The Multiple Catalog Thing

[tristan_mason]

I was just flipping through some of the posts and I saw people referring to using multiple catalogs and cascading them (I guess) as opposed to putting everything in a single catalog as I have been doing. I’m totally in the dark as to how to implement this. I can see why you might do it but no idea how. Can anyone shed some light on this?

Cheers

Tris

[tristan_mason]

oh yes i know, i really should get out more often…

[bw38]

As I understand it, it’s about optimizing your workflow and really making it easier to modify and create new images in the future.

For example my work flow consists of catalog files in the following order:
10.6_vanilla -> iLife 09 -> Base_Settings -> CompanyBaseSoftware -> LabSoftware

In Base_Settings, I keep CreateUser and ClearReg. I’m hoping to include firstboot.pkg as well but haven’t tested it out since I had problems with it a few weeks ago (I have to try the recommendations, just isn’t a priority right now).

Under CompanyBaseSoftware, I keep applications like FireFox, GIMP, Flash, Flip4Mac, Office2011, VLC Player, The Unarchiver, and Text Wrangler. I hope to include SPSS19 as well, but haven’t gotten around to testing the silent authentication installer that was recommended in a previous thread.

Under LabSoftware, I keep Final Cut Studio 3, Adobe CS5, and BBEdit 9.

The idea here is that at any point I can simply decide to build my image from CompanyBaseSoftware while easily ignoring LabSoftware. If I were doing this from one single catalog, I’d have to erase programs every time I wanted to make a change or create a specific image for someone.

I have to admit I’m not necessarily doing it this way right now. I’m more focused on getting applications packaged then optimizing the work flow. That’s easily done in a few minutes.

Hope that helps.

[tristan_mason]

Thanks for that but i’m still unsure how, functionally you use multiple catalogs to produce a single DMG in the output folder? How in the terminal do I run 3 catalogs one after the other to produce a single DMG file?

Cheers

Tristan

[tristan_mason]

or maybe i have a totally wrong idea of it???

[dead2sin]

[QUOTE][u]Quote by: tristan_mason[/u][p]Thanks for that but i’m still unsure how, functionally you use multiple catalogs to produce a single DMG in the output folder? How in the terminal do I run 3 catalogs one after the other to produce a single DMG file?

Cheers

Tristan[/p][/QUOTE]

This covers how to do multiple catalog files: [url]http://osxdeployment.com/wiki/InstaUp2Date_Guide#Making_the_catalog_files[/url]

Specifically pay attention to this bit at the top of that catalog file:

[code]include-file: 10.6_vanilla.catalog
[/code]

And you can chain them together:

[code]include-file: common.catalog
[/code]

So you string them along as such. in BW’s example, Labsoftware would have include-file: CompanyBaseSoftware.catalog. CompanyBaseSoftware would contain include-file: Base_Settings. And so on until you get back to 10.6_vanilla.

Nate

[tristan_mason]

[QUOTE][u]Quote by: dead2sin

Specifically pay attention to this bit at the top of that catalog file:

[code]include-file: 10.6_vanilla.catalog
[/code]

And you can chain them together:

[code]include-file: common.catalog
[/code]

So you string them along as such. in BW’s example, Labsoftware would have include-file: CompanyBaseSoftware.catalog. CompanyBaseSoftware would contain include-file: Base_Settings. And so on until you get back to 10.6_vanilla.

Nate[/p][/QUOTE]

As always, genius. I read the guide but totally overlooked that line of code. Now I fully understand chaining the catalogs and why. Makes perfect sense to use the vanilla’s as they get updated via the svn. Thanks a bunch. Bit of a Eureka moment here…

Regards

Tristan

[tristan_mason]

I feel like a right plonker now, seeing how easy it is. Am just baking one now using this method. Woot!

Bows most humbly…

Tristan

[Author]

Posts