macOS 10.15 Catalina on Unsupported Macs

[jackluke]

@jackluke,
• Is your Catalina Dashboard can install -as it should in previous OSes with animation- new widgets? (aside from those native ones)
• Sidecar any further news about working on our unsupported macs? -did you play with it?
• Catalina Notes, could resize manually columns and rows? (Fixed in previous Oses)

1) Unfortunately no, widgets are used only as standalone (launcher) apps, keeping the Mojave /Library/Widgets/ and /System/Library/WidgetResources/

I've also attempt to bring it watching the defaults read com.apple.dashboard (HighSierra and Mojave were a little different) and com.apple.dashboard.client

HighSierra used "dashboard-enabled-state" 1-2-3 while

Mojave used the db-enabled-state=1 (dashboard off)
db-enabled-state=2 (dashboard as space)
db-enabled-state=3 (dashboard as overlay)

2) I've played with Sidecar but I guess there is some sub-check to detect if the GPU support the HEVC H265 encoder/decoder, I guess it would be possible to patch using an H264 GPU, but don't know where is it, could be in SidercarCore, AirPlaySync or other frameworks

or Catalina/usr/libexec/ SidecarDisplayAgent or SidecarRelay

but haven't yet figure it out

3) Apparently the Notes.app (version 4.7) columns and rows are not manual resizable, unless there was a fix I didn't noticed

 

[Appleak]

• Sleep mode natively may start on your Cat. unsupported mac? -Screensaver could play?

 

[jackluke]

• Sleep mode natively may start on your Cat. unsupported mac? -Screensaver could play?

Yes both, Flurry screensaver that was a bug only on Mojave 10.14.4 , on Catalina beta 1 works fine with the others too.

Sleep mode not natively but after @ASentientBot Catalina fixes is working again, while for dualGPUs sleep mode I used my previous MojaveDualGPUfixes.
[doublepost=1560671225][/doublepost]And another good news about 1080p QuickTime videos, seems that from Catalina beta 1 for unsupported Mac is no more required the AppleGVA.framework (privateframework) from HighSierra, since the Catalina one works fine for non-metal GPUs.

1080p QuickTime playback is smooth with Catalina.

 

[arqueox]

Hei @jackluke i just did the command sudo nvram boot-args="-no_compat_check
you recommend to achieve install cat and still it doesn't let me do it. It still says that my mbp isn't supported. Any ideas?

 

[avz]

I am wondering if any of you guys had any success installing macOS on a Volume vs Partition on an unsupported Macs(with APFS ROM applied)? I am currently trapped into thinking that you always have to partition the drive before an installation as installation on a volume would not work. What is your experience?

 

[jackluke]

Hei @jackluke i just did the command sudo nvram boot-args="-no_compat_check
you recommend to achieve install cat and still it doesn't let me do it. It still says that my mbp isn't supported. Any ideas?

the terminal command from a booted macOS is: sudo nvram boot-args="-no_compat_check"

from your typing seems you don't closed "

but it's not that much the issue, to attempt install Catalina you have three ways:

- First you should pre-format your Catalina empty Volume/partition in APFS

1) Using the only reliable working method till now : @ASentientBot's Custom Catalina Installer

2) Attempt (with high risk) the "Calitalina loader" spoofing your Mac as a supported Catalina, apparently some have used it with same your MBP I guess and they worked (but it's not advisable)

3) Clone a Catarina APFS container installation from a Catalina supported Mac



then there should be a 4th way

that is extract from InstallESD.dmg the Core.pkg , then expand the Core Payload folder to a temporary path, edit its "Distribution" as it was Mojave (there are guides how to on unsupported 10.14 thread), then re-creating a CorePatched.pkg, and double clicking it you should be able to install it but over a Mojave APFS Installation.

Or booting from a HighSierra/Mojave Recovery Terminal typing something like this:

mount -uw /
installer -pkg /Volumes/path/CorePatched.pkg -target /Volumes/YourCatalinaAPFSformattedVolume/

edit: installer is a macOS unix command to update through Terminal.


Lastly there is a 5th way that is safer than previous ones, just wait for @dosdude1 Catalina Patcher or @0403979 macOS Patcher beta release.

 

[avz]

the terminal command from a booted macOS is: sudo nvram boot-args="-no_compat_check"

from your typing seems you don't closed "

but it's not that much the issue, to attempt install Catalina you have three ways:

- First you should pre-format your Catalina empty Volume/partition in APFS

1) Using the only reliable working method till now : @ASentientBot's Custom Catalina Installer

2) Attempt (with high risk) the "Calitalina loader" spoofing your Mac as a supported Catalina, apparently some have used it with same your MBP I guess and they worked (but it's not advisable)

3) Clone a Catarina APFS container installation from a Catalina supported Mac



then there should be a 4th way

that is extract from InstallESD.dmg the Core.pkg , then expand the Core Payload folder to a temporary path, edit its "Distribution" as it was Mojave (there are guides how to on unsupported 10.14 thread), then re-creating a CorePatched.pkg, and double clicking it you should be able to install it but over a Mojave APFS Installation.

Or booting from a HighSierra/Mojave Recovery Terminal typing something like this:

mount -uw /
installer -pkg /Volumes/path/CorePatched.pkg -target /Volumes/YourCatalinaAPFSformattedVolume/

edit: installer is a macOS unix command to update through Terminal.


Lastly there is a 5th way that is safer than previous ones, just wait for @dosdude1 Catalina Patcher or @0403979 macOS Patcher beta release.

Just to round things up for the dummies who happen to have a supported machine:

The easiest way at the moment is to connect SSD to the supported machine via USB and install Catalina? I am a bit confused by a lot of talk around cloning. What makes cloning better than an install? Speed?

 

[jackluke]

Just to round things up for the dummies who happen to have a supported machine:

The easiest way at the moment is to connect SSD to the supported machine via USB and install Catalina? I am a bit confused by a lot of talk around cloning. What makes cloning better than an install? Speed?

Exactly, this you wrote "connect SSD to the supported machine via USB and install Catalina" is faster, cleaner and risk free.

 

[0403979]

Hiiiii! Sorry for being so quiet since my post yesterday. I've been busy. I've significantly improved the SkyLight/CoreDisplay patches to a point where I feel they're ready to be tested/improved upon by you guys!

As of yesterday, I had binary patched about 5 different files (including AppKit, yikes) in order to just barely get the system running. Today, I undid that and implemented wrapper binaries for the old frameworks, with stub functions to (mostly) keep things happy -- a much cleaner solution. I just finished doing a full reinstall to re-check everything, and I'm writing this from accelerated Catalina on my 2010 MacBook!

So... on a system with a working framebuffer (which should be achievable by following the same steps as for 10.14.5), you should be able to just replace these two frameworks with the attached copies. No other binary patches needed!!

For convenience I'm also including the fix for the HID timeout, as well as a patched IOSurface.kext that seems to be required to load the nVidia Tesla kexts.

Now for the bad news. Overall, the system is still quite unstable, absolutely not usable as a daily driver yet. For one, most of my rewritten functions are just stubs. So, things like Screen Time (edit: actually seems to be working!) and automatic light/dark switching, which require functions in the new SkyLight? Not working at all. Not sure if they ever will. There is a bit of other weirdness too, like the way that windows can be extended over the Dock -- my stub SLSGetDockRectWithOrientation currently does nothing. And sometimes, stuff just... crashes, and I don't know why yet.

Anyways, have fun! I'm heading to bed, but I hope some of you guys can try this out. I'm definitely struggling a little here, so hopefully some smarter people can help me Speaking of which, @pkouame, how are your efforts going? If we can get this working without the SkyLight replacement altogether, I will have wasted a massive amount of time we will be much more likely to get a usable end product.

Goodnight

Edit: Don't use this -- see my post on page 38 for updated version.

Since you're capable of amazing stuff like this, do you think there's even the slimmest chance that you could help in some way to get acceleration... on the MacBook4,1? Honestly, after seeing this and what you and @netkas have done I'm a bit more hopeful that it could actually be possible. What are your thoughts? Maybe @pkouame (the binary patch master) and @TMRJIJ (the 32-bit Mac master) could chip in on this matter?

 

[jackluke]

Since you're capable of amazing stuff like this, do you think there's even the slimmest chance that you could help in some way to get acceleration... on the MacBook4,1? Honestly, after seeing this and what you and @netkas have done I'm a bit more hopeful that it could actually be possible. What are your thoughts? Maybe @pkouame (the binary patch master) and @TMRJIJ (the 32-bit Mac master) could chip in on this matter?

In few words, those similar machines need a legacy OpenGL acceleration binary patch for "Intel GMA X3100 integrated" GPU or there is no 64 bit GLDriver available from apple ?

In the first case, I guess @ASentientBot for what has shown would be capable to attempt something, if owned a similar machine.

 

[0403979]

In few words, those similar machines need a legacy OpenGL acceleration patch for "Intel GMA X3100 integrated" GPU or there is no 64 bit GLDriver available from apple ?

They do need that patch. Maybe a similar style wrapper to the 10.15 acceleration patches could be made for the 10.7 OpenGL/CL drivers to run on 10.14 and maybe even 10.15?

 

[TMRJIJ]

In few words, those similar machines need a legacy OpenGL acceleration patch for "Intel GMA X3100 integrated" GPU or there is no 64 bit GLDriver available from apple ?

It looks like Apple attempted it in OS X 10.6.2 or 10.6.3, but later dropped due to graphical issues.

 

[0403979]

They do need that patch. Maybe a similar style wrapper to the 10.15 acceleration patches could be made for the 10.7 OpenGL/CL drivers to run on 10.14 and maybe even 10.15?

I realise this is a really tall order but I have a test machine and I don't really know if it's impossible anymore after the breakthroughs others have made.
[doublepost=1560695690][/doublepost]

It looks like Apple attempted it in OS X 10.6.2 or 10.6.3, but later dropped due to graphical issues.

To go along with this: I'm basically just waiting for a few different files from @dosdude1 and then macOS Patcher 3 beta will be out so I think we can start discussing OS X Patcher privately or publicly on a thread if you want?

 

[TMRJIJ]

I realise this is a really tall order but I have a test machine and I don't really know if it's impossible anymore after the breakthroughs others have made.
[doublepost=1560695690][/doublepost]
To go along with this: I'm basically just waiting for a few different files from @dosdude1 and then macOS Patcher 3 beta will be out so I think we can start discussing OS X Patcher privately or publicly on a thread if you want?

Yeah. Whatever works best for you guys. I’m available on here, GitHub, Skype, Slack, and Discord

 

[0403979]

Yeah. Whatever works best for you guys. I’m available on here, GitHub, Skype, Slack, and Discord

I think Discord would work best for quick communication. Would you mind DMing me your username and tag?

 

[avz]

I was able to get to the login screen on a MacBook5,1 but unable to type a password. Looks like LegacyUSBInjector is not enough or I did not do it right. Anybody had a success with the late 2008 unibody MacBook?

 

[Starplayr]

Why the need for telemetry from High Sierra?
My 3,1's running well without it.

Testing to see if it finds your country on first boot of a clean install. I have a hunch it uses it. Otherwise the country gets buried in the list.

Plus rather than yanking it completely, it runs fine with the one from HS.
[doublepost=1560697548][/doublepost]I was restoring a clean install and at the end it said, found snapshots and was unable to invert the drive. The ASR man page explosions it. I am going to try removing the snapshot from the clean install and reclone. May convert the system to read write and do this on the clone. So far I can backup to a disk image extremely fast. Restoring is slower and Apple just makes it more difficult when going to a different size volume. They tools still fell rather new. Using hdiutil to image and asr to restore.

 

[jackluke]

I was able to get to the login screen on a MacBook5,1 but unable to type a password. Looks like LegacyUSBInjector is not enough or I did not do it right. Anybody had a success with the late 2008 unibody MacBook?

@testheit, without replacing any IOUSB*.kext, did installed only manually the LegacyUSBInjector.kext (don't know if put in /L/E/ or /S/L/E/), but he did from a supported Mac, then copied the prelinkedkernel generated (with LegacyUSB embedded in) to his 2009 machine, he could share his prelinkedkernel, even if I guess it won't be suffice, but you can give a try.

 

[pkouame]

@testheit, without replacing any IOUSB*.kext, did installed only manually the LegacyUSBInjector.kext (don't know if put in /L/E/ or /S/L/E/), but he did from a supported Mac, then copied the prelinkedkernel generated (with LegacyUSB embedded in) to his 2009 machine, he could share his prelinkedkernel, even if I guess it won't be suffice, but you can give a try.

Both my unsupported machines mbp 5,3 and mp 3,1 are running without having to replace IOUSB kexts. Haven’t run extensive tests, but am running very barebones just to test. So far no real problems with any USB devices.
[doublepost=1560698863][/doublepost]

@testheit, without replacing any IOUSB*.kext, did installed only manually the LegacyUSBInjector.kext (don't know if put in /L/E/ or /S/L/E/), but he did from a supported Mac, then copied the prelinkedkernel generated (with LegacyUSB embedded in) to his 2009 machine, he could share his prelinkedkernel, even if I guess it won't be suffice, but you can give a try.

All my kexts are in S/L/E. Never had to install in L/E.

 

[jackluke]

All my kexts are in S/L/E. Never had to install in L/E.

Ok, but they work also from there, I just read the kextcache manual:

/System/Library/Extensions/
        The standard system repository of kernel extensions.

     /Library/Extensions/
        The standard repository of non Apple kernel extensions.

     /System/Library/Caches/com.apple.kext.caches/
        Contains system kext info caches for a Mac OS X system.

     /System/Library/PrelinkedKernels/
        Contains prelinked kernel for a Mac OS X system.

     /System/Library/Kernels/kernel
        The default kernel file.

     /usr/standalone/bootcaches.plist
        Describes specific kext cache files for a Mac OS X volume.

     /System/Library/Caches/com.apple.bootstamps/
        Contains timestamp information about kext caches.

     /Library/StagedExtensions/
        A directory used to stage copies of kernel extensions during valida-
        tion and loading.

 

[pkouame]

I was able to get to the login screen on a MacBook5,1 but unable to type a password. Looks like LegacyUSBInjector is not enough or I did not do it right. Anybody had a success with the late 2008 unibody MacBook?

It was a while ago since I created my prelinked but it got me to single user and eventually to login. I seem to remember a problem with the perms on the few kexts I installed. You may want to check that and chown and chmod again if necessary.
[doublepost=1560699415][/doublepost]

Ok, but they work also from there, I just read the kextcache manual:

/System/Library/Extensions/
        The standard system repository of kernel extensions.

     /Library/Extensions/
        The standard repository of non Apple kernel extensions.

     /System/Library/Caches/com.apple.kext.caches/
        Contains system kext info caches for a Mac OS X system.

     /System/Library/PrelinkedKernels/
        Contains prelinked kernel for a Mac OS X system.

     /System/Library/Kernels/kernel
        The default kernel file.

     /usr/standalone/bootcaches.plist
        Describes specific kext cache files for a Mac OS X volume.

     /System/Library/Caches/com.apple.bootstamps/
        Contains timestamp information about kext caches.

     /Library/StagedExtensions/
        A directory used to stage copies of kernel extensions during valida-
        tion and loading.

Since I never had to muck with L/E before, I decided to keep it simple.
[doublepost=1560699606][/doublepost]

Testing to see if it finds your country on first boot of a clean install. I have a hunch it uses it. Otherwise the country gets buried in the list.

Plus rather than yanking it completely, it runs fine with the one from HS.
[doublepost=1560697548][/doublepost]I was restoring a clean install and at the end it said, found snapshots and was unable to invert the drive. The ASR man page explosions it. I am going to try removing the snapshot from the clean install and reclone. May convert the system to read write and do this on the clone. So far I can backup to a disk image extremely fast. Restoring is slower and Apple just makes it more difficult when going to a different size volume. They tools still fell rather new. Using hdiutil to image and asr to restore.

You’re right. When I created my image on supported I stopped before setup figuring I wanted to complete that on the target machine instead. I also had to hunt for the proper country on setup. Usually it defaults to US (in my case) I just thought it was a Catalina glitch that would be fixed later. Dunno...

 

[jackluke]

It was a while ago since I created my prelinked but it got me to single user and eventually to login. I seem to remember a problem with the perms on the few kexts I installed. You may want to check that and chown and chmod again if necessary.
[doublepost=1560699415][/doublepost]
Since I never had to muck with L/E before, I decided to keep it simple.

I thought from there /L/E/ they were dynamically loaded , but instead LegacyUSBInjector.kext must be embedded in Catalina prelinkedkernel otherwise no single user mode (chown/chmod) inputs for pre-2010 machines.

That's why I guess if someone share a prelinkedkernel maybe could work.

 

[pkouame]

Yeah. Whatever works best for you guys. I’m available on here, GitHub, Skype, Slack, and Discord

You mentioned a while ago, that actually patching OpenGL was attempted without success. You mind on expanding on that a bit? You guys have the (valuable) history on that.
[doublepost=1560700046][/doublepost]

I thought from there /L/E/ they were dynamically loaded , but instead LegacyUSBInjector.kext must be embedded in Catalina prelinkedkernel otherwise no single user mode (chown/chmod) inputs for pre-2010 machines.

That's why I guess if someone share a prelinkedkernel maybe could work.

I can post my somewhere if that will help?

 

[testheit]

I was able to get to the login screen on a MacBook5,1 but unable to type a password. Looks like LegacyUSBInjector is not enough or I did not do it right. Anybody had a success with the late 2008 unibody MacBook?

I have a MBP5,1 and for me it was sufficient to delete the telemetry plugin AND include the LegacyUSB.. kext. But it is important to rebuild the prelinkedkernel. I used another supported machine for that. Unfortunately I haven’t a prelinkedkernel with just the added LegacyUSB... anymore. Don’t know if my current one helps you...

Edit:
I put the kext in /L*/Extrnsions as it’s not an apple kext (also @dosdude1 patcher puts it there)

 

[TMRJIJ]

You mentioned a while ago, that actually patching OpenGL was attempted without success. You mind on expanding on that a bit? You guys have the (valuable) history on that.

Well, I certainly had no idea what I was doing then but from discussions with MLforAll, the frameworks he patched failed to get passed the login screen. WindowServer crashes happened immediately when it begins to draw the UI. I think he was also trying to rewrite the kernel as well but I don’t really know what he was changing.

Additionally, I tried emailing an Apple Engineer regarding some input. They redirected me to Intel and said everything I needed they had but I never gotten any response from them