[Technical] Mac auto-updating

Roland Gesthuizen rgesthuizen at gmail.com
Sun Jul 5 16:14:38 EST 2009


G'day all,

we don't need to regularly reimage the OSX side of the Macs by using a
custom bash script that installs, configures any new Mac on the network.
Updates and patches are dead easy to deploy using Apple Remote Desktop (ARD)
that has a lot in common with Novell Zenworks that we use on the Windows
side of the network. There is another cool freeware tool called DeployStudio
that lets us remotely configure and manage multi-boot setups for both sides
and a tool called rEFIt that manages the bootup and more ..

Am running a workshop at Westall SC this term if anybody is interested in
learning how this is done or watching to get their head around the tools.
Contact me offlist. I can also put you in touch with somebody who can
advise, config and help set this up for your school. Even if you only have a
room of iMacs, this is better than wasting time walking about reimaging,
reimaging, reimaging .. until the cows come back home for milking.

Regards Roland

2009/7/3 S Sukohondono <sukohond at siena.vic.edu.au>

>  Hi Jason & everyone else,
>
>
>
> We just purchased 25 iMacs for our VisComm class using Mr Rudd’s money.
>
>
>
> With no experience in administering Macs, I was wondering what software do
> you use in re-imaging the Macs.
>
>
>
> Any info would be greatly appreciated.
>
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> Suko
>
> Siena College
>
>
>  ------------------------------
>
> *From:* tech-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:tech-bounces at edulists.com.au]
> *On Behalf Of *Jason Clarke
> *Sent:* Friday, 3 July 2009 9:55 AM
> *To:* Technical Discussion in Schools Mailing List
> *Subject:* RE: [Technical] Mac auto-updating
>
>
>
> Hi Paul,
>
>
>
> We re-image the machines each holiday period and its at that point we roll
> out the patches then. We do this because of the issue you’ve outlined
> before, we’ve bricked a few installs and had to re-image again anyway.
>
>
>
> Cheers,
>
>
>
> Jason
>
>
>
> *From:* tech-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:tech-bounces at edulists.com.au]
> *On Behalf Of *Paul Williamson
> *Sent:* Thursday, 2 July 2009 6:19 PM
> *To:* tech at edulists.com.au
> *Subject:* [Technical] Mac auto-updating
>
>
>
> Hi,
>
>
>
> Just wondering if anyone knows how to get Mac’s to automatically run their
> software updates, or if it is even possible?
>
>
>
> Currently we need to login as an administrator user and then we can open
> software update and install updates.
>
>
>
> We have an xserve which runs an Update Server, and using Workgroup Manager
> I have configured our machines to get updates from our xserve, which does
> work.
>
>
>
> Are there any settings on the xserve perhaps that will help push out the
> updates?
>
>
>
> We have Remote Desktop so can remotely push install packages etc. or run sh
> scripts… There was a command I tried to remotely run to get softwareupdate
> to run and force install everything, but this caused an imac to completely
> die and had to be reloaded, so I think I’ll avoid that one in future :-).
>
>
>
> Best regards,
>
>
>
> Paul Williamson
>
> ICT Manager
>
> Huntingtower School
>
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-- 
Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead
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