Deploying Software to Multiple Macs

[zirkle2007]

We finally just got an Xserve for my I.T. department and I now have the ability to hopefully deploy software over our network. I'm looking for someone who has already done this that can help me out. The software I'd like to deploy this way is Final Cut Studio. I know this is a large program to deploy, but if I can't do it this way I'm forced to manually install it on the lab computers, which is about a weeks worth of work.

I seem to have NetRestore working, but I can't figure out how to deploy the individual software installs I'd like.

Any help/advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[rezenclowd3]

I have called Apple about this, and talked to the rep for our school, and they do not recommend using Apples solution. It is buggy, and a real PITA to use properly. I use this solution instead: Link

It will not install just one piece of software, but instead a clone of a fully setup computer, pushing this "image" out to every machine you manually netboot.

 

[bartzilla]

We finally just got an Xserve for my I.T. department and I now have the ability to hopefully deploy software over our network. I'm looking for someone who has already done this that can help me out. The software I'd like to deploy this way is Final Cut Studio. I know this is a large program to deploy, but if I can't do it this way I'm forced to manually install it on the lab computers, which is about a weeks worth of work.

I seem to have NetRestore working, but I can't figure out how to deploy the individual software installs I'd like.

Any help/advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

We use a similar solution to the one rezenclowd is pointing you at. I've setup netboot and netrestore to download a base OS install that includes all the apps I want users to have. To add new 'minor' apps or to distribute updates I can use Apple Remote Desktop which you should certainly have with an Apple lab deployment.. To make major changes, I simply restore a new base image with updated apps via netboot.