macOS 10.15 Catalina on Unsupported Macs

[Larsvonhier]

Yesterday I tried to port over the old Maps v2.0 from El Cap to Catalina.
(Why? Trying to get rid of the "night view" in the satellite view. Why not a recent Mojave version? Because self-signing the app does not avoid being blocked by the icloud access that Maps does there to sync via Apples servers).

Naturally, the app complained about missing frameworks, so I copied them over as well, renaming them to avoid conflicts with the Catalina ones.
I changed the references to the El Cap frameworks in Maps (binary and plists) and the interdependencies in the frameworks´ binaries and plists as well. Self-signed Maps and also the frameworks, but ended up with a reference I could not track down to the source... strange, checked it over and over. Last resort: Rebuilt all system caches with Onyx (esp. the shared lib caches), but to no avail.
What am I getting wrong here?
The involved frameworks that miss some objects in the Cat version seem to be:
ProtocolBuffer.framework
GeoServices.framework
MapsSupport.framework

If some of you like to try on your own, I could supply the El Cap components if needed.
Any suggestions what I could try additionally?
(btw, setting the "prefersOpenGL" flag to true in the Maps info.plist does not help for the Catalina Maps v2.1)

 

[hvds]

Thank you for your response. I will try that. If I encounter any difficulties I let you know again. Thank You very much!

Right - just to add to that, the latest patcher (1.3.0) will download 10.15.3 which is the latest Catalina release.
Once 10.15.4 will be released, the then latest patcher (very likely newer than 1.3.0) will download this. In any case, making a new bootable USB installer, or using "install to this machine" in the patcher, will safely install it over your present Catalina version and leave user data intact.

For the more adventurous, the OTA installation method described earlier in this thread is available to install developer Beta, public Beta or release versions. One can also use Dosdude's macOS Downloader (post #31 very early in this thread) to download the latest public Beta (10.15.4 PB 1 now, a full installer) and use it with patcher 1.3.0. In both cases, there is the big CAVEAT that the result will not boot without additional manual measures, because of the new AMFI feature (see earlier this thread and page 1 of this thread).

 

[Larsvonhier]

A very small detail that the 10.15.4b2 improved over beta 1:
I had the issue of a greyed-out Wifi icon in the menu bar (see picture), despite working connections. After one click to it, the symbol changed to the usual contrast. Since b2 this seems gone now, so the old known behaviour is back ;-)

 

[TimothyR734]

No, I am talking about normal Apple system updates. I don't know if each Mac OS computers have the same versions of MacOS or if there are some instances in which only particular devices (like laptops) receives them. Anyways, I want to know if DosDude's Catalina is able to be updated with Apple Catalina Updates or I am stuck with the version of Catalina which I used to create bootable usb to install it in the first place.

To clarify a bit the updates for macOS Catalina in System Preference is partially broke you would receive updates for Xcode or Safari Technology but not security or macOS Catalina updates. The Catalina Patcher only downloads point releases as it is a more widely public used tool and not everybody wants a beta version that's why we use a patch cal the swupatch but right now macOS Catalina 10.15.3 is the stable version 10.15.4 Dev Beta 1-2 are a bit rough as some things have changed like they did for us last year for macOS Mojave 10.14.4

 

[TimothyR734]

macOS Catalina 10.15.4 Dev Beta 3 is out 1 more beta to go until final release if anyone is using the improvementUI I would suggest using it to restore back to original files as I tried with 10.15.4 Dev Beta 2 and when I applied the Legacy Video patch in the post install I couldn't get a full progress bar

 

[jackluke]

Just updated to 10.15.4 beta 3, using the Pinarek OTA dist method through my automated catalinaswufix4amfi script and the 4b1 ASentientBot wrappers (even if I guess also previous wrappers could work).

A tip, since my script sets the AMFI disabled either in nvram and preboot, if you do a PRAM reset, to keep the Preboot AMFI disabled you have to de-select from the Catalina post-install patches only this patch (it's the first in the patches list): Platform Check Patch

Because actually selecting that patch resets the com.apple.boot.plist "re-enabling" AMFI, that from 10.15.4 should be disabled to allow the new patched frameworks signatures.

Regardless of wrappers or Video Patch, applying the catalinaswufix4amfi, completing the OTA install, booting from usb post-patches only de-selecting that first patch in list (Platform Check Patch) everything else should work with no efforts.

 

[TimothyR734]

I had to reinstall macOS 10.15.3 but I accidentally deleted the improvementUI patch this is now what it says when you down load a new copy and if you click continue and select the transparent look then my progress bar gets stuck a quarter of the process so I had to reinstall 10.15.3 for second time today 3 time yesterday trying to get 10.15.4 Dev beta 2 to work uuuugggg I think this patch renable the AMFI as that why it says it doesn't match its the same app same macOS so I don't understand

[automerge]1582753001[/automerge]
So I might have to do a clean install to get the UI patch to work again and another 10-12 hours to download and reinstall my apps

 

[TimothyR734]

I got it fixed this time when it said it didn't match and I picked continue installed a new patch this time it worked

 

[hvds]

I got it fixed this time when it said it didn't match and I picked continue installed a new patch this time it worked

I also used continue at that point.
I didn't see any interference between the catalina UI improvement and beta installation (still on PB1 which I repeated installing today), including with the new wrappers. All working fine.

 

[fabioroberto]

I got it fixed this time when it said it didn't match and I picked continue installed a new patch this time it worked

Nice!
I think you installed 10.15.4 and used the patch, it generated the corresponding backup. When you reinstalled 10.15.3, it detected the backup of the other version. Just press Continue and the installation will run again.
I'm on a business trip. When I return, I will remove this warning to avoid confusion. I'm sorry for this.
If you want I send you the edited files to test one by one.

 

[timthomason]

Just updated to 10.15.4 beta 3, using the Pinarek OTA dist method through my automated catalinaswufix4amfi script and the 4b1 ASentientBot wrappers (even if I guess also previous wrappers could work).

A tip, since my script sets the AMFI disabled either in nvram and preboot, if you do a PRAM reset, to keep the Preboot AMFI disabled you have to de-select from the Catalina post-install patches only this patch (it's the first in the patches list): Platform Check Patch

Because actually selecting that patch resets the com.apple.boot.plist "re-enabling" AMFI, that from 10.15.4 should be disabled to allow the new patched frameworks signatures.

Regardless of wrappers or Video Patch, applying the catalinaswufix4amfi, completing the OTA install, booting from usb post-patches only de-selecting that first patch in list (Platform Check Patch) everything else should work with no efforts.

I tried you new script, it does add a new line :
Patching the OTA dist file
-rw-r--r-- 2 root wheel 25657 Feb 26 17:02 /Library/Updates/061-81246/061-81246.English.dist
but does not do the install, it will load the screen but reboots back to desktop ?

 

[GarryB]

[Update] Problem solved - I had renamed the macOS installer file so it wasn't recognised by the Patcher. Ugh.


My MacBook 5,1 is running Mojave. I'm trying to install Catalina. I've downloaded the latest 10.15 installer and created a bootable installer on a USB stick with macOS Catalina Patcher - 1.3.0.

When I boot from the Catalina installer, macOS Utilities does not show the option to Reinstall macOS - it only shows: Restore from TM; Get Help; Disk Utility; and macOS Post Install.

I suspect this is because the MacBook was previously running 10.15 but was downgraded to 10.14. I have deleted the volume created by Catalina (Macintosh HD - Data) and reformatted the drive with APFS (twice) and rebooted the installer USB stick. But, the Patcher still does not show the install option. Strangely, the bootable installer always starts with "macOS Recovery" which examines volumes before starting macOS Utilities. Is the Patcher getting something about the drive that wrongly makes it think Catalina is installed ?

Any ideas ?

 

[TimothyR734]

Nice!
I think you installed 10.15.4 and used the patch, it generated the corresponding backup. When you reinstalled 10.15.3, it detected the backup of the other version. Just press Continue and the installation will run again.
I'm on a business trip. When I return, I will remove this warning to avoid confusion. I'm sorry for this.
If you want I send you the edited files to test one by one.

it is ok Thank you it is running well you did an amazing job

 

[jackluke]

I tried you new script, it does add a new line :
Patching the OTA dist file
-rw-r--r-- 2 root wheel 25657 Feb 26 17:02 /Library/Updates/061-81246/061-81246.English.dist
but does not do the install, it will load the screen but reboots back to desktop ?

Currently my OTA script works only on native apfs machines or apfs rom patched, instead for those who use the apfs loader script (non-apfs machines) after the ota stage1 restart, can't find the apfs ota stage2 installer, that eventually is located here:

/Volumes/macOS Install Data/Locked Files/Boot Files/boot.efi

While instead the apfs startup script searches automatically for this:

/Volumes/ABCLabel/System/Library/CoreServices/boot.efi

Through the efi shell it might possible to load manually the boot.efi, or using another bootloader, if I found a reliable method for non-apfs OTA stage2 will post here.

 

[TimothyR734]

This Script from 10/5 works in macOS Catalina 10.15.3 but the one from 10/2 doesn't not for this who wish to have a recovery partition

 

[TimothyR734]

I tried you new script, it does add a new line :
Patching the OTA dist file
-rw-r--r-- 2 root wheel 25657 Feb 26 17:02 /Library/Updates/061-81246/061-81246.English.dist
but does not do the install, it will load the screen but reboots back to desktop ?

I have had this happen if you use the terminal to apply the swupatch then I drag the catalinaswuamfifix patch and apply before I restart to install the update but get the same thing as you did so apply the swupatch quit the terminal and restart it then apply the catalinaswuamfifix patch because even though you entered your password for the swupatch I think you need to enter your password for the catalinaswuamfi fix patch to work

 

[jackluke]

I have had this happen if you use the terminal to apply the swupatch then I drag the catalinaswuamfifix patch and apply before I restart to install the update but get the same thing as you did so apply the swupatch quit the terminal and restart it then apply the catalinaswuamfifix patch because even though you entered your password for the swupatch I think you need to enter your password for the catalinaswuamfi fix patch to work

I guess those who can't continue OTA update is only because are on non-apfs (apfs loader script) volumes.

On your iMac previously do you applied the APFS rom patch ?

Apfs ROM patch loads apfs.efi in the machine firmware, however for non-apfs surely there is a "efi script way" to manually load the APFS macOS installer boot.efi, I'll do some tests.

And that's why also during Mojave the OTA updates required the APFS install, because apple packaged the OTA only for an APFS Installer role.

 

[Larsvonhier]

Can´t get the corner-cosmetics fix running on my MBA 4,1 (11,7" core i5 HD3000 GPU). No luck on
10.15.4b1 and also not with 10.15.4b3. Has just no effect after patching, but recognizes that it´s already patched when the UI tool runs a second time).
@fabioroberto anything to check or observe here? (It runs well on 10.15.4b1-3 on MBP 5,3 and MPB 4,1).

 

[chris1111]

Thanks to @ASentientBot for the Legacy Video Patch

Working Again !!!!! 10.15.4 Beta 3

 

[TimothyR734]

I guess those who can't continue OTA update is only because are on non-apfs (apfs loader script) volumes.

On your iMac previously do you applied the APFS rom patch ?

Apfs ROM patch loads apfs.efi in the machine firmware, however for non-apfs surely there is a "efi script way" to manually load the APFS macOS installer boot.efi, I'll do some tests.

And that's why also during Mojave the OTA updates required the APFS install, because apple packaged the OTA only for an APFS Installer role.

Yes I used the APFS Rom Patcher tool while I was on High Sierra but what I am trying to say when you run the swupatch you have to enter your password to authorize it then when you run your catalinaswuamfi patch it run but does not ask for your password and doesn't show your board ID or what your Mac is so if I quit the terminal and run the catalinaswuamfi patch it will show my boardID and what my my Mac is that got patched

 

[Pinarek]

Although I didn't really want to write anything here about Hackintosh HERE,
but only a hint that may also interest the original Mac users.
If you download the offered update to Catalina with Mojave 10.14.6,
you get the 10.15.4 DP3 Build 19E242d as a full installer, see photos and info.plist !!

 

[hvds]

Although I didn't really want to write anything here about Hackintosh HERE,
but only a hint that may also interest the original Mac users.
If you download the offered update to Catalina with Mojave 10.14.6,
you get the 10.15.4 DP3 Build 19E242d as a full installer, see photos and info.plist !!

Thank you Pinarek - just loading it now to make a new bootable USB installer with patcher 1.3.0.

 

[Pinarek]

@hvds yes good luck !!

 

[chris1111]

Although I didn't really want to write anything here about Hackintosh HERE,
but only a hint that may also interest the original Mac users.
If you download the offered update to Catalina with Mojave 10.14.6,
you get the 10.15.4 DP3 Build 19E242d as a full installer, see photos and info.plist !!

Exacly is the BETA 3

 

[Pinarek]

Exacly is the BETA 3
View attachment 896477

he @chris1111
you should not always look at this info, it is always the same inst. program ... important is the info.plist, how you can recognize the build version !!! but you should know that as the expert here. I know when others see this picture of you, they think it's the Final 10.15 Final or 10.15.2 Final for installation.
And therefore some people here doubt whether it really is the current Dev. Preview 10.15.4 DP3 Build 19E242c.

It is actually unusual for Apple to release a full installer, as is the case here now, in a fairly early beta, instead of just always having an update version with around 2.6 GB.