Base images are OS/hardware-specific. In some cases, we can leverage existing installers; in others, we must use snapshots of installed systems. In either case, the idea is to get a minimal system set up to run puppetize.sh, which will take care of getting a certificate and running puppet in a loop until it succeeds.

See Puppetization Process for how a base image becomes a running instance.

CentOS 6.x with Kickstart

The bulk of a kickstart script is available in setup. Run 'make' to create the script. The top section will need a few site-specific modifications. Most of the action is in the %post section, which:

• looks for PUPPET_PASS on the kernel command line, and stores it in /root/deploypass
• installs minimal packages
  • Using a possibly site-specific yum-repo location (under http://repos/repos/)
• installs puppetize.sh and sets it to run on boot.

The same script supports both i386 and x86_64 ISAs; the determining factor is the kernel used to run the installer.

Ubuntu with Kickstart

Ubuntu is very similar to CentOS. While it doesn't use Anaconda, it reads a kickstart profile similar to, but not exactly like, that for CentOS. Beyond those minor differences, it does the same things:

• looks for PUPPET_PASS on the kernel command line, and stores it in /root/deploypass
• installs some repos and minimal packages
• installs puppetize.sh and sets it to run on boot.

The same script supports both i386 and x86_64 ISAs; the determining factor is the kernel used to run the installer.

Mac OS X 10.9 - Mavericks

Reproducing with VMWare Fusion

• Download OS X Mavericks from the app store, but do not install it
• Using disk utility, create a new, 8GB DMG file partitioned as a CD/DVD
• Launch Terminal to show hidden files and relaunch the Finder using this defaults command string:

   defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE;\killall Finder;\say Files Revealed

• Go to the /Applications/ folder to locate the “Install OS X 10.9 Developer Preview.app” file
• Right-click and choose “Show Package Contents”, then open “Contents” and open “SharedSupport”
• Double-click to mount “InstallESD.dmg”
• Open the mounted ‘OS X Install ESD’ image, and right-click “BaseSystem.dmg” choosing “Open” to mount the image (BaseSystem.dmg is invisible by default, thus why invisible files must be made visible in the earlier step)
• Go back to Disk Utility, then select “BaseSystem.dmg” from the sidebar and then click the “Restore” tab
• With “Source” set to “BaseSystem.dmg”, set “Destination” to the volume in the empty DMG by dragging the Untitled Volume in the blang DMG, then click “Restore” to begin – confirm that contents of the drive will be erased
• When finished, go to Finder and navigate within the newly created USB drive or dmg image to System > Installation > and delete the file (alias) located here named “Packages” – keep this window open
• Go back to the ‘OS X Install ESD’ mounted drive, and drag & drop the “Packages” folder into the /System/Installation/ directory you just deleted the Packages alias from, let this large folder copy
• Once that Packages folder is finished copying to the drive, unmount everything.
• Set up a new VM to boot from DVD, and point the DVD drive to your new image
• Follow the install steps until it begins installing and reboots. You may have to shut down, remove the DVD, and re-start.
• Accept the defeault language and keyboard, skip logging with an Apple ID, and agree
• Create a new user named 'Administrator' with the kickstart password
  • uncheck "Require password to unlock screen", "Set time zone..", and "Send Diagnostics.."
• Accept the default (Cupertino) timezone
• Don't register the system
• Wait a while, and you'll end up in the Finder
• Open System Preferences -> Sharing
  • Enable:
    • Screen Sharing
    • Remote Login
• Open System Preferences -> Enery Saver
  • Move Computer sleep slider to Never
  • Move Disply sleep slider to Never
  • Disable:
    • put hard disks to sleep when possible
    • Allow power button to put computer to sleep (doesn't seem to be present, at least in Fusion)
  • Enable:
    • Wake for network access
• Shut down
• ..and capture

Capturing from VMWare Fusion

• Shut down the VM
• Duplicate the VM's .vmdk in Finder
• Add a new, existing hard disk to the VM, pointing it at the duplicate
• Boot the VM
• Fire up Disk Utility within the VM
• Click on the second "Mac OS X" hard drive
• File -> New -> Image from "Mac OS X"

Mac OS X 10.8 (12A269) - Mountain Lion

The current base image is built from installing 10.7 Lion via the recovery boot option (cmd + R) and then upgrading to 10.8 Mountain Lion through the App Store. You will need to log in to the apple developer site and redeem OS X Mountain Lion under your credentials

• Using a R5 Mac Mini, boot into OS X Lion Recovery mode

Hold down command + R during the boot process

• Once in recovery mode; launch the disk utility and remove any software raid configuration
• Erase all disks. This partitions and formats all disks
• Close disk utility and launch lion osx recovery from the menu
• Go get coffee and take a nap
• Once the recovery is complete, the system will reboot

At this point the system will have a fresh install of 10.7 OS X Lion

• walk through the setup screen and create a default user
  • default user should be 'administrator' using the current releng root/admin kickstart password
• skip all of the apple account registration screens
• At the login screen, use the 'administrator' credentials that were entered earlier
• Launch the App store using your apple developer credentials
• Search 'os x mountain lion'
• Click download under OS X Mountain Lion
  • Make sure to sign out of the app store once the download is complete
• Once the download is complete, launch the OS X Mountain Lion installer and proceed through the setup process
• Once installed, the system will reboot

The system is now upgraded and running OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion

• At the login screen, use the 'administrator' credentials that were entered earlier
• Open System Preferences -> Sharing
  • Disable:
    • Remote Management
  • Enable:
    • Screen Sharing and Remote Login
• Open System Preferences -> Enery Saver
  • Move Computer sleep slider to Never
  • Move Disply sleep slider to Never
  • Disable:
    • put hard disks to sleep when possible
    • Allow power button to put computer to sleep
  • Enable:
    • Wake for network access
• Capture the image for Deploy Studio
• Integrate into the workflows to image 10.8 systems

Mac OS X Server 10.7.2 (11C74) - Lion

• Install OS X 10.7.2 on an r4 or r5 mini
• walk through the setup screen and create a default user
  • default user should be 'administrator' using the current releng root/admin kickstart password
• skip all of the apple account registration screens
• At the login screen, use the 'administrator' credentials that were entered earlier
• Open System Preferences -> Sharing
  • Enable Screen Sharing and Remote Login
• Open System Preferences -> Enery Saver
  • Move Computer sleep slider to Never
  • Move Display sleep slider to Never
• Capture the image for Deploy Studio
• Integrate into the workflows to image 10.7.2 systems

Mac OS X 10.6.8 (10K549) - Snow Leopard

• Install OS X 10.6.4 on an r4 mini from disk.
• walk through the setup screen and create a default user
  • default user should be 'administrator' using the current releng root/admin kickstart password
• skip all of the apple account registration screens
• At the login screen, use the 'administrator' credentials that were entered earlier
• Open System Preferences -> Sharing
  • Enable Screen Sharing and Remote Login
• Open System Preferences -> Enery Saver
  • Move Computer sleep slider to Never
  • Move Display sleep slider to Never
• Apply the 10.6.8 update.
• Capture the image for Deploy Studio
• Integrate into the workflows to image 10.8.6 systems