macOS 10.15 Catalina on Unsupported Macs

[olrik77]

So booting from the 10.15.3 installer and applying 'sudo csrutil disable --no-internal' doesn't help for the 10.15.4 installation?

Unfortunately no !

sudo csrutil disable --no-internal : no command found

csrutil disable --no-internal : working but no effect.

I'll try to "install to this machine" over my existing 10.15.4 with the new @dosdude1 1.4 patcher.

Many thanks,

Serviteur,

 

[jackluke]

View attachment 902858
[automerge]1585758410[/automerge]
Using the CatalinaOTAswufix it hangs and can't check for updates View attachment 902859

I guess is a conflict with AppKit, HIToolBox and ImprovementUI (maybe a new version is required).

If you used stock .4 AppKit.framework and .4 HIToolBox.framework my app doesn't hang on your machine.

Anyway I don't think is an app issue, rather a System Preferences UI issue.

 

[TimothyR734]

I don't have a copy of those if you could share thank you

 

[jackluke]

I don't have a copy of those if you could share thank you

Currently I have only 10.15.5 beta 1, but ImprovementUI.app should make some backup or you could unpatch it from single user mode: https://github.com/fabioiop/ImprovementUI/blob/master/Readme.pdf

as explained in the pdf, boot single user mode CMD+S , then type:
mount -uw /
sh /Library/.UIrecovery.sh
reboot

 

[hvds]

I decided to release my OpenCoreAPFSloader (customised bootloader), this can be used from any EFI Mac, but is mainly for those who have a non-APFS firmware machine (mac supported till El Capitan) for Catalina OTA updates.

The advantages using OpenCore in general are:

- you can detect after power-on any HFS, APFS and even APFS ramdisk dmg (also Bootcamp partition);
- detect any APFS macOS Installer automatically made from a macOS Install Data volume (OTA updates for example);
- you can always after power-on chime hold alt-option key and show the default apple bootloader (the OpenCore label is EFI Boot)

and I added also some efi exec to show the boot screen when using apple non-EFI Metal GPUs (I could not test this but I guess it should work)

I made a simple app that will install my custom OpenCore bootloader for Catalina, harmless and safe for any Mac.

You can install it even before updating with OTA update fix.

To uninstall simply from System Preferences, open Startup Disk select any macOS install, or re-applying the dosdude1 post-install patches my bootloader is easily overwritten.

edit:
If someone want to test, after downloaded don't rename the app and launch it from any of these paths: Desktop, Downloads, Applications

In the example picture the "macOS Installer" is an OTA update that can be manually loaded from non-APFS firmware machines.

At the OpenCore menu if you wait after 30 seconds will automatically boot to the latest chosen volume, if you move the arrows the bootloader will stay there until you select a volume.

If you plug an external usb drive press esc key from opencore to refresh the boot list.

For OTA updates on non-APFS firmware you need anyway to use first the CatalinaOTAswufix.app for OTA update fix (dist machine whitelisting), then during OTA downloading launch also the OpenCoreAPFSloader.app and install it, after reboot, from OpenCore bootloader pick the "macOS Installer" that should continue to OTA installer.

Used CatalinaOTAswufix.app and OpenCoreAPFSloader.app (the newer version) on my MBP5,2 external SSD which has 10.15.4/1.4.
As this mid 2009 machine has the APFS ROM patch applied the OpenCoreAPFSloader was probably unnecessary but I wanted to see how it goes.
Everything went as expected, i.e. .5beta1 showed up in software updates, loaded and I applied the OTA update fix. Also installed OpenCore loader while loading the update.
Started the installation of the OTA: short white-on-black progress bar, then grey-on-white for w while ending with the forbidden sign. No activity of the external disk visible on its interface. Also no signs of USB access in the verbose when using sinlge user mode.
That was expected as jackluke had already diagnosed a while ago - this OTA phase apparently can't access USB properly on this old machine.
The exercised the OpenCore loader. Booting with OPT/ALT it shown up behing one of the EFI boot volumes. Selected the macOS installer (3), the grey-on-white ends with the forbidden sign as expected.

I can still boot fine into the existing 10.15.4 on that disk with (5), or of course into my internal SSD.

-> If anyone has a hint on where to start looking within the loaded OTA upgrade, and in which phase, for a place where I could possibly replace some USB access kexts I'd be happy.

I'm sure that connecting the external disk to the internal sata cable will work. Just a bit hesitant to open and touch my old hardware unnecessarily - it being my only production system. Anyway I'll try for once and let you know.

Thanks jackluke for your two apps!

 

[jackluke]

Used CatalinaOTAswufix.app and OpenCoreAPFSloader.app (the newer version) on my MBP5,2 external SSD which has 10.15.4/1.4.
As this mid 2009 machine has the APFS ROM patch applied the OpenCoreAPFSloader was probably unnecessary but I wanted to see how it goes.
Everything went as expected, i.e. .5beta1 showed up in software updates, loaded and I applied the OTA update fix. Also installed OpenCore loader while loading the update.
Started the installation of the OTA: short white-on-black progress bar, then grey-on-white for w while ending with the forbidden sign. No activity of the external disk visible on its interface. Also no signs of USB access in the verbose when using sinlge user mode.
That was expected as jackluke had already diagnosed a while ago - this OTA phase apparently can't access USB properly on this old machine.
The exercised the OpenCore loader. Booting with OPT/ALT it shown up behing one of the EFI boot volumes. Selected the macOS installer (3), the grey-on-white ends with the forbidden sign as expected.

I can still boot fine into the existing 10.15.4 on that disk with (5), or of course into my internal SSD.

-> If anyone has a hint on where to start looking within the loaded OTA upgrade, and in which phase, for a place where I could possibly replace some USB access kexts I'd be happy.

I'm sure that connecting the external disk to the internal sata cable will work. Just a bit hesitant to open and touch my old hardware unnecessarily - it being my only production system. Anyway I'll try for once and let you know.

Thanks jackluke for your two apps!

Well done, as you already knew if you have a machine with legacy IOUSB devices, and the OTA update is on an external USB Catalina installation, the OTA stage2 can't proceed because of legacy USB kext sleep unpowered issue, instead if you plug the same USB disk internally SATA, even without legacy kext the OTA will proceed correctly.

This happens probably because without legacy USB kext you can boot internally also with USB port sleeping, but when your root drive is plugged to a legacy USB port then you get prohibitory symbol.

Currently the OTA update on an external USB Catalina installation will work on machines with more recent IOUSB devices, because they can use the stock IOUSB*.kext that are present in the OTA installer.

Instead on internally disk Catalina installations using my two apps will work for everyone.

Selected the macOS installer (3), the grey-on-white ends with the forbidden sign as expected.

I can still boot fine into the existing 10.15.4 on that disk with (5), or of course into my internal SSD.

-> If anyone has a hint on where to start looking within the loaded OTA upgrade, and in which phase, for a place where I could possibly replace some USB access kexts I'd be happy.

I have a hint where USB legacy kext should be placed exactly here:

/YourCatalinaLabel/System/Volumes/YourCatalinaLabel/macOS Install Data/Locked Files/Boot Files/prelinkedkernel

but currently OpenCore doesn't support prelinkedkernel injection, and this path /Locked Files/Boot Files/ is a bit tricky to patch from a booloader.

To continue OTA installation on your external USB drive you should copy your current patched 10.15.4 /System/Library/Prelinkedkernels/prelinkedkernel inside that path.

But you have first unlock this path: /Locked Files/Boot Files/

To do that open it from your 10.15.4 Finder:
/YourCatalinaLabel/System/Volumes/YourCatalinaLabel/macOS Install Data/

then highlight the "Locked Files" and unlock the folder (you have to click CMD+I on the folder and grant permissions to Everyone Read/Write), then inside "Boot Files" subfolder replace the prelinkedkernel with the one from your system prelinkedkernel that already includes the IOUSB legacy kext.
After you replaced the prelinkedkernel toggle only the Write Permission to Everyone (grant only the Read permission) to lock the folder as apple want.

Reboot and OTA on external USB Catalina installation (with legacy IOUSB) should proceed.

 

[Luke Humphrys]

In my case, before using @dosdude1's patcher, I need to uninstall Sophos AV and reboot, which stops this error occurring.
I'm now on 10.15.4 thanks to @dosdude1 and others here who understand so much more than I do!

ah I use sophos AV so this must be it will try that now

 

[Terrapater]

Just released version 1.4 of Catalina Patcher. This fixes the issue where SIP may be in a strange state, and adds fixes for the Displays pane of System Preferences on machines with non-Metal GPUs.

Hi Dosdude1,
First thank you so much for your unbelievable work. Just wanted to ask why I just can boot my machine by way of pressing the option key. Since 15.4 - I tried all versions of your patcher also the 1.4 now - it boots even during installation to black and I have to reboot with option key first to finish the installation an then after installation. This never happened with 15.3 . I tried it on 3 iMa. With upgraded GPUs. Can you think what the problem is?
Best

 

[dosdude1]

Hi Dosdude1,
First thank you so much for your unbelievable work. Just wanted to ask why I just can boot my machine by way of pressing the option key. Since 15.4 - I tried all versions of your patcher also the 1.4 now - it boots even during installation to black and I have to reboot with option key first to finish the installation an then after installation. This never happened with 15.3 . I tried it on 3 iMa. With upgraded GPUs. Can you think what the problem is?
Best

Apple must have changed something. You should be able to fix it by using the APFS Boot prefpane, and selecting the drive.

 

[ionian]

I just tried to update a Mac mini 3,1 with a clean install of Catalina 10.15.4 with the patcher 1.3.5 and I get the following screenshot.

Any ideas on how to troubleshoot this? I had 10.15.3 installed on this machine and it crashed during an update. It has been running APFS ROM patch.

 

[kral84]

Apple must have changed something. You should be able to fix it by using the APFS Boot prefpane, and selecting the drive.

how using APFS Boot prefpane? i am nooby maybe it helps me too, do you mean press cmd on boot, and select drive to boot?

 

[Ricardo Campos]

Hi everyone,
I installed Catalina in my iMac 2009 but I want go back to Mojave, but in the middle of the instalation a prohibited signal appears and there it stays.

I looked csutil and nvram boot-args (look picture)

What can I do? Thanks!


Edit: Finally I boot from USB and apply patches with force cache and all works fine

 

[hvds]

Well done, as you already knew if you have a machine with legacy IOUSB devices, and the OTA update is on an external USB Catalina installation, the OTA stage2 can't proceed because of legacy USB kext sleep unpowered issue, instead if you plug the same USB disk internally SATA, even without legacy kext the OTA will proceed correctly.

This happens probably because without legacy USB kext you can boot internally also with USB port sleeping, but when your root drive is plugged to a legacy USB port then you get prohibitory symbol.

Currently the OTA update on an external USB Catalina installation will work on machines with more recent IOUSB devices, because they can use the stock IOUSB*.kext that are present in the OTA installer.

Instead on internally disk Catalina installations using my two apps will work for everyone.



I have a hint where USB legacy kext should be placed exactly here:

/YourCatalinaLabel/System/Volumes/YourCatalinaLabel/macOS Install Data/Locked Files/Boot Files/prelinkedkernel

but currently OpenCore doesn't support prelinkedkernel injection, and this path /Locked Files/Boot Files/ is a bit tricky to patch from a booloader.

To continue OTA installation on your external USB drive you should copy your current patched 10.15.4 /System/Library/Prelinkedkernels/prelinkedkernel inside that path.

But you have first unlock this path: /Locked Files/Boot Files/

To do that open it from your 10.15.4 Finder:
/YourCatalinaLabel/System/Volumes/YourCatalinaLabel/macOS Install Data/

then highlight the "Locked Files" and unlock the folder (you have to click CMD+I on the folder and grant permissions to Everyone Read/Write), then inside "Boot Files" subfolder replace the prelinkedkernel with the one from your system prelinkedkernel that already includes the IOUSB legacy kext.
After you replaced the prelinkedkernel toggle only the Write Permission to Everyone (grant only the Read permission) to lock the folder as apple want.

Reboot and OTA on external USB Catalina installation (with legacy IOUSB) should proceed.

Thank you jackluke! I'll follow up your very very interesting hint in a 2nd step.

First step I did was to put the halfway OTA installed disk on SATA. It didn't want to boot into the macOS installer (that version of OSX unsupported on that platform). In terminal of bootable USB installer set nvram boot-args=-no_compat_check (I thought it was set before, but anyway). Also did csrutil disable as the pattern olrik77 has reported was shown.
Then the rest of the installation proceeded as shown in the photos (didn't see the blinking full progress bar). After applying the 1.4 post install the system is up with 10.15.5b1. Transparency fine! Thanks ASentientBot.

Next is to reproduce the state where OTA install failed on the external drive and follow your prelinkedkernel replacement proposal...! Might take a while.

 

[hvds]

how using APFS Boot prefpane? i am nooby maybe it helps me too, do you mean press cmd on boot, and select drive to boot?

In System Settings there should be an entry APFS Boot. Click it to select the desired boot volume.

 

[TimothyR734]

Currently I have only 10.15.5 beta 1, but ImprovementUI.app should make some backup or you could unpatch it from single user mode: https://github.com/fabioiop/ImprovementUI/blob/master/Readme.pdf

as explained in the pdf, boot single user mode CMD+S , then type:
mount -uw /
sh /Library/.UIrecovery.sh
reboot

I tried that no luck so reinstalled 10.15.4 used the swupatch in the terminal downloaded the update 10.15.5 Dev Beta 1 I tried your catalinaswuamfi 4 and 5 both say the updated hasn't been downloaded but it was so I rebooted to install the update just booted after 10 mins or so right back into 10.15.4

 

[olrik77]

Bonsoir,

After reinstalling 10.15.4 (install to machine) with the @ Dosdude1 1.3.4 patch over preexisting install made by 1.3.1, itself reinstalled with the 1.3.6 patch, the command csrutil status now correctly returns :

Configuration:
Apple Internal: disabled
Kext Signing: disabled
Filesystem Protections: disabled
Debugging Restrictions: disabled
DTrace Restrictions: disabled
NVRAM Protections: disabled
BaseSystem Verification: disabled

There remains the problem of resuming from hibernation with :



I don't understand why.

I have also installed the specific extensions for my PCIe Sonnet USB 3 card.
I have an admin account hidden and his home folder moved.
My BT keyboard and Magic Mouse are driven by a small low energy BT4 dongle (Belkin) plug in a stock USB port.

For more info, in disk utility info I have for the SSD boot disk (macOS et macOS Data) : support for system integrity protection : yes. The answer is "no" for the two others disks (hybrid).

For the rest everything seems to work perfectly.

Many thanks,

Serviteur,
[automerge]1585771276[/automerge]

In System Settings there should be an entry APFS Boot. Click it to select the desired boot volume.

Weird !

I have no APFS Boot in my System Settings prefpane...only Boot Disk...

Serviteur,

 

[mcdermd]

I've got a 27" Late 2009 iMac, 11,1 with a swapped 1TB SSD and 8gb RAM and looking to run DosDude's patcher to it up to Catalina from El Cap. Main reason for doing this is to be able to run newer Adobe CC and Microsoft Office software as I am now working from home due to COVID.

My Mac does have a HD4850, and from everything i've read the OS install and patch look pretty straight forward (due to the hard work of everyone in this community). I've realize the video card is a non-metal card and that this shouldn't effect the install, however I have read a few posts on this thread that users were not able to install Microsoft Office or Adobe CC as a result of their video card not supporting Metal.

Before I go through the process, can anyone confirm successful Adobe/Microsoft installs on non-metal video cards, specifically the HD4850?

I have the exact same machine (Late-2009 27" iMac, 2.8GHz Quad-i7, 512MB Radeon HD4850, 16 GB RAM) running dosdude1 10.15.3. I haven't run into any problems with Adobe Illustrator 2020, Adobe Photoshop 2020 or MS Office 2019 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Remote Desktop Client).

 

[nekton1]

See post #5167 in the iMac Graphics Card Update Thread. In summary, use Nick's Catalina Loader SD after the first stage of dosdude1's USB install to get to the efi boot screen showing the install partition on the boot destination and continue with screens from there.

Hi Dosdude1,
First thank you so much for your unbelievable work. Just wanted to ask why I just can boot my machine by way of pressing the option key. Since 15.4 - I tried all versions of your patcher also the 1.4 now - it boots even during installation to black and I have to reboot with option key first to finish the installation an then after installation. This never happened with 15.3 . I tried it on 3 iMa. With upgraded GPUs. Can you think what the problem is?
Best

 

[jackluke]

I tried that no luck so reinstalled 10.15.4 used the swupatch in the terminal downloaded the update 10.15.5 Dev Beta 1 I tried your catalinaswuamfi 4 and 5 both say the updated hasn't been downloaded but it was so I rebooted to install the update just booted after 10 mins or so right back into 10.15.4

You should retry the CatalinaOTAswufix.app and apply first the Software Update fix, then re-open the app and apply the OTA update fix , but to do this properly I guess you should keep Appkit and HIToolbox stock from 10.15.4 , until an updated .4 improvementUI patch is released.

 

[SystemHasFailed]

I'm hoping someone here might have some insights.. I ran this buy @dosdude1 but he's only one guy.. I have 2012 cMP 5,1 with a AMD Radeon HD 7950 3072 MB. It's the car that was sold as compatible with the Mac by Radeon. 10.15.3 ran fairly well... but with the newest patcher I'm unable to get 10.15.4 to run without kernel panics. I've used the Catalina USB boot as a recovery volume, erased the Catalina volumes and after repeated attempts the ending is the same: I can successfully install and get to the main desktop.. but if I reboot.. I get a kernel panic. From what dosdude1 has said it's a panic in the video driver.


The steps:

- Downloaded the latest dosdude1 patcher
- created a bootable USB drive
- Erased the install volume group for the Catalina boot
- Ran the install of Catalina from the USB drive
- Go thru all the steps to sign in with iCloud etc etc
- Complete the install and get to the macOS desktop

After that any reboot results in a kernel panic with ONE exception.. one of the times I started with Command+V my mac WAS able to get to the login screen and then to the desktop.

FWIW I run HiC without incident on this machine, Windows 10 also.. and all without incident. Catalina 10.15.2 and 3 ran as well.

Any suggestions of what else to try (alternate boot parameters maybe?) would be appreciated.

(panic attached)

 

[macsba]

I'm hoping someone here might have some insights.. I ran this buy @dosdude1 but he's only one guy.. I have 2012 cMP 5,1 with a AMD Radeon HD 7950 3072 MB. It's the car that was sold as compatible with the Mac by Radeon. 10.15.3 ran fairly well... but with the newest patcher I'm unable to get 10.15.4 to run without kernel panics. I've used the Catalina USB boot as a recovery volume, erased the Catalina volumes and after repeated attempts the ending is the same: I can successfully install and get to the main desktop.. but if I reboot.. I get a kernel panic. From what dosdude1 has said it's a panic in the video driver.


The steps:

- Downloaded the latest dosdude1 patcher
- created a bootable USB drive
- Erased the install volume group for the Catalina boot
- Ran the install of Catalina from the USB drive
- Go thru all the steps to sign in with iCloud etc etc
- Complete the install and get to the macOS desktop

After that any reboot results in a kernel panic with ONE exception.. one of the times I started with Command+V my mac WAS able to get to the login screen and then to the desktop.

FWIW I run HiC without incident on this machine, Windows 10 also.. and all without incident. Catalina 10.15.2 and 3 ran as well.

Any suggestions of what else to try (alternate boot parameters maybe?) would be appreciated.

(panic attached)

Very strange. I have the same setup as you. Ran Dosdude1's patcher 1.3.3 (at the time it was released for a short while). My Mac Pro 5,1 (2012) runs well under 10.15.4. No post install patches are necessary. In the steps above, I didn't erase the install volume, just installed over 10.15.3. Just my situation.

 

[jackluke]

I'm hoping someone here might have some insights.. I ran this buy @dosdude1 but he's only one guy.. I have 2012 cMP 5,1 with a AMD Radeon HD 7950 3072 MB. It's the car that was sold as compatible with the Mac by Radeon. 10.15.3 ran fairly well... but with the newest patcher I'm unable to get 10.15.4 to run without kernel panics. I've used the Catalina USB boot as a recovery volume, erased the Catalina volumes and after repeated attempts the ending is the same: I can successfully install and get to the main desktop.. but if I reboot.. I get a kernel panic. From what dosdude1 has said it's a panic in the video driver.


The steps:

- Downloaded the latest dosdude1 patcher
- created a bootable USB drive
- Erased the install volume group for the Catalina boot
- Ran the install of Catalina from the USB drive
- Go thru all the steps to sign in with iCloud etc etc
- Complete the install and get to the macOS desktop

After that any reboot results in a kernel panic with ONE exception.. one of the times I started with Command+V my mac WAS able to get to the login screen and then to the desktop.

FWIW I run HiC without incident on this machine, Windows 10 also.. and all without incident. Catalina 10.15.2 and 3 ran as well.

Any suggestions of what else to try (alternate boot parameters maybe?) would be appreciated.

(panic attached)

Re-install 10.15.4 , after re-installation don't apply any patch, just boot to usb installer open a terminal and type:
nvram boot-args="-no_compat_check"

I write this because you have a Metal GPU and you can boot with AMFI enabled, so I guess you don't need any patches.

 

[serafin79]

Used @jackluke CatalinaOTAswufix.app on 8,1 to update to 10.15.5 beta. It worked great, used @dosdude1 1.40 patcher to install post patches once installation finished.

Thanks for everyone's hard work

 

[learntofly83]

Used @jackluke CatalinaOTAswufix.app on 8,1 to update to 10.15.5 beta. It worked great, used @dosdude1 1.40 patcher to install post patches once installation finished.

Thanks for everyone's hard work


View attachment 902965

I have a MBP 8,1 on 10.15.4 and found that iMovie wouldn’t display imported video clips, I assume it’s a GPU Problem.

By any chance have you tried and/or noticed the same issue?

Does 10.15.5beta fix any issues you were having?

Thanks

 

[eVasilis]

Re-install 10.15.4 , after re-installation don't apply any patch, just boot to usb installer open a terminal and type:
nvram boot-args="-no_compat_check"

I write this because you have a Metal GPU and you can boot with AMFI enabled, so I guess you don't need any patches.

Hi is it possible to install without applying patches having booted from the usb installer or do I need to choose "install onto this machine"? Also, with my mac pro, once I installed without any patches I had no wifi at all. I guess I should only install the legacy wifi patch.

Thanks