NetSUS isn't giving clients the full catalog list

[Seven]

NetSUS is up and running. It is downloading updates, the URLs are accessible, all updates are enabled, and it seems to be properly behaving. And to keep things simple, I have one branch. It is named "root", is marked as root, and the catalog URL is http://redacted-server-name-here/content/catalogs/index_root.sucatalog

When I point a client to the NetSUS, it pulls the catalog but only sees one available update (Remote Desktop Client 3.7.1). However, if I point the client to my internal MacSUS or to Apple's SUS, there are 6 updates available. Those 6 updates are in the NetSUS catalog, marked as downloaded, and enabled.

If it were an issue with the branch or the naming scheme, I'd expect to see 0 updates available. And If I disable the RDC 3.7.1 update, the client finds 0 available, which indicates that NetSUS is working to some degree. I just can't figure out why the other updates are missing as options on the client.

This seems to be an issue with NetSUS and not the client or branch configuration, as far as I can tell.

Any ideas?

[Josh_S · Accepted solution]

Try pointing your client machines at one of these, OS specific, branches:

http://redacted-server-name-here/content/catalogs/others/index-10.9-mountainlion-lion-snowleopard-leopard.merged-1_root.sucatalog
http://redacted-server-name-here/content/catalogs/others/index-leopard.merged-1_root.sucatalog
http://redacted-server-name-here/content/catalogs/others/index-leopard-snowleopard.merged-1_root.sucatalog
http://redacted-server-name-here/content/catalogs/others/index-lion-snowleopard-leopard.merged-1_root.sucatalog
http://redacted-server-name-here/content/catalogs/others/index-mountainlion-lion-snowleopard-leopard.merged-1_root.sucatalog

Or, if this is your "Root" branch - not just named "root".

http://redacted-server-name-here/index-10.9-mountainlion-lion-snowleopard-leopard.merged-1.sucatalog
http://redacted-server-name-here/index-leopard.merged-1.sucatalog
http://redacted-server-name-here/index-leopard-snowleopard.merged-1.sucatalog
http://redacted-server-name-here/index-lion-snowleopard-leopard.merged-1.sucatalog
http://redacted-server-name-here/index-mountainlion-lion-snowleopard-leopard.merged-1.sucatalog

You can also just point your clients at http://redacted-server-name-here/index.sucatalog if you're running the most recent version, built from GitHub Repo, and it should redirect your client machines to the correct OS specific catalog. The 3.0 release has a bug that redirects to an "everything enabled" sucatalog, which is fine if you're not trying to control/limit updates and are just autoenabling everything anyway.

[JPDyson]

@Josh_S That bug is kind of a doozy. Perhaps if all you do with your SUS is host all updates locally (Um, why?) it doesn't matter...

[Josh_S]

@JPDyson: If you're pointing your client machines at a specific branch, you don't have to worry about it. It only applies to the branch marked as "root", and only if you don't specify the location of the OS specific branch.

That said, yes. That bug is a doozy. Fortunately, it's been fixed in the source and you just need to build a new installer.

1. Head over to: https://github.com/jamf/NetSUS

2. Download the repo

3. Build a new installer using CreateNetSUSInstaller.sh
4. Install
5. Grab a beer

[Seven]

@Josh_S - Thanks. That did the trick. I keep thinking Casper will automatically do a few things, such as set the correct URL path for the client. Now that I have a better grasp of where it is smart and where it isn't, in terms of automation.

I'm going to build a new version of the SUS from the repo so that we can use one URL and have the SUS reroute clients to the correct catalog.

[Josh_S]

@Seven

An update has been released for the NetSUS which addresses this bug already. If you're just trying to point your client machines at the branch marked as "root", you can just specify the server. No need to specify any branch.

Also, the NetSUS isn't really a Casper product. It is an open sourced offering that JAMF originally released to everyone who wanted a NetBoot/Software Update server option that wasn't Apple. The JSS doesn't differentiate between Apple's SUS and the NetSUS's SUS. It sets up the client machines to check in with a server. It's up to the server to figure out which branch to deliver.

Edit: No need to build your own installer, that is. You'll still need to be using the most recent pre-built installer.

[Seven]

@Josh_S Noted. Thanks for the clarification/details.