downloading macOS iso installers using Terminal failed

[SheerGold]

Are you trying to make a bootable USB? Or are you trying to make an ISO from a bootable macOS install drive to then present to a Windows guest OS as a mounted disk?

If the former:

...then you're over-complicating this by a ton. Just:

(a) download the lastest version of the "Install macOS Ventura" app either from the App Store/Software Update function, from Mr.Macintosh's Site (which links to Apple's CDN), or using the softwareupdate command with the fetchfullinstaller option (though, I find that the softwareupdate command can be hit and miss with this; Apple keeps doing things to break it on their end.

and then

(b) Run the createinstallmedia command from within the downloaded "Install macOS Ventura" app while targeting an empty GPT-schemed macOS Extended (Journaled) volume

If the latter:

...then use whatever virtualization program to present the USB drive to the guest operating system and, if your guest OS knows what to do with those file systems, they'll mount as though local. Making an ISO from the USB drive to then present to the guest OS is added work and will still get you the exact same result as presenting the USB drive to the guest.

Furthermore, I'm not sure what you mean by



Why would you want to install macOS 13.4.1 on a pre-existing Windows VM? Even if you're trying to do nested virtualization (which I'm pretty sure isn't possible on a Mac), you're not going to have an easy time getting a Mac VM to run on a Windows hypervisor. If you're trying to create a Mac VM, then you should just create that VM from scratch on whatever hypervisor app you're using.

Also, worth pointing out that this is a night-and-day different process between Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.

Hello Yebubbleman,

I needed to create a new VM using Parallels, on a Mac.

I was trying to download an iso for Ventura 13.4.1, since an iso is needed by Paralles to do this.

I used the "createinstallmedia command"

When I tried that using terminal, this message appeared:
This tool must be run as root.

So I logged in as Root.

But Terminal was unable to execute the command.
The same message appeared.

Here is the Terminal output:

Last login: Sun Jul 9 04:31:28 on ttys001
/Applications/Install\ macOS\ Ventura.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia ; exit;
p@ps-MacBook-Pro ~ % /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Ventura.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia ; exit;
Usage: createinstallmedia --volume <path to volume to convert>

Arguments
--volume, A path to a volume that can be unmounted and erased to create the install media.
--nointeraction, Erase the disk pointed to by volume without prompting for confirmation.
--downloadassets, Download on-demand assets that may be required for installation.

Example: createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled

This tool must be run as root.

Saving session...
...copying shared history...
...saving history...truncating history files...
...completed.

[Process completed]

Do you have any ideas of how to overcome this problem?

Thanks.

Kind regards

 

[SheerGold]

As Yebubbleman said above, you're really overcomplicating this. All you need to do is plug in your USB drive and then run:

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Ventura.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/NameOfUSBDrive

That'll take care of everything else for you.

Hello Nermal,

Unfortunately, that failed.

Here are the Terminal results:

Last login: Sun Jul 9 05:16:31 on ttys000
p@ps-MacBook-Pro ~ % sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Ventura.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/SanDisk
Password:
sudo: /Applications/Install macOS Ventura.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia: command not found
p@ps-MacBook-Pro ~ %


I tried this logged in as Administrator, and also as Root, but the Terminal results were the same in both Users.

 

[Nermal]

That doesn't make sense. Your previous post has createinstallmedia starting successfully, yet the second post says it doesn't exist. I don't see how that's possible unless you've somehow managed to delete the installer.

 

[bogdanw]

I needed to create a new VM using Parallels, on a Mac.
I was trying to download an iso for Ventura 13.4.1, since an iso is needed by Paralles to do this.

Use VMware Fusion, it's free for personal use and it can create a VM directly from the Install macOS Ventura.app
Free Personal Use License for VMware Fusion https://customerconnect.vmware.com/en/evalcenter?p=fusion-player-personal-13

 

[Yebubbleman]

Hello Yebubbleman,

I needed to create a new VM using Parallels, on a Mac.

I was trying to download an iso for Ventura 13.4.1, since an iso is needed by Paralles to do this.

I used the "createinstallmedia command"

When I tried that using terminal, this message appeared:
This tool must be run as root.

So I logged in as Root.

But Terminal was unable to execute the command.
The same message appeared.

Here is the Terminal output:

Last login: Sun Jul 9 04:31:28 on ttys001
/Applications/Install\ macOS\ Ventura.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia ; exit;
p@ps-MacBook-Pro ~ % /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Ventura.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia ; exit;
Usage: createinstallmedia --volume <path to volume to convert>

Arguments
--volume, A path to a volume that can be unmounted and erased to create the install media.
--nointeraction, Erase the disk pointed to by volume without prompting for confirmation.
--downloadassets, Download on-demand assets that may be required for installation.

Example: createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled

This tool must be run as root.

Saving session...
...copying shared history...
...saving history...truncating history files...
...completed.

[Process completed]

Do you have any ideas of how to overcome this problem?

Thanks.

Kind regards

Are you on an Intel Mac or an Apple Silicon Mac? And, just to confirm, you are trying to use Parallels to create a virtual machine that will run macOS, correct?

If you are on an Intel Mac, you will not feed Parallels an ISO, but rather the location of your "Install macOS Ventura" app; I'm pretty sure that you will need to specify that you are trying to make a VM to run macOS in order for this option to be available. Creating an ISO from a bootable USB isn't going to work cleanly, if at all.

If you are on an Apple Silicon Mac, you do not use an ISO nor the "Install macOS Ventura" app, nor a bootable USB drive, but rather an IPSW file of the OS you want to virtualize.

 

[Mike Boreham]

I needed to create a new VM using Parallels, on a Mac.

Guess you have already seen this:

https://kb.parallels.com/125561/

It includes this "Note: Parallels Desktop will download and install the same version of macOS as your Mac is currently running."

Since I am guessing you might be wanting to have 13.4.1 in the VM while running Sonoma as macOS, you could create the 13.4.1 VM before updating to Sonoma, if not too late....or maybe I am way off target here.

 

[gilby101]

I wanted to create a USB Ventura 13.4.1 iso installer, by downloading macOS 13.4.1, using Terminal.

I use Mist. It is able to download all the bits needed (from Apple) and to build an ISO. Just so much easier than downloading and using hdiutil.

 

[SheerGold]

Are you on an Intel Mac or an Apple Silicon Mac? And, just to confirm, you are trying to use Parallels to create a virtual machine that will run macOS, correct?

If you are on an Intel Mac, you will not feed Parallels an ISO, but rather the location of your "Install macOS Ventura" app; I'm pretty sure that you will need to specify that you are trying to make a VM to run macOS in order for this option to be available. Creating an ISO from a bootable USB isn't going to work cleanly, if at all.

If you are on an Apple Silicon Mac, you do not use an ISO nor the "Install macOS Ventura" app, nor a bootable USB drive, but rather an IPSW file of the OS you want to virtualize.

Hello Yebubbleman,

Intel Mac.

Yes, I was trying to use Parallels to create a virtual machine that will run macOS.

 

[SheerGold]

That doesn't make sense. Your previous post has createinstallmedia starting successfully, yet the second post says it doesn't exist. I don't see how that's possible unless you've somehow managed to delete the installer.

Hello Nermal,

I did not delete the installer.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Hello Yebubbleman,

Intel Mac.

Yes, I was trying to use Parallels to create a virtual machine that will run macOS.

Yeah, then you really ought to not need to be doing anywhere near this much. Just make sure that you have a valid "Install macOS Ventura" app (preferably the one for the latest release), and then when making the VM in Parallels, specify that you want to run macOS; it ought to then guide you to selecting the location of the install app and then guide you through the rest. Worst case scenario, you make a USB drive using a completely normal run of createinstallmedia and then have that drive mounted on the VM to boot off of. You ought to not need to make an ISO file at all. Even if you did, a .dmg or .cdr ought to suffice just as well.