I don't want to use iCloud, but System Preferences nags me to start using it.

[bogdanw]

Is above a more proper solution than that mentioned earlier?

Yes, sudo launchctl unload -w is the proper way to disable a launch agent https://ss64.com/osx/launchctl.html
But it only works with SIP disabled in Catalina.

The other solution, renaming the followupd plist, works from Recovery without disabling SIP. But it gives this error message "Failed to bootstrap path: path = /System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.followupd.bak, error = 108: Invalid path" in the system.log at every boot.

 

[emikaadeo]

Yes, sudo launchctl unload -w is the proper way to disable a launch agent https://ss64.com/osx/launchctl.html
But it only works with SIP disabled in Catalina.

The other solution, renaming the followupd plist, works from Recovery without disabling SIP. But it gives this error message "Failed to bootstrap path: path = /System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.followupd.bak, error = 108: Invalid path" in the system.log at every boot.

If I re-enable SIP after:

launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.followupd.plist
sudo launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.followupd.plist

will solution survives ?

 

[bogdanw]

If I re-enable SIP after:

launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.followupd.plist
sudo launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.followupd.plist

will solution survives ?

It didn't survive after re-enabling SIP on my tests.

 

[emikaadeo]

It didn't survive after re-enabling SIP on my tests.

I think I've found a solution which prevents followupd agent from loading even with SIP enabled.
Here's what works for me on macOS Catalina 10.15.4

1. Logout from Apple ID (System Preferences -> Apple ID)
If you still see a red badge on System Preferences icon, run from Terminal:

defaults delete com.apple.systempreferences AttentionPrefBundleIDs;killall Dock

2. Reboot to Recovery Mode. Run from Terminal:

csrutil disable

3. Reboot to Catalina and run from Terminal:

launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.followupd.plist

4. Add followupd agent to file:

/System/Library/Sandbox/com.apple.xpc.launchd.rootless.plist

(This file is a list of the system’s removable services)

NOTE: In addition to SIP macOS Catalina separates the Operating System (OS) from the user data. The OS is mounted read-only, so even with SIP disabled you cannot make changes to system files. In order to mount the OS partition in read/write mode run from Terminal:

sudo mount -uw /

Next:

sudo nano /System/Library/Sandbox/com.apple.xpc.launchd.rootless.plist

Add a key at bottom:

<key>com.apple.followupd</key>
<true/>

Save & exit.

5. Reboot to Recovery Mode. Run from Terminal:

csrutil enable

6. Reboot to Catalina and log in to AppStore.

 

[Sarassine]

I don't want to be too optimistic... but I am running Big Sur DB 2 and the "Not now" option seems to work again!!!
Not right away, it takes a few minutes, but the prompts go away, the red badge goes away too!!

 

[nt5672]

I don't want to be too optimistic... but I am running Big Sur DB 2 and the "Not now" option seems to work again!!!
Not right away, it takes a few minutes, but the prompts go away, the red badge goes away too!!

Not sure I want to trade a stupid prompt (in Catalina) for dozens of more bugs in Big Sur.

 

[Sarassine]

Well, the choice is yours. I do.

 

[foliovision]

Just to make sure - you DON'T sign in to iCloud, but only to let's say the App store or Music, or Apple TV, or Apple Books, and you can dismiss the "Start using iCloud" prompt by hitting "Not Now"?

This works on latest Big Sur. After clicking through on iCloud (it doesn't sign you in right away) and clicking Not Now, just quitting and restarting System Preferences seems to be enough.

All the launchagent and recovery disk handstands don't seem to be necessary this time!

PS. Totally agree about Mojave being a good experience, akin to Snow Leopard. So frustrated to have to upgrade due to a single bad vendor insisting on 10.15+ (when I upgrade I try to leapfrog not to do it again soon).