off from “Create ASR from Retail DVD”. Fixed Making a User a Admin user now makes a user a admin user.
PKGImage 2.0.5
PKGImage 2.0.5 Re-adds the “Create ASR from Retail DVD” option. Minor Fix to Creating users applied in the ASR and Image option.
PKGImage 2.0.4
PKGImage 2.0.4 Improves speed on images that contains very big packages.
PKGImage 2.0.3
PKGImage 2.0.3 Changes the defaults for created users. They no longer are held by default for all images (You now have to select a user per image) this prevents the accidental adding of user(s) to images just by pressing save.
Updated; ASR Image Creation.
Fixed; Search Imaged Computers from the PKGClient Tab
PKGImage 2.0.2
PKGImage 2.0.2 Released to address the problem of computers booted from a 10.6 PKGImage NetBoot Image would sleep after 10 minutes (This also applies to a manually or system built NetBoot Image). PKGImage 2.0.2 created NetBoot Image will prevent the client computer from sleeping.
PKGImage 2.0.1
PKGImage 2.0.1 Released to address a error with the “Output to ASR” function where some of the software in the list is skipped due to the .pkg not being copied correctly or a receipt error. Also address the problem of informing you that a ASR Scan is running and it has not just stopped 
.
PKGImage 2
PKGImage 2 now released
Update to site
I have updated the site to relink some of the tools. Template, Ldif and AD-Timeout all relinked
PKGImage Beta 7
I have ended up bring out PKGImage beta 7 because there were a few bug fixes that needed to be addressed.
Create Users; Bug that would not reset account if it already existed, Some Config files were not saving correctly.
Image; If the option was not checked to install PKGClient an error would be thrown (typo)
PKGBind; If updates have been run at the end of Imaging the startup on the system can be delayed causing the binding to fail through lookup failure.
PKGClient; Code cleaned up…
Added; There is now a folder on the server side called “Updates” if checking the box in the config “Updates” all mpkg/pkg files in this folder will be applied to the image. (Please note that some OS X security updates may require extracting and re-packaging, this is due to the check scripts that are run.)
XML creation from the OS X Install DVD will now output the correct options but I have not linked this to the ASR Creation as of yet…. Coming soon.
PKGImage Beta 7 (Not yet released)
Just a a quick update. Beta 7 will concentrate on the Single Deployable ASR functionality.
Working on building the ASR function to use the OS X Install DVD. This will be a GUI to create the ChoicesXML file needed for creating choosing what does and does not get installed from the OS X Install DVD to your deployable ASR. Options of turning off registration and combined with the ability to create users without having to use more than one tool and with the the ease of a click of the mouse.
I am also working on making the process faster, from modular image to final ASR.
So why add the Modular ASR?
Well part of this is that some things are better in deployment and some things in the image creation. Part of the image creation that annoys me is the cloning of the Macintosh HD to create the base ASR Image. Being able to create this from the OS X DVD make much more sense. Now I know I am not the first to do this and there are other tools out there to just this process but I really want to add this under a single tool function and not have to worry anyone with using a script or terminal command.
Another reason to add this functionality is that one of the weaknesses of PKGImage is the ability to deploy to a local drive (off the network) and I feel that this is the best way of going about rectifying this problem.
PKGImage Beta 6 now released
New in Beta 6.
Create a single ASR .dmg file of the entire modular image.
The single biggest request I am getting asked for is the ability to create a single deployable ASR Image from the the existing configs. This is a very early usable version of the code and has a couple of pauses (Mounting Image and Detaching Image), although the feedback pauses the script is still running. Latter versions will have this fixed.
It will;
Create Users and set ARD settings
Work from existing ASR files
Install all PKG/MPKG files
Set AD/OD Bindings
PKGImage Beta 4 now released
New in Beta 4.
Create multiple users as part of the image with a nice easy interface
Assign ARD permission to any user created (Just tick the settings you want on the Users you want).
Updated Netboot creation .. Updated the Perl Module if you create a Netboot image from the standard 10.6 Upgrade DVD
Minor update to PKGClient on writing logs.
PKGClient now released
Well finally managed to finish PKGClient into some kind of releasable code.
So what does it do?
Its a very small bit of code that will sit on the newly imaged client and checks up on the server every 60 minutes to see if there is a update to its image. If there are new or updated pkg/mpkg(s) PKGClient will download and install the pkg/mpkg(s) and update its image list and put a report on the server. The report is accessible through the PKGImage interface and will show, not only what clients were imaged and what was installed but also if there have been any post image installs and what using PKGClient. All Access is then time stamped and will quickly show you how many clients have updated and at what time.
PKGClient has been written not to delete anything. It will only update and add.
If you wanted PKGClient to uninstall a app an uninstall script can be added to a pkg and this can then be deployed.
Everything is logged through the console. It is only executable from Root. It can be executed via ARD (as Root).
Beta 3 Now Live
Added PKGClient
Beta 2 Now Live
Lots of updates.
Fixed all Bindings to Active Directory and Open Directory
Fixed NTP Issues
Beta 1 Going live soon
Well almost there..
Binding to Active Directory and Open Directory is now a separate program that is installed in the imaging process.
Set as a launch Daemon so no requirement to auto login or login to run the login hook.
Also now free’s up the login for other scripts..
I would like to thank every one who has sent in there support, suggestions and donations all are very much appreciated.
Update
I have been testing PKGImage 2 with 10.6.1 with a new Macbook Pro.
Netboot image created correctly (fixed to Intel only)
port from login script to standalone app has been successful.
I used Composer to create a 10.6.1 image and deployed with both PKGImage 2 and PKGImage 1.7.8 with success.
PKGImage 2 address all issues with 10.6 config creation where as 1.7.8 does NOT create or edit the configs when run on 10.6.x
Some Screen Shots of PKGImage 2
Need to update the icons.
included Time Zones, NTP etc.
Condensed the AD and OD Settings in the same page to make the configs easier.
New Look
Well a weekend of work but got there eventually. Ported from Drupal to Wordpress…
Code Update
Working on add Netinstall creation from within PKGImage from the created configs
Active Directory script re-write to a standalone app that can be called upon to join machine to AD / OD.
working on deployable ASR built image from config.
Using PKGImage 1.7.8 to deploy a 10.6 image
PKGImage 1.7.8 will deploy a OS X 10.6 ASR .dmg file and packages in the same way that it did with OS X 10.5.
Create a 10.6 ASR image with Disk Utility, Composer etc
Deploy using your current OS X 10.5.x Netboot image running on Server 10.5/4 with PKGImage 1.7.8
All previously created packages will deploy.
Active Directory and Open Directory Binding will work
Beware of a bug in OS X Client 10.6.(0 & 1) that prevents Active Directory mobile accounts working unless the account is pre-created or the “UNC Home Directory” option is ticked on.
PKGImage 2 & Snow leopard
An update on PKGImage.
Because of the changes that have taken place in PKGImage I have decided to release it as version 2. PKGImage 2 has addressed as many issues and suggestions as i could and added some great new features.
There are a couple of bits to iron out with 10.6 (Snow Leopard) to ensure that previously created config files are still created and read with backward compatibility for older versions of the software.
A redesign on the Config creation page to add many wanted features like double click to add or remove packages, NTP Server and Time Zone added, AD and OD within the config to make viewing configs simple, PKGClient select to install and many more.
Admin control over PKGClient, Imaged clients and server setup is all finished and is looking to be a great starting place for further development.
Progress….
PKGImage 2 app now running in 10.6.x without errors on config
Backward compatible with previous config’s.
Netboot 10.5.x – 10.6.x nearly finished.
Beta testers should receive a copy in the next few weeks.
More soon..
PKGImage
PKGImage 1.7.6 has now been released.
New: Local Restore.
New: SMB.
1.7.6 has just been emailed to the beta group and should be out soon. 1.7.6 has local restore so you can boot from an external HD to restore.
I am pleased to anounce that PKGImage has just gone passed 47,000 downloads.
Lots of new developments with PKGImage.
Version 1.7.0 now released.
Main new Features;
NetBoot Image creation.
ASR Image creation.
All are important features, a highly requested and much needed part for the further development of PKGImage.
The way that PKGImage creates the netboot image will be a very important feature of the future of imaging. The main System OS should be a modular install and PKGImage 1.8+ will focus on this area.
PKGClient
PKGClient has just finished the writing phase and is now in testing.
PKGClient is a small app that sits in the background and checks that the configuration on the computer is the same as the configuration on the server. If any additional .mpkg/.pkg files are added to the server side configuration file the client will download and install the updates. This is all done in the background without the user being aware or even if the computers are not logged in. This allows you to update and maintain your computers without the need to re-image or to visit. PKGClient runs on a scheduled time but can be forced to run at any time, from the local client or through an ARD/SSH command.
PKGClient will ship as an integrated part of PKGImage 1.8.
PKGAdmin
PKGAdmin is still very much under development.
This is part of PKGImage (v. 1.8) that allows you to easily control, administer and setup PKGClient. From setting up the server to changing the preferences of the image.
Combining PKGImage, PKGAdmin and PKGClient to give you a suite that will image, deploy and maintain all your OS X clients.
