You can move an image to a client computer, customize it, and return the image to the server. This is easiest if you copy the image to an external FireWire hard drive.
Follow these steps to customize a Mac OS X NetBoot image:
1. Log on to the server as the root user. For help, see technical document 106290, "Mac OS X: About the root User and How to Enable It".
2. If you don't already have an image to customize, create a new NetBoot image from a Mac OS X installer CD using the Network Image Utility on the server. To simplify later steps, avoid using spaces in your image name.
3. On an external hard drive, set up a 2 GB partition with the same name as the image.
4. If the image file (the image.dmg file at /Library/NetBoot/NetBootSPx/image.nbi) is locked, select it in a Finder window, choose Get Info from the File menu, and deselect the Locked checkbox.
5. Use the same method to unlock the booter file that is in the .nbi folder with the image.
6. Double-click the .dmg file to mount the image, then use a file utility (such as the shareware Carbon Copy Cloner) to copy the contents of the image to the empty partition on the external disk.
7. Move the external drive to a client computer and start the client from the image partition.
8. Customize the system to suit your users. For example, you may install additional applications, configure directory services, set up user accounts, or customize the Dock. You can also install a Mac OS X update to update the system software on the client.
9. When the client is properly configured, shut down the client computer and reconnect the external disk to the server.
10. Copy the contents of the customized partition from the external disk (using Carbon Copy Cloner, for example) back into the original image on the server (image.dmg in /Library/NetBoot/NetBootSPx/image.nbi, which should still be mounted).
11. Open the Terminal (/Applications/Utilities/).
12. In this step, you will type a series of commands in the Terminal. Each command is preceded by the pound (#) sign. After typing each command, press Return. These commands update the boot files:
# cd /Library/NetBoot/NetBootSPx/image.nbi
# kextcache -l -n -m mach.macosx.mkext /Volumes/image/System/Library/Extensions
# cp /Volumes/image/usr/standalone/ppc/bootx.bootinfo booter
# cp /Volumes/image/mach_kernel mach.macosx
13. Enable the image using Server Settings.
Important software license information
In accordance with the Network Install and Mac OS X Server software license agreements, you may use the software in this manner as long as you ensure that each end user of the image files is aware of and complies with the terms of the software license(s) that governs the use of the software contained within the image files. The Network Install and Mac OS X Server software may be used to install and reproduce materials so long as your use is limited to reproduction of non-copyrighted materials, materials in which you own the copyright, or materials you are authorized or legally permitted to reproduce.
Important: Information about products not manufactured by Apple is provided for information purposes only, and does not constitute Apple's recommendation or endorsement. Please contact the vendor for additional information.
Document 17159, "
Locating Vendor Information" can help you search for a particular vendor's address and phone number.