Imaging Your eMacs and other G4s Using NetRestore and a FireWire Drive

For Use with White eMacs, Titanium PowerBooks, G4 Towers, G4 iBooks
This same process can be followed for using your own custom image or installing a standard district image.

For this process you will need the following equipment and supplies:

One FW Drive containing your image(s) with at least one partition bootable with OS X. (supplied)

Note: FW and USB drives used for this imaging process must be formatted as Mac Drives.
Step 1

Preparation

For Imaging eMacs that CAN be booted from FW drives (eMacs, G4 Towers, G4 PowerBooks, G4 iBooks)

Have one FW drive w/cable ready. This drive must be bootable from OS X and also contain your image(s).
Step 2

Boot the Mac

 a. Plug the FW drive into the computer to be imaged using the supplied FW cable.

b. Boot this computer, while holding down the "Option" key. This allows you to select the drive and operating system from which to boot your computer.

c. When the selection window appears(icon), select the OS X Boot HD drive. Your computer will now boot from your FW drive.
Step 3

Setup

NetRestore

 Now that the target computer has booted from the FW Drive:
a. Launch NetRestore from the Dock.
b. This window will appear.

c. In the NetRestore window change the settings in the check boxes to match those shown at the right.

Note: To determine the Source path for the image on your FW drive, locate the image and drag it to the Source window until a tiny + symbol appears inside a green circle and then release your mouse button. Or Brouse to the location of your source image and select it.

Note: The Target drive you select will be the hard drive on your target Mac. The name may vary from that shown in this example.
Step 4

Begin the Imaging Process

 a. If the padlock is closed and Restore is grayed out, click the lock, and enter the Teacher's administrative password. See training notes.

b. Finally click the Restore button to begin the imaging process.

c. The progress bar should show a blue striped barber pole as it sets up the process. When a successful link to the remote image is established, a solid blue progress bar should appear.

Note: This process can take from 5 minutes to 10 minutes based upon your image size. Upon completion, your target computer will reboot using the new SW image.

Step 5

Modify Student and Teacher User Accounts
 a. Upon successful imaging, your computer should boot into the student account. There is no password for the Student user account.

b. Log-in as "Teacher." Check your training notes for the Teacher account password. Set up AppleTalk Printer.mov or an IP Printer.mov.

c. Rename the computer in System Preferences/Sharing.

d. For Macs to be used by teachers, set up Lotus Notes and ClassXP.

Step 6

Document Campus Modifications

 a. When finished with these modifications, modify the image as needed for your campus' customized needs. Reboot the Computer and test all of your changes. Make additional modifications as needed.

b. Record your campus modifications on the Software Specifications Document located in the Users/Shared/ directory. This document is meant to reside in the Users/Shared/ directory with an Alias to it located on the Teacher user's desktop to inform teachers of the SW and other features on their computer. This document when completed can be remotely distributed to all reimaged campus computers using Apple's Remote Desktop Administration Utility (A topic for another training session).

g4_osx_imaging.html updated 10/28/05 - sj