Using Mac OS X Lion Server

Using NetInstall

As mentioned earlier in the chapter, NetInstall is a tool used to create a custom installer of Mac OS X that is hosted from a centralized server. The NetInstall image, at creation time, will have a number of automations associated with it. These automations are capable of setting up network settings, installing software, renaming computers, and running scripts (which in turn gives unlimited potential to what can be done).

As with NetBoot, the first step with NetInstall is to build the image.

Building a NetInstall Image

To get started with building your NetInstall image, you will first need the Lion installer, available on the App Store. Once downloaded, you won’t need to run the installer; instead, just leave it in the /Applications directory where it automatically downloads. You can also download it and then save the Install Mac OS X Lion installer on a hard drive, so that you can copy it to the /Applications directory of the system you will be running System Image Utility on. With the installer in your /Applications directory (therefore, before you actually install Lion), open System Image Utility.

Next, we’ll create the Network Disk Image. When the Install Mac OS X Lion installer is in the /Applications directory, the option for NetInstall Image will be available when you open System Image Utility. Click on Install Mac OS X Lion in System Image Utility sidebar (under Sources) and then click on the radio button for NetInstall Image. Once NetInstall image has been ...