Wednesday 26 March 2014

Staff MacBook Pro 2014 - JL 26/03/14

 Wouldn't netboot so:

Needed to create a new net boot set for DeployStudio (for mavericks 10.9.2) so:

  • downloaded DS to client and installed
  • selected 'create new boot set' and chose svr-mac-francis (although wrong login but works with correct one)
  • copied .nbi onto svr-mac-francis /library/NetbootSP0/ and enabled through netboot service on server admin (disabled other)
  • netbooted the client mac into DS on svr-mac-francis
  • cleared nvram etc
  • selected 'create master from volume'
  • created 'MacBook_Pro_2014' master
  • created a new workflow on DS on svr-mac-francis (copy of staff laptop but change step one 'restore master' to 'MacBook_Pro_2014' - new workflow = Staff MacBook pro 2014
  • reboot client and boot back into DS on svr-mac-francis
  • cleared nvram etc and format hd
  • select Staff MacBook pro 2014 workflow and run
  • after install bound manually to AD/OD and created local admin
  • ran updates
After -
standard .nbi enabled through netboot service on server admin of svr-mac-francis
(disabled Macbook Pro 2014 nbi )

Tested normal workflows and works fine

Tuesday 25 March 2014

Staff Machines Mavericks Procedure

boot onto deploy studio on svr-mac-francis

normal nvram and format options

choose 'Mavericks Staff Laptop' workflow

Post install:

  • Install any software required
  • Software & Apple Updates
  • Flash Updates
  • Remove Office (if required)
  • Add cloud printing
  • Create local user for staff (administrator) for off campus access


Tuesday 11 March 2014

Current University Mac Infrastructure


Restoring Lion Image on Mavericks Hardware

via Deploy Studio


  • First test using quick format did not work
  • Now hard drive formatting at higher level to see if removes all data on drive before trying again (takes 3 hours to format via disk utility option 3)

Update Test Using ARD and Scripts

This is the current setup and works in testing:

Deep Freeze on 2 test machines set to thaw between 0.00 and 4am every day

4 tasks on ARD



  1. Update Flash at 0.30 every day (script on http://marjonmacsupport.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/script-to-update-flash-being-tested-to.html)
  2. Check for Any Updates at 1am (script on http://marjonmacsupport.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/unix-command-to-update-via-ard.html)
  3. Install rebind package at 3am
  4. Restart Clients at 3.40 am



Thursday 6 March 2014

Refresh mcx settings from OD (group settings) via unix and ARD

sudo mcxrefresh -n ladmin

Send Unix Command via ARD to create new Deep Freeze schedule

DFXPSWD="normal" /Library/Application\ Support/Faronics/Deep\ Freeze/deepfreeze -u "admin" -p addSchedule "Software Update" -a on -d wednesday -b 18:00 -e 22:00 -o off -i on -l on -w 17:55 -m “Maintenance will begin in %d minutes.” -s off

Script to update Flash being tested to update via ARD

cat#!/bin/sh

# Script to download and install Flash Player.
# Only works on Intel systems.

# Change working directory to /tmp

/usr/bin/cd /tmp

#download flash dmg. Yes I have agreed to all of the licensing terms and am fully compliant with everything in the whole world. Add -s to curl if you hate progress meters
echo downloading

/usr/bin/curl -O http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/licensing/mac/install_flash_player_12_osx.dmg

# Mount the install_flash_player_12_osx.dmg disk image in /Volumes

echo "`date`: Mounting installer disk image."
/usr/bin/hdiutil attach install_flash_player_12_osx.dmg -nobrowse -noverify -noautoopen

echo "`date`: Installing..."

/usr/sbin/installer -dumplog -verbose -pkg "/Volumes/Flash Player/Install Adobe Flash Player.app/Contents/Resources/Adobe Flash Player.pkg" -target "/"

echo "`date`: Unmounting installer disk image."

# Clean-up

# Unmount the install_flash_player_12_osx.dmg disk image from /Volumes

/usr/bin/hdiutil eject -force /Volumes/Flash\ Player

# Remove the install_flash_player_12_osx.dmg disk image from /tmp

/bin/rm -rf /tmp/install_flash_player_12_osx.dmg