NetInstall

I have successfully created NetInstall images and have been installing them via the network!

I was having major problems getting going, as I got errors creating images (with System Image Utility) and with configuring and starting up NetBoot (on Leopard server). With a bit of perseverance and trial and error, I've managed it.

Firstly, making an image was a troublesome. I built my iMac by installing and configuring it to a state where I wanted this to be my image (for installing other iMacs). So following the scant Apple instructions, I installed Server Utilities on this iMac and used System Image Utility to make the image. The first attempt went well, but for some strange reason, subsequent attempts failed again and again (see this thread).

I gave up doing it this way, and obtained an external firewire HDD. I plugged this into my iMac and used Disk Utility to make an image of the iMac's HDD (using the restore facility). Once I had this on my external HDD, I attached it to my Leopard server, and proceeded to use System Image Utility on the server itself. Low and behold, the image is created properly...

Secondly, I had lots of problems trying to start up the NetBoot service on Leopard server. Initially, the problems were related to the fact that my NetInstall images weren't created properly, but once I had this solved, I still had problems...

The solution was, once the image has been successfully created I had to move them into the following directory for the NetBoot service to recognise the images:

/Library/NetBoot/NetBootSP0

Once done the NetInstall image(s) appear, and then I can start the NetBoot service!