macOS 10.15 Catalina on Unsupported Macs

[GSXB]

Beta 2 up and running with dosdudes patcher
All working good. ? No WiFi is there a fix

 

[jackluke]

Yes, only on my 3,1.

Probably right. I wanted help the process by finding what could work from a minimalistic point of view and at first that wasn't even my goal. I wanted to just hammer out what was already done, but it ended up taking a slight turn and I think for the better.

If your system if listed in the Legacy USB, that's a gold nugget. I will find out if that's true on B2. When I took IOUSBFamily and IOUSBHostFamily from previous patches or even messed with parts of their Kext's on Apple's latest or previous, I started finding things that worked and didn't work and came to the conclusion what if I just used the Legacy USB by itself with Apple's Kext's. And things just lit up on reboot.

I even transplanted the USB Bus kext from Mojave to Catalina and my Magic Trackpad 2 worked but it busted the USB webcam that worked without another driver (did not even need the manufacture's driver). I knew I was close and it should all just work.
[doublepost=1560917919][/doublepost]I am restoring Beta 2 now and will be testing my set of patching on it shortly right before I go to bed.

Here are my commands for restoring a disk via asr.

diskutil list | grep Catalina2

1: APFS Volume Catalina2 - Data 57.1 GB disk7s1
4: APFS Volume Catalina2 10.1 GB disk7s4

diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk7

Unmount of all volumes on disk7 was successful

Here rdisk can be used and it will speed things up by 3x.

sudo asr restore --source /Volumes/Space/CatalinaB2/Cat_cleaninstall.dmg --target /dev/rdisk7 -erase -noprompt -noverify

Password:
Validating target...done
Validating source...done
Retrieving scan information...done
Validating sizes...nx_kernel_mount:1387: : checkpoint search: largest xid 772, best xid 772 @ 31
done
Restoring ....10....20....30....40....50....60....70....80....90....100
Inverting target volume...done
Updating Failed to stat file /Volumes/Cat 1/AppleInternal, error No such file or directory
....10....20....30....40....50....60....70....80....90....100
Ejecting the source image...done
Restored target device is /dev/disk7s1.

diskutil mountDisk /dev/disk7

Volume(s) mounted successfully

That was done in how long it took to write this message.

Then run patches.

Rebuild Prelinked Kernel manually for now on Beta2.

This restore was from a 32 GB drive to a 500 GB. asr handled it great!

Yes, but with diskutility's asr you can't do the opposite I mean restore a 500 gb volume (with 25 gb used) to a 32 gb volume.

Unless you re-partition or reduce the 500 gb volume, but if it's APFS container, it doesn't make you go below a certain threshold so I guess less than 32 gb are not allowed in that case.

If I don't get wrong the minimum reduction for a 500 gb APFS volume is 40-50 gb .

So in this case "ditto" (or "dd" but not sure of this) method was more suitable.
Or also Clonezilla as @jowaju suggested earlier.

 

[dosdude1]

Hi Guys, I am really struggling here, I downloaded Dosdudes patch the most up to date one 11 I think, and his downloader tool and got Catalina, I created the installer on a 16gb flash drive as per instructions all went well, now I did all this on my MP 3.1 running Mojave, I planned to install Catalina on a 256 GB SSD formatted in APFS I have spare in my 3.1, all went well until the final boot up and all that happened was it booted up to Mojave and not Catalina, now I know I must have screwed up somewhere, but I am not as advanced in this kind of stuff as you brilliant guys and need a hand to guide me, I do have an early 2015 MBP that I have installed the Catalina Beta on as native and it runs great. So that can be put to use to help out if necessary, so help please !!

Keith

In order for the current Catalina PartialPatcher version to work, your system ROM needs to support booting APFS natively. You can add this functionality using my APFS ROM Patcher tool (zip password: "apfs").

 

[arqueox]

Have an idea. People share your settings, by model, of which kexts, framework and privateframework were necessary to run the OS with acceleration. I think it would be useful to people who don't want to wait for the patch. And it's useful, in a way that more and more people would discover bugs and something that is not quite well. It is a help needed for the developers making the patches.
What do you think guys? I think at this point there is a lot of information and it's a bit confusing reading about 3,1 models 6 or 8,1. And apfs compatible machines or not. Every machine is different and we should start making lists to organise information available at this point. If you do not agree, that's fine. Keep up the good work fellows.

 

[MacManMatt]

Have an idea. People share your settings, by model, of which kexts, framework and privateframework were necessary to run the OS with acceleration. I think it would be useful to people who don't want to wait for the patch. And it's useful, in a way that more and more people would discover bugs and something is not quite well. It is a help needed for the developers making the patches.
What do you think guys? I think at this point there is a lot of information and it's a bit confusing reading about 3,1 models 6 or 8,1. And apfs compatible machines or not. Every machine is different and we should start making lists to organise information available at this point. If you do not agree, that's fine. Keep up the good work fellows.

I think its a good idea, I'm chasing what I require to get my MacBook Pro 8,2 (Late 2011) WiFi, Audio and Intel HD 3000 working.

 

[arqueox]

I think its a good idea, I'm chasing what I require to get my MacBook Pro 8,2 (Late 2011) WiFi, Audio and Intel HD 3000 working.

Yeah, it is confusing at this point.

 

[kingsman12]

In order for the current Catalina PartialPatcher version to work, your system ROM needs to support booting APFS natively. You can add this functionality using my APFS ROM Patcher tool (zip password: "apfs").

hi haw are you not worek

 

[avz]

You're right, since Catalina needs to find in root its /S/L/Kernels/ and SLE , so it's not easy to add the LegacyUSBInjector.kext unless you have access to a 2010 (or later) Mac.

Anyway you could try to use the dosdude1's prelinkedkernel in /macOS Catalina PartialPatcher.app/Contents/Resources/
that is a generalized prelinkedkernel for all the unsupported machine, if I don't get wrong with this prelinkedkernel the LegacyUSBPatch is already embedded in and you don't need to copy again that kext inside LE or SLE.

This should allow to use keyboard/mouse in single user mode or better in GUI Mode, since from single user mode you can't "kextcache" and so for this scope is of little use.

It is funny how I was about to ask a very similar thing. The guys with 2010-2011 Macs probably don't even realise how lucky they really are.
I thought to myself that using a supported Mac for the Catalina install is really for the wimps only, so I decided to be a hero and created a Catalina installer(similar to ASentientBot's method) on a 10GB partition on my MacBook5,1. All is well, I am booting into nice Catalina recovery environment only to find out that I cannot use mouse/keyboard/trackpad. Needless to say I was not expecting this.
So now even a BaseSystem somehow needs a LegacyUSBInjector? Any more insight @jackluke ?

 

[jackluke]

It is funny how I was about to ask a very similar thing. The guys with 2010-2011 Macs probably don't even realise how lucky they really are.
I thought to myself that using a supported Mac for the Catalina install is really for the wimps only, so I decided to be a hero and created a Catalina installer(similar to ASentientBot's method) on a 10GB partition on my MacBook5,1. All is well, I am booting into nice Catalina recovery environment only to find out that I cannot use mouse/keyboard/trackpad. Needless to say I was not expecting this.
So now even a BaseSystem somehow needs a LegacyUSBInjector? Any more insight @jackluke ?

2010-2011 machines IOUSB*.kext for a strange (apple) reason work OOB starting only from Mojave 10.14.5 , otherwise before that release needed too the IOUSB*.kext legacy patches.

Yes, for pre-2010 machines also for the BaseSystem is required the LegacyUSBInjection, however I guess if you use from dosdude1's "macOS Catalina PartialPatcher.app"/Contents/Resources/prelinkedkernel

and copy it inside your CatalinaBaseSystem/System/Library/PrelinkedKernels/

it should work and allow to use all the usb input devices, in particular keyboard/trackpad/mouse .

 

[avz]

2010-2011 machines IOUSB*.kext for a strange (apple) reason work OOB starting only from Mojave 10.14.5 , otherwise before that release needed too the IOUSB*.kext legacy patches.

Yes, for pre-2010 machines also for the BaseSystem is required the LegacyUSBInjection, however I guess if you use from dosdude1's "macOS Catalina PartialPatcher.app"/Contents/Resources/prelinkedkernel

and copy it inside your CatalinaBaseSystem/System/Library/PrelinkedKernels/

it should work and allow to use all the usb input devices, in particular keyboard/trackpad/mouse .

Just to confirm, I need to make BaseSystem.dmg as read/write on my 10GB Catalina Installer partition and then copy"macOS Catalina PartialPatcher.app"/Contents/Resources/prelinkedkernel to the Catalina Installer BaseSystem/System/Library/PrelinkedKernels/?

 

[visberry]

What are the requirements for the Apple Watch authentication and is there any way to enable this, or is this just a Handoff extension?

 

[jackluke]

Just to confirm, I need to make BaseSystem.dmg as read/write on my 10GB Catalina Installer partition and then copy"macOS Catalina PartialPatcher.app"/Contents/Resources/prelinkedkernel to the Catalina Installer BaseSystem/System/Library/PrelinkedKernels/?

I thought you referred to restore a Catalina Basesystem.dmg to an empty volume to create a kind of Recovery, but it should work also in the other way, putting temporary read/write the Basesystem.dmg .

 

[testheit]

beta2 runs good on my MBP5,1

 

[avz]

I thought you referred to restore a Catalina Basesystem.dmg to an empty volume to create a kind of Recovery, but it should work also in the other way, putting temporary read/write the Basesystem.dmg .

I think I am just confusing myself and everybody else.
Your solution has worked (as always)! Now I am able to use keyboard/trackpad. When I press Re-install macOS Catalina, I am getting: "This copy of macOS is damaged" error. Is it just a matter of setting the right date?

 

[crazybirdy]

Just to confirm, I need to make BaseSystem.dmg as read/write on my 10GB Catalina Installer partition and then copy"macOS Catalina PartialPatcher.app"/Contents/Resources/prelinkedkernel to the Catalina Installer BaseSystem/System/Library/PrelinkedKernels/?

You need to do nothing.
Just use the patched BaseSystem.dmg which is made by "macOS Catalina PartialPatcher.app".

 

[arqueox]

@jackluke friend, instead of using single user mode to change the framework patches, is it possible to use the terminal from recovery Catalina from @dosdude1 installer? And do the same?
Thnx

 

[avz]

You need to do nothing.
Just use the patched BaseSystem.dmg which is made by "macOS Catalina PartialPatcher.app".

I am still with Beta 1 though. I believe the current patcher does not work with the Cat B1?

 

[jackluke]

You need to do nothing.
Just use the patched BaseSystem.dmg which is made by "macOS Catalina PartialPatcher.app".

Right, but I used the other @ASentientBot method (with a little modification in my case) that is createinstallmedia that keeps the full CatalinaInstaller.app as is, then replacing inside the InstallESD.dmg (RW shadow volume) the OSInstall.mpkg (apple signed) from HighSierra.

However I was able also to create a custom BaseSystem.dmg and embed it there keeping all the (shadowed patched) dmgs mounted in RAMdisk when you boot targeting this USB Drive.

I add some picture in a while.

 

[crazybirdy]

I am still with Beta 1 though. I believe the current patcher does not work with the Cat B1?

Then, you may need to download B2 full installer app now.

 

[avz]

Right, but I used the other @ASentientBot method (with a little modification in my case) that is createinstallmedia that keeps the full CatalinaInstaller.app as is, then replacing inside the InstallESD.dmg (RW shadow volume) the OSInstall.mpkg (apple signed) from HighSierra.

However I was able also to create a custom BaseSystem.dmg and embed it there keeping all the (shadowed patched) dmgs mounted in RAMdisk when you boot targeting this USB Drive.

I add some picture in a while.

This is exactly what I meant earlier by making a r/w BaseSystem.dmg, in my case I will have to use El Cap instead of High Sierra though. Do you think it is doable?
[doublepost=1560938960][/doublepost]

Then, you may need to download B2 full installer app now.

I am out of data to do 6.5GB downloads.

 

[crazybirdy]

Right, but I used the other @ASentientBot method (with a little modification in my case) that is createinstallmedia that keeps the full CatalinaInstaller.app as is, then replacing inside the InstallESD.dmg (RW shadow volume) the OSInstall.mpkg (apple signed) from HighSierra.

However I was able also to create a custom BaseSystem.dmg and embed it there keeping all the (shadowed patched) dmgs mounted in RAMdisk when you boot targeting this USB Drive.

I add some picture in a while.

I see, that's a different way to install it before @dosdude1's patcher.
[doublepost=1560939435][/doublepost]

I am out of data to do 6.5GB downloads.

Then, you need 1.0b3 patcher for B1. It makes everything easier.

 

[jackluke]

This is exactly what I meant earlier by making a r/w BaseSystem.dmg, in my case I will have to use El Cap instead of High Sierra though. Do you think it is doable?
[doublepost=1560938960][/doublepost]

I am out of data to do 6.5GB downloads.

Using an El Capitan's OSInstall.mpkg should work too without issues.
[doublepost=1560943060][/doublepost]

I see, that's a different way to install it before @dosdude1's patcher.
[doublepost=1560939435][/doublepost]
Then, you need 1.0b3 patcher for B1. It makes everything easier.

I know that to create a Catalina Installer (for unsupported machines) both your method and dosdude1 work, but also the @ASentientBot one allowed to customize the Installer boot menu, adding for example the dosdude1 Mojave Post Install.app, that putting inside a Catalina BaseSystem.dmg will work , except that "Video Legacy Patch" needs to be updated with SkyLight.framework, CoreDisplay.framework, IOSurface.kext and IOHIDFamily.kext to reflect @ASentientBot new Catalina patches, but all the other retro-patches are Mojave confirmed.

The pictures showed are booting from a full (manually patched) CatalinaInstall.app (with all the dmgs inside as stock createinstallmedia) and pre-patched with shadow volume to allow inject the required modifications.

For InstallESD.dmg just this /Packages/OSInstall.mpkg (HighSierra apple signed)
For BaseSystem.dmg just the "Mojave Post Install.app" in /S/Applications/Utilities/
and Utilities.plist customized

And on my root CatalinaAPFSVolume /System/Library/CoreServices/SystemVersion.plist (from HighSierra) to allow an in-place upgrade over a previous Catalina.

 

[startergo]

I was able to rebuild the prelinked kernel Manually in Beta2. Apple fixed their AppleUSBAudioKextSigning In b2.

Sseeing if my patch script takes on b2. If successful, I will add the commands. If not successful, I’ll troubleshoot the differences in B1 and B2.
[doublepost=1560920867][/doublepost]

With running this command to rebuild:

sudo kextcache -system-prelinked-kernel

on Beta 2.

My b1 patch script works fine. I will add in that command as well as

sudo kextcache -system-cache

before reboot happens.

That will be in my b2 script soon.

If you have any suggestions on the prelinked rebuild commands, especially for running it on another target, please let me know. I'd like some good advice there for the script.

I am happy to report rebuilding the prelinked is working for me on Beta2 and it was required this time around for the patches to take unlike Beta1 that would let stuff run in the Wild. Boot of course is even faster. Guess it does not rebuild on it's own even when if says ...kext triggered rebuild. Just means to rebuild it. Got it. Apple has fixed my issue with it, so I will be adding it to my next script 01b2 eta 24hrs.

Least Beta2 is not much more trouble than B1. I don't know about Dosdude1's installer yet. I have not used it. I've been doing the transfer thing instead using HDIUTIL and ASR commands. I will test Dosdude1's solution soon.

View attachment 843833
[doublepost=1560920962][/doublepost]
I don't think iTunes will run on Catalina. It's a bit of a pain with iPadOS install needing Mojave still.

So here is a scenario:
If I install it from a MacBookpro15,1 to a cMP5,1 in a target disk mode do I need to run:

sudo kextcache -system-prelinked-kernel
sudo kextcache -system-cache

?

 

[0403979]

Acceleration achieved on DP2!

View attachment 843591 View attachment 843597

Yay!

Unfortunately, I feel that this effort will soon come to an end if we can't find a better solution than replacing the entire SkyLight and CoreDisplay. But for now, I made stuff happy again by stubbing out another several functions. (It only took so long because dumbass me somehow removed the symlinks inside the OpenGL framework in the process of copying it, and apparently those are necessary.)

It's late so I don't have time to thoroughly test, but it seems much the same as before. Key differences include an actually read-only filesystem, some nice "Loading..." text in Finder's columns view, and a lot of changes to what seems to be mostly accessibility-related display code. (Related: none of the display-related accessibility features in System Preferences really work at the moment due to my stub functions not actually doing anything.)

Anyways, a new CoreDisplay.framework (the SkyLight wrapper is unchanged) is attached for those who want to be on the bleeding edge. Good luck and goodnight.

Would you mind sharing the source for this new version?

 

[crazybirdy]

Using an El Capitan's OSInstall.mpkg should work too without issues.
[doublepost=1560943060][/doublepost]

I know that to create a Catalina Installer (for unsupported machines) both your method and dosdude1 work, but also the @ASentientBot one allowed to customize the Installer boot menu, adding for example the dosdude1 Mojave Post Install.app, that putting inside a Catalina BaseSystem.dmg will work , except that "Video Legacy Patch" needs to be updated with SkyLight.framework, CoreDisplay.framework, IOSurface.kext and IOHIDFamily.kext to reflect @ASentientBot new Catalina patches, but all the other retro-patches are Mojave confirmed.

The pictures showed are booting from a full (manually patched) CatalinaInstall.app (with all the dmgs inside as stock createinstallmedia) and pre-patched with shadow volume to allow inject the required modifications.

For InstallESD.dmg just this /Packages/OSInstall.mpkg (HighSierra apple signed)
For BaseSystem.dmg just the "Mojave Post Install.app" in /S/Applications/Utilities/
and Utilities.plist customized

And on my root CatalinaAPFSVolume /System/Library/CoreServices/SystemVersion.plist (from HighSierra) to allow an in-place upgrade over a previous Catalina.

Good job, that's a great solution for unsupported machines.