Reformat and Reinstall - can I make updating OSX easier?

The easiest way is probably just to download the Combo updater from Apple and just install it immediately after OSX is installed. You can get the Combo updater from: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL959

A Combo updater will include all fixes that have been released to the date of the latest point release, so make sure you run Software Updater once the Combo is installed so you can check for any mid-point-release updates.

 

It seems you already have what you need, but for the record:

There are three ways of getting an up-to-date install to put on computers, both involve a bit of work, and are probably not worth doing for a single computer, but may be worth it for large groups of computers.

1) You can make a read/write image (dmg) of your 10.6.0 install disk, then put the extra packages into /System/Installation/Packages. Then you will need to take apart /System/Installation/Packages/OSInstall.mpkg using something like Pacifist (or using the command line tool xar to uncompress it to get the details), and build your own package that has all the same referenced sub-packages, and replace this into the image (must be the same name). Then you burn that image (double sided discs), and you have what you want.

2) You can do the same thing as #1, but use System Image Utility (part of MacOS X Server Admin Tools, a free download that does not require a 'Server license). Then you build a NetInstall set including your extra packages (hit "Customize" to do this). Once that has processed you go into the resulting .nbi set and open up the NetInstall.dmg inside that. In that image at /System/Installation/Packages/System.dmg is the image you want. However, I have had some mixed luck getting this to work as a bootable image. There may be some step I am missing here.

3) The third way is that rather than producing a "slipstreamed" installer, you produce a restorable volume, and then restore that. There are three methods of doing this: System Image Utilities' NetRestore using a installer DVD as the source, Using JAMF Software's Casper Imaging Suite's "Compiled Image" option, or using InstaDMG. Since I am the current developer of InstaDMG I will talk about that one. There you only need 4 steps to produce your image, but it is going to take about 3 hours:

a) Put your 10.6.0 disc in the DVD drive.

b) Run this command:

Code:

svn checkout http://instadmg.googlecode.com/svn/trunk instadmg

c) Run this command:

Code:

sudo ./instadmg/AddOns/InstaUp2Date/importDisk.py --automatic --legacy

d) Run this command:

Code:

sudo ./instadmg/AddOns/InstaUp2Date/instaUp2Date 10.6_vanilla --process

At the end of that final run your image will be in the OutputFiles folder inside the instadmg folder. When restored and booted the computer will go through the usual first-run series (including the movie and asking for the first user's information). The big difference is that it will restore in about 10 minutes rather than the 40+ minutes typical of an install.