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How do I install Big Sur on external SSD to keep Catalina on Main HD undisturbed.
- Thread starter jdoenumber2
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… You pick the external drive in the installer - Must be formatted APFS (maybe HFS+ conversion still works)
The very first developer beta had some bugs with installing to external drives but likely fixed by now
The very first developer beta had some bugs with installing to external drives but likely fixed by now
If you have a T2 chip, enable booting from external drives first.
support.apple.com
About Startup Security Utility on a Mac with the Apple T2 Security Chip - Apple Support (CA)
Use Startup Security Utility to make sure that your Mac always starts up from your designated startup disk, and always from a legitimate, trusted operating system.
Be aware that if you use any third party applications, and you "install" any of them on that external SSD with Big Sur, they might not yet be compatible. This site is a very good resource for following such compatibility:
roaringapps.com
I will eventually install an initial release version on one of my external Samsung SSDs, but I suspect it will be at least 3 or 4 months before all of my third party applications are compatible with OS 11.x. And most likely the last one will be a critical one, Tech Tool Pro. Meanwhile, Catalina works just fine.
Application Compatibility Table — RoaringApps
Crowd-sourced application compatibility for macOS, iOS and Windows.
I will eventually install an initial release version on one of my external Samsung SSDs, but I suspect it will be at least 3 or 4 months before all of my third party applications are compatible with OS 11.x. And most likely the last one will be a critical one, Tech Tool Pro. Meanwhile, Catalina works just fine.
I tried several times to install Big Sur on an external drive but it always failed. Either the installer froze with "3 hours remaining" or with "Less than 1 minute remaining". I haven't tried with the last 2 releases, so maybe it's fixed. Eventually, I just created another APFS volume on the internal drive and dual boot between Catalina and Big Sur.
Why not just wait until the initial, 11.0, version is released? Should be soon.
I know that you did not install it on your primary Mac, ie, you are attempting to install it on an external device. The initial, version, V11.0, should be arriving soon, so it is better to wait until at least that version is here. In actuality, the initial version of any Mac OS still contains a number of bugs, some significant, and that by version .2, it is mostly stabilized.
I actually plan on installing Big Sur on one of my external Samsung SSDs, but not until it has stabilized somewhat. And in my case, one of my critical applications Tech Tool Pro, will (most likely) not be compatible with OS 11.x until at least V11.3. But again, Catalina is working just fine. Plus, there is nothing earth shattering that I must have in Big Sur.
Let me clarify.
My primary Mac is a Mac Pro.
My Mac Mini is my iTunes/streaming hub for my TV.
My MacBook Air is a toy that I use for trying new things.
I’d never install beta software on the Mac Pro. If something goes wrong I’d rather not have to recover anything (although it is good practice to occasionally test your backups).
I installed the Big Sur beta on the MacBook Air just to play with it. Basically a canary install to see how I felt about the UI changes. An external drive would have been preferable, but it won’t be a big deal to format the MBA’s drive and go with a fresh install when the time comes.
I completely agree that Apple Operating Systems get better after a couple of releases. Usually x.x.3 has worked out most of the bugs.
My primary Mac is a Mac Pro.
My Mac Mini is my iTunes/streaming hub for my TV.
My MacBook Air is a toy that I use for trying new things.
I’d never install beta software on the Mac Pro. If something goes wrong I’d rather not have to recover anything (although it is good practice to occasionally test your backups).
I installed the Big Sur beta on the MacBook Air just to play with it. Basically a canary install to see how I felt about the UI changes. An external drive would have been preferable, but it won’t be a big deal to format the MBA’s drive and go with a fresh install when the time comes.
I completely agree that Apple Operating Systems get better after a couple of releases. Usually x.x.3 has worked out most of the bugs.
OK, got it. And yes, by the third release of the OS, Apple gets most of the bugs worked out. For me, it is actually a benefit that Micromat does not have a version of Tech Tool Pro ready for compatibility until the .3 or .4 release of the OS has been released. That is where I have begun each of my last 4 Mac OS "upgrades", with (of course) doing a clean, fresh installation of that version of the OS (and of course by that time, all the third party applications I use are compatible). Hence, I have a trouble free installation, and things proceed smoothly for me.