Bootable USB and Imaging Questions

[jas07]

So with the GM approaching us fairly soon and not having cleared out my MBP for a while, is there a way to make a bootable USB from the latest Beta or can you only create them from the original Developer Preview.app on the MAS?

Once thats done Id like to create an image, what imaging program are the majority using?

Thanks in advance!

 

[tywebb13]

is there a way to make a bootable USB from the latest Beta

The answer is yes and no.

It depends which one you use.

Apple have been really good with the public betas releasing full installers for every beta.

But for the developer previews they only released full installers for DP1, DP2.

This is one reason I signed up to the public beta program despite the fact I already have a developer account.

I was therefore able to make bootable usbs for PB1-PB7 as well as for DP1, DP2.

Anyway to make a bootable usb for the latest beta (which is PB7) download the full installer for PB7 via a redemption code at https://beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/ or in the purchases tab in the mac app store.

Then make the bootable usb in terminal:

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra\ Public\ Beta.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra\ Public\ Beta.app --nointeraction

 

[jas07]

Thats super useful re the public beta's being full installers, thanks Tywebb13 much appreciated!

 

[tywebb13]

Actually it has since come to my attention that there is a full installer for DP7 too.

But that is not the "latest" beta. So as far as full installers are concerned you would still be better off with PB7.

I am now making a bootable installer for DP7.

Ascertaining whether there is a new beta full installer has always been a dark art. It used to be clearly revealed by the presence of new redemption codes in the dev portal for older systems. Sierra has departed from this and apple's reputation for clear-as-mud communication of such matters has gotten worse for Sierra. There have been new full installers of betas for the SAME redemption code. It has been up to developers to discover Sierra's secrets and divulge them on apple's developer forums - and we have been learning stuff by osmosis from each other rather than clear and transparent communication from apple.

Nevertheless on the grand scheme of things I would say things have actually gotten better with Sierra betas.

Despite my criticisms I would say apple have improved with the betas. For many years I said they should make combo versions of pre-release betas. And I was ignored for years. For older versions it became ridiculous when starting from say DP1 you would have to install in correct sequence all the deltas from DP2 through to DP8. Until the gms were released this became very difficult. Not such a problem for DP2 or DP3. But when DP8 came out I was supported by quite a hoard of developers in this regard. I think it has forced apple's hand that now with Sierra the pre-release beta updates come as combos so as to eliminate the ridiculousness of installing 7 deltas in sequence. That will hopefully be a thing of the past.

I have also said I want full installers for all the developer previews. Well apple have sort-of provided that, but not quite. What do I mean by that? Yes for all the public betas. But not for all the developer previews.