Neboot, 10.5.2 image from OSX Tiger Server fails to new macbooks

Question

(I apologize in advance, I looked through several threads but could not find answer
to my situation. I also apologize because I tried to get help at the Bombich forum,
but an admin marked it "solved", when in fact it isn't.
Thus I turn to the Apple faithful for help with this matter.)
Using NetRestore 3.4.3, and I'm imaging MacBook (early 2008) labs,
with 26 MBs in them.
How I Do it: I get one MB, and using Leopard from OEM, I then patch
up to Leo 10.5.2/QT 7.4.5/Safari 3.1 and I install the elementary apps
necessary ( Kid Pix 3, Kidspiration 2, and Nystrom).
I also install Office 2004, patched up to 11.4.1, and iWorks 08.
I verify the image is correct, and then firewire connect the MB
to my Master machine, a MBP running 10.5.2 and NetRestore 3.4.3.
I then create the NetRestore image from the MB, and then create the NetInstall
nbi for the image. I then copy the items from the MBP to my imaging server,
a PPC iMac running OS X Server 10.4.11, via FW.
I then set the Netboot options in the Server, and reboot the server for good measure.
I then start hooking up the 25 MBs into a Cisco 2950 switch, which the
Server is hooked into. I then boot all machines into NetBoot ( cmd-n)
and image ( slowly) all the machines.
The Problem:
Once the images have been created on the machines, and after reboot,
I then log into as the local admin, then set the server binding.
Once the binding is complete, I log out, and then verify the binding sticks.
I then log in as a managed user.
This is where the image "breaks". The managed user becomes locked out
of most Universal apps, and apps that should run under Rosetta,
come up with their icons changed to the "ghostbusters circle"
(Circle with line through it), and give the error " This application cannot run
due to it not being supported on this architecture".
However, if I log back in as local admin, the applications act as normal.
Also, if I log in or log out as a managed user, the system often hangs,
either at login or logout, leaving me with just the Leopard space screen,
and will sometimes force me to force quit the
system to get it to respond again.
Contacting Apple, their only suggestion was to start again, but to use SUI
from a Leopard Server Disc, which I didn't have but they were nice enough
to send to me anyway, and create the NetBoot off of that.
I decided however to give NetBoot one more try, and tried it again,
this time making sure I repaired permissions on the original image
(MB) before making the NetBoot image in NR 3.4.3.
I still recieve the same problems afterwards.
I then did a test in which I created both a second local admin account and
a local standard account, and both acted like a managed account:
apps could not be used, "ghostbuster circles" and log in/ log out hangs.
I'm hesitant to use Leopard SIU, because I read all the reports of it's slowness,
but is there something in 10.5.2 that breaks Netbooting?
I've had no problems with Tiger Images in the past, so I'm pretty sure
i got my steps down.
Update in my testing :
Today I decided to try and troubleshoot the image again, so this time
I took the existing MacBook I used to make the image from,
and I re-installed the problematic applications again,
as well as delete the secondary admin and the standard user
from my config, as I would add these later after the computers
have been imaged.
I then ran fix disc permissions on the image drive, and now I am using
Net Restore 3.4.4, to remake the image andwhen done, I will re- create
the nbi for the netinstall.
I will test out the image shortly to see if it will work.
ok, follow-up:
after completing my new image and re-creating through NetRestore 3.4.4,
as well as new nbi's, I copied them over FireWire to my OS X Tiger .4.11 Server.
Set Netboot in Server Admin, made the Leopard image the default, restarted
the server.
Attached a new MacBook IC2D 2.4ghz to my Cisco Switch that the Server is on,
and attempted NetBoot.
Net Restore came on and began it's duty. 36 mins later, the image was on,
verified, and the machine was rebooting.
Upon reboot, I logged into the MacBook, as the primary admin,
and verified the UniBi apps and the PPC apps would launch correctly.
I then created the Standard account ( Student) on the machine,
and the logged out and then back in as Student to test.
All Privalges for Student were correct, and the UniBi and PPC apps functioned
correctly.
I then logged out as Student , back in as Primary Admin ( me) and then
went to System Prefs and created the Secondary Admin (Teacher) for
the machine.
I then logged out as Primary Admin, and then logged in as Secondary
Admin, and verified the UniBi and PPC apps would launch.
I then recieved the "This App is not supported under this architecture"
error with the UniBi and PPC apps under this secondary admin.
I logged out, and then logged back in as Primary Admin (me), and everything
still was working correctly under my account.
I then trashed the Secondary Admin ( Teacher), and created a new secondary admin
(called simply School).
I then logged out as Primary Admin, logged in as School, and same errors
occur, "This App is not supported under this architecture"
error with the UniBi and PPC apps.
I then called one of the PPC app makers Tech Support to see if they had seen
anything like this under Leopard.
Of course they hadn't, but after digging around, we decided to try this fix:
Logged in as Primary Admin, I did a get info on the folder of the app
that was" breaking".
I then added the Secondary Admin to the Get Info panel and gave them
a full ride ( rw) privalges to the folder. I then told the Panel to
push them down ( propagate) to all children within the folder, including the app.
I then closed out of the Panel, logged out as admin, and then logged in
as Secondary admin. I then tested the app, and success, it launched
perfectly!!!
So at this point, I would say there is something more to the point
problematic with Leopard .5.2 's ability to distinguish privileges
to non Leopard based apps. Apps like the iLife 08 suite, and
iWorks 08 didn't exhibt any of the problems I saw with Unibi
and PPC apps under the secondary admin account; they worked as they should.
At this point, I will add this "fix" to my list of drudgery that I do
in finalization of the machine, like setting binding to the local
OS X Server for Managed Accounts, which is next on my list to test,
as that is also problematic with these Leopard .5.2. installs.
Ok, so in part two to continue with my problems
with 10.5.2 image and using NetRestore 3.4.4:
I took the image out to test in a wide deployment.
So with my same Tiger Server having the image,
and my trusty Cisco 2950 switch,
I set up 8 Macbooks to begin the deployment.
The first four I turned on and got connected to the
Server and they began to Netboot fine.
MacBooks five through 8, I then tried to boot them up
and get them in line to begin netbooting, but after taking up to
10 minutes to connect to the server, they all came up with the following
error:
"You do not have read privileges to the source image. Please check
the permissions on the image and try again."
The first four were still imaging just fine, the next four would just hang
at that error message.
So I waited for one to completely finish out of the first four,
and when it did, I tried to netboot one of the second group
of four, and after 10 minutes, it connected and began it's process.
I then tried another in the second group of four, and got the same
"privileges on image" error.
So what gives?
Why can I only do four machines at a time? I know the image is
fine and its permissions are ok, because I can do four machines
at a time. It's when I try to do more than that then the problem
occurs.
Is this a Leopard issue or a Net Restore 3.4.4. issue?
Well, just for grins, I put a PPC eMac onto the CISCO 2950,
and attempted a Netboot from it with the Leopard Universal image,
just to see if it would mount ( the emac is 700 mhz, so it would not
support Leopard anyway).
It attempted Netboot, but came back with the same
"cannot read the disc image error" as seen on the
MacBooks.
But the image worked fine on the first four MacBooks,
only when I attempted to NetBoot #5 did it cause the error.
Could trying to put on that fifth Macbook corrupted the image somehow?
or the NBI?

Answer 1

While patiently waiting to see if anyone else is having my same issues,
I tried a Firewire hookup to my 10.4 server directly
of Macbooks 5 and 6, and tried a Netrestore through Firewire to the Macbooks
off the same image in my NetBootSp0's Resources/Disc Image folder,
and it restored fine to both , with only one error, that came up when it
tried to auto-restart, but I suspect that having to do with it
being unable to shut down the 10.4.11 Server more than anything else.
So:
1. the Image is valid, I can firewire restore from it at the server level
no problem.
2. It did do four MacBooks before saying it was "corrupted" and
"Could not read the image".
3. The Machines all boot into the Leopard NetBoot screen just fine
through the Cisco 2950 switch, and get the nbi to bring up, but
at the point it should auto run, it throws up the "corrupted" and
"Could not read the image" errors.
Unfortunately, I am under a deadline to image 540 MacBooks within the
next 30 days, and my patience is wearing thin......