Streamline Mac install???

[truehybridx]

In the windows world i think its called streamlining, you dump the original install cd somewhere on the desktop and point the service pack installer at it, then make a new image from that.

Is there any way to do this with Mac OSX install images?

I would like to take my 10.7 and 10.8 images and have the combo updates preinstalled for when i need to restore my harddrive

**Another useful thing would be able to have applications preinstalled but I'm not sure how feasible that it

 

[GGJstudios]

In the windows world i think its called streamlining, you dump the original install cd somewhere on the desktop and point the service pack installer at it, then make a new image from that.

Is there any way to do this with Mac OSX install images?

I would like to take my 10.7 and 10.8 images and have the combo updates preinstalled for when i need to restore my harddrive

**Another useful thing would be able to have applications preinstalled but I'm not sure how feasible that it

Why not simply install and configure everything the way you want it, including any applications you want, then use Carbon Copy Cloner to create a bootable clone of your drive?

 

[Mal]

You mean slipstream. It's not possible via any methods I've found or tried, although GGJstudios suggestion of a bootable clone is useful for that actually. I've intended to test using the System Image Utility that is part of OS X Server to do something like that, but I don't know if it will work or not, and whether the image could be used locally instead of for NetBoot (which is what it's designed for). If I ever get around to it, I'm going to give it a try and I can let you know.

jW

 

[Weaselboy]

In the windows world i think its called streamlining, you dump the original install cd somewhere on the desktop and point the service pack installer at it, then make a new image from that.

Is there any way to do this with Mac OSX install images?

I would like to take my 10.7 and 10.8 images and have the combo updates preinstalled for when i need to restore my harddrive

**Another useful thing would be able to have applications preinstalled but I'm not sure how feasible that it

You don't need to do this with OS X. Each time the OS is updated the OS installer you download from the App Store is updated to the latest version.

So, for example, if you first downloaded Mountain Lion 10.8.0 from the app store the day it came out and used that to make yourself a USB key installer... then later Apple releases 10.8.1 and 10.8.2... the app store download would be updated to match the current version. So today if you download the entire 4.7GB app image from the app store and made a USB key installer out of it, you would have a 10.8.2 OS installer. Apple usually updates the app store version within a couple days of an update release.

If you always want to have a current installer, just redownload from the app store after each OS point release and recreate your USB key or install DVD.

You can use this free app to make the USB key or DVD installer for you after you DL the installer.

 

[truehybridx]

Why not simply install and configure everything the way you want it, including any applications you want, then use Carbon Copy Cloner to create a bootable clone of your drive?

I try doing that, but that method doesnt scale well for 3 machines :/
But i get what ya'll are saying, i just dont like having to redownload 4GB everytime Apple fixes something in the OS when a combo update for it is 1/3 of that :/

 

[colourfastt]

You can go to the Apple support site and download the combo updates to an external. That way when you do a reinstall you can apply the updates from the external drive, i.e., no downloading.