This really sucks... they barely change the OS that they release every year, and it's all to screw over existing Mac users. They've just ruled out both my laptop and desktop. I still have lots of time before El Capitan is 'obsolete,' but it's still very annoying. It's also very annoying that my 4,1 and MacBook Pro (and others') will now have to be treated like 1,1/2,1 Mac Pros, in that these machines will now have to receive workarounds for the latest "macOS." What a shame. They've spiffed-up iOS, yet Mac OS (no, I am NOT calling it "macOS") is a lame duck. Anyway, I wonder if Apple has actually made a comeback, or if they'll continue ruining things like iTunes and iWork. The new iOS looks more promising than what they've recently been doing, but it's Apple-under-Tim-Cook after all.
Really? Screw over existing Mac users? lol I'm on an Early 2009 iMac. Unfortunately it's not on the supported list of machines. But this Mac came with 10.5.6 Leopard. It lasted all the way to 10.11.6. It's a damn good run.
Clearly they made a number of changes to the iMacs in 2009, as there was an early, mid, and late 2009 model. So what changed with the hardware? And why cut off the first two models that year? I have no idea.
And they ARE NOT barely changing the OS. They have been doing extensive uno the hood changes.
But I'l try to install macOS Sierra on this machine anyway.
Oh and my last Mac was a G4 Digital Audio. That ran Mac OS 9.1 all the way up to Mac OS X 10.4.11.
For the first time since OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion in 2012, macOS 10.12 Sierra has changed the official minimum requirement to run it, leaving some older (but still perfectly capable) Macs behind.
MacBook (late 2009 or later)
iMac (late 2009 or later)
MacBook Air (2010 or later)
MacBook Pro (2010 or later)
Mac mini (2010 or later)
Mac Pro (2010 or later)
Here's a thread for people to discuss and offer solutions for the newly unsupported Macs in macOS 10.12 Sierra. This post will be updated with solutions as they become available.
Apple History
OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard was the first OS X version with optional support for a 64-bit kernel, allowing booting either with a 32-bit or 64-bit kernel. However, Apple did not support booting the 64-bit kernel in Macs that shipped with EFI32 firmware, even if they had 64-bit processors capable of running the 64-bit kernel. When Apple dropped the 32-bit kernel entirely from OS X, starting with OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, EFI32 Macs no longer had an Apple-supported mechanism to boot newer OS X versions.
OS X 10.11 El Capitan includes System Intergrity Protection (Rootless security). It makes sure that System file permissions are automatically protected, and updated during Software Updates. The Repair Permissions function is no longer available and access to system files that we need to use in this thread may be locked.
Older Macs that lost support in macOS Sierra have an USB related issue that prevents the built-in USB as well as the thereon connected Input Devices and Bluetooth from working.
The support for legacy Macs include iMac 5,1; MacBook 2,1 and MacBook 3,1 that could install Mountain Lion, Mavericks, Yosemite with MacPostFactor or OS X Extractor (in the spoiler below) have been dropped in OS X 10.11 El Capitain. Mac Pro 1,1 and 2,1, while able to update to El Capitan with the methods in the spoiler below, are currently not supported by macOS Sierra.
Current Development Files
I guess you fail to realize that Apple has gone an extra step to force Sierra to not work on certain models. Do you know what B.S. standards were added in? New WiFi standards to bar certain Macs from the list, new bluetooth standards to do the same, and new CPU standards to cancel-out the 2007 machines.
It's not some coincidence that a bunch of Macs more capable than the 2009 MacBook (and some with the SAME graphics and CPUs chips) were pushed off the list. So far, all but the 2007 Macs can receive a Sierra patch to allow them run it. However, some people have to change their WiFi cards because Apple decided to get rid of support for certain models... certain models that happen to be within Macs they wanted out.
I realize now that there are some significant new features, but they are features that any Mac capable of running El Capitan is capable of using.
1. Hooked up the SSD to a Firewire dock to the Mac Pro 5,1.
2. Booted up the Mac Pro 5,1 from the SSD.
3. Downloaded the tool in post # 679 by TMRJIJ.
4. Ran the post # 679 tool.
5. Then launched the MAS application and selected the Updates button.
6. A minute later DP 2 Sierra was displayed and proceeded the download.
7. The DP 2 Sierra installer automatically launched and installed the update.
8. After the installation was completed, the Mac Pro 5,1 booted normally from the SSD.
9. I shut down the Mac Pro 5,1 and disconnected the SSD from the Firewire dock.
10. Placed the SSD back in my MBP 5,1.
* Note below.
11. Inserted the USB flash drive with dosdude1's setup installation and tool.
12. Booted the MBP 5,1 from the USB flash drive.
13. Ran the Post Install tool from the USB flash drive.
14. The MBP 5,1 rebooted utilizing the SSD.
* Yeah, after placing the SSD back in the MBP 5,1, I did the boot up but noticed the keyboard/trackpad was unresponsive then continued with step 11 above.
So everything is working post update to DP3? The only thing on that list I didn't do was post #679 which I didn't think I need to do because my update ran from the App Store fine without it. I have run dosdude1's tool but my trackpad and keyboard remain unrecognized. I will keep trying. I have a MBP 5,5 BTW
But as I said before, if you can't get your macOS Sierra recovery partition to work, despite having 10.12 installed, you CAN get an older recovery partition working side-by-side with Sierra and this should suffice till dosdude1 releases his fix.
How to run macOS Sierra with El Capitan recovery partition.
1. Download the Lion Recovery Update from https://support.apple.com/kb/dl1464?locale=en_US . (And before you ask, YES. I mean LION recovery update!) Make sure it is in your downloads folder. If you still happen to have the el capitan 10.11.5 full installer somewhere, right click on the Install OS X El Capitan.app file and click Show Package Contents. Go to Contents/SharedSupport/. Copy the InstallESD.dmg file into your Downloads folder. If you don't still have the el capitan 10.11.5 full installer, you can get it from the mac app store.
2. Download and decompress the file recovery.sh.zip from http://4unitmaths.com/recovery.sh.zip and move recovery.sh into your Downloads folder if it's not there already.
Got the Recovery Partition to show on the desktop and from there I was able to duplicate, edit the PlatformSupport.plist replace one of the board-ids with the MacPro3.1 board-id, and also replace the entry for MacPro6.1 with MacPro3.1.
Once edited and saved, replace the .txt extension with .plist and replace the existing .plist in the Recovery Drive, I can now boot to Recovery Drive on the 3.1. Hooray
How did you download and install DP3? I tried the patch tool and it is still not showing the update in the App Store. Is there a way to do it manually?
The Trackpad kext for the white early/mid 2009 Macbook is called "AppleUSBTrackpad.kext" . It is located in the plugins folder inside "AppleUSBTopCase.kext. Check this El Capitan screenshot of the loaded kext. It doesn't get loaded in Sierra so the trackpad is only being recognised as a basic mouse therefore no 2 finger right click.
Edit:
AppleUSBMultitouch.kext is the driver for the multitouch trackpads which is the what every supported Mac now uses. Our one button trackpad is now obsolete officially. I haven't got an install of Sierra to play with currently (Can't download it through the App Store on an unsupported Mac) but maybe someone could try to "kextload" the El Capitan kext using the Terminal and see what happens. Im not sure if it is possible to load unsigned kexts though. Maybe disabling SIP disables this check also.
I guess you fail to realize that Apple has gone an extra step to force Sierra to not work on certain models. Do you know what B.S. standards were added in? New WiFi standards to bar certain Macs from the list, new bluetooth standards to do the same, and new CPU standards to cancel-out the 2007 machines.
It's not some coincidence that a bunch of Macs more capable than the 2009 MacBook (and some with the SAME graphics and CPUs chips) were pushed off the list. So far, all but the 2007 Macs can receive a Sierra patch to allow them run it. However, some people have to change their WiFi cards because Apple decided to get rid of support for certain models... certain models that happen to be within Macs they wanted out.
I realize now that there are some significant new features, but they are features that any Mac capable of running El Capitan is capable of using.
The CPU standards are actually reasonable because it allows them to use A LOT more optimised graphics and vector math routines with SSE4.1
[doublepost=1468954556][/doublepost]@Czo please send me both of the AppleSMCLMU kexts so I can compare them
Also, can anyone with DP1&3 do "find /System/Library/Extensions -type f" on both OSes and send the output to me
The CPU standards are actually reasonable because it allows them to use A LOT more optimised graphics and vector math routines with SSE4.1
[doublepost=1468954556][/doublepost]@Czo please send me both of the AppleSMCLMU kexts so I can compare them
Also, can anyone with DP1&3 do "find /System/Library/Extensions -type f" on both OSes and send the output to me
I believe that the new CPU requirements may perhaps be the only semi-reasonable limitation set. As for the 2008/2009 Macs, those seemed to be barred without reason. Many models that shared similar Core 2 Duos and the same 9400M GPU were slashed from the list, while a measly white MacBook (late '09) with similar Core 2 Duo and 9400M GPU was kept on the list. Heck, they even decided to keep the '09 MacBook and leave off the '09 MacBook Pro... it makes no sense.
@dosdude1, Can you please confirm if your latest macOS Sierra patch will work with DP3?
Im on Public beta and still no update to DP3 on App Store, is this normal?
Thanks, m8!
@dosdude1, Can you please confirm if your latest macOS Sierra patch will work with DP3?
Im on Public beta and still no update to DP3 on App Store, is this normal?
Thanks, m8!
public beta profile will not be able to get updates of Developer Preview updates through AppStore...
you should be using previous DP releases to get direct updates of DP3..
Wait in few days Public Beta - 2 is going to release...or if u have access to developer account use eligible macbook to download DP3 and then use patch to install it on your current mac system.
I found a way to show up Beta3 on SU! http://homokozo.czo.hu/beta3showingup.png Deeply somewhere on /var/folders found a folder named with the update identifier (031-68147). In this folder we can found a file with a small javascript that checks the logic board and machine id (like the one found in the installer). Simply patching it with a 'return true' the update showing up!
I try to install it now.
[doublepost=1469003293][/doublepost]It's installed fine. I'm using the "-no-compat-check" Boot.plist option, so it's booted up fine after the reboot. Seems to this option survive a system upgrade fine.
All touchpad gestures on MBP4,1 works, but ALS stopped working. I need to check it with kexts from beta1.
It's seems to be enough to replace only the "AmbientLightSensorHID.plugin" to make it working. (So, it works on beta3 with beta3 kext with beta1 plugin) AppleSMCLMU.kext from all betas (1/2/3): http://homokozo.czo.hu/AppleSMCLMU.tar.bz2 On the beta3 folder, the beta3 plugin is the AmbientLightSensorHID.plugin.disabled and the beta1 plugin is AmbientLightSensorHID.plugin.
Hey Czo. Is your trackpad capable of multitouch gestures? I think your model was one of the few older style trackpads with multitouch capability. That might explain why your's works out of the box.
Can you print the output of "kextstat" from the terminal here to see which trackpad kext is being used?
Hey Czo. Is your trackpad capable of multitouch gestures? I think your model was one of the few older style trackpads with multitouch capability. That might explain why your's works out of the box.
Can you print the output of "kextstat" from the terminal here to see which trackpad kext is being used?
Can anyone tell me if the old unsupported models plists still exist in
/System/Library/Extensions/IOPlatformPluginFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin.kext/Contents/Resources
in sierra
PB2 is out. I just tried checking to see if it's available in the app store on my 5,4 MBP but don't see it. Do I need to try to see I can see it on a supported Mac?
I found a way to show up Beta3 on SU! http://homokozo.czo.hu/beta3showingup.png Deeply somewhere on /var/folders found a folder named with the update identifier (031-68147). In this folder we can found a file with a small javascript that checks the logic board and machine id (like the one found in the installer). Simply patching it with a 'return true' the update showing up!
I try to install it now.
[doublepost=1469003293][/doublepost]It's installed fine. I'm using the "-no-compat-check" Boot.plist option, so it's booted up fine after the reboot. Seems to this option survive a system upgrade fine.
All touchpad gestures on MBP4,1 works, but ALS stopped working. I need to check it with kexts from beta1.
I'm downloading the .pkg files manually from CatalogURL to test here. Does anybody knows what is the correct order to install the files? There is "FirmwareBundle", "OSXUpd10.12PublicBetaPatch", "OSXUpd10.12PublicBeta" and "FullBundleUpdate".
