InstallerChoices Discussion.markdown

Our Initial Question:

Q. What is the equivalent of a "Kickstart" (or preseed) file in OS X? What file can you create with OS X that would customize an OS X Install AT, or before, Install-time?

• My initial thought was the InstallerChoices.xml file - but as far as I'm aware that file isn't 'read' by the OS X Installer during Installation - it has to be submitted as an argument.

Greg responded to me with the below:

"Yes, I suppose the ChoiceChangesXML file (of whatever name) is the closest analogue of the Kickstart file.

You could create a workflow that curled an InstallerChoices.xml file and used it to install; there's no way to get Apple's Installer to do that for you that I know of. But if you are using disk-free NetBooting, you can do almost anything at that point."

There are articles here, and here on Netbooting from Linux machines. Ohad Levy is the author of a tool called The Foreman http://theforeman.org and is possibly looking at rolling this solution into The Foreman. What might be the best way to do this?

Feel free to comment below:

When the OS X installer is running, early on there are messages in the logs like:

Opening OSInstall automation file '/Volumes/xxx/Mac OS X Install Data/minstallconfig.xml
/Volumes/xxx/Mac OS X Install Data/MacOSXInstaller.choiceChanges file found.
Applied choice changes from /Volumes/xxx/Mac OS X Installer.choiceChanges

So there's definitely a file or two that the installer reads to determine exactly what to install.

Python vs ruby : my brain can hold only so many scripting languages at one time. Python has pushed out Perl in my brain for the most part. I worry what Ruby might push out that I'll still need...

I would argue that Pyton did you a favor :) Let's see if we can't get Ruby to kill a couple of Fortran brain cells...