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macOS 11 Big Sur on Unsupported Macs Thread

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The first post of this thread is a WikiPost and can be edited by anyone with the appropiate permissions. Your edits will be public.
jackluke said:
This is my attempt for AirPort4360 driver Wifi kext, but is refused from "Big Sur" kernel from prelinking.

I am not skilled to fix symbols, but I guess it is fixable.

Code: 
sudo mount -uw / ; killall Finder

replaced the IO80211Family*.kext with stock Catalina ones

sudo -s
chmod -R 755 /System/Library/Extensions/
chown -R 0:0 /System/Library/Extensions/

kextcache -i /


Executing: /usr/bin/kmutil install --volume-root / --check-rebuild
rebuilding local auxiliary collection
kmutil done

kmutil install --volume-root /
Error: Please specify one of --check-rebuild, --update-all or --force.
Usage: kmutil install [--variant-suffix <variant-suffix>] [--arch <arch>] [--no-authorization]
[--verbose] [--repository <repository> ...] [--volume-root <volume-root>] [--check-rebuild]
[--update-all] [--force] [--authentication] [--no-authentication] [--update-preboot]


kmutil install --update-all


rebuilding release collections: boot, system
rebuilding release collections:
    boot kernel collection
    system kext collection
failed to build release collection:
    One or more binaries has an error which prevented linking.  See other errors.
    Could not use 'com.apple.driver.AppleBCMWLANCore' because:
Cannot find symbol for metaclass pointed to by '__ZN28AppleBCMWLANSkywalkInterface10superClassE'
    com.apple.driver.AppleBCMWLANCore:
        Cannot find symbol for metaclass pointed to by '__ZN28AppleBCMWLANSkywalkInterface10superClassE'
failed to build any collections (expected: 1)
rebuilding local auxiliary collection
kmutil done
Click to expand...
I'm still unable to execute "sudo mount -uw /", it gives me an error
 
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I am using catalinaswufix but I am frozen at 9.56gb of 9.56gb what could be causing it
Screenshot 2020-06-23 at 14.08.36.png
 
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Darkdes said:
I am using catalinaswufix but I am frozen at 9.56gb of 9.56gb what could be causing itView attachment 926545
Click to expand...

At the right of the downloading bar click to reveal the x (cancel) button, then close and re-open System Preferences and download should resume.

The downloaded installer is automatically copied in Catalina /Applications/
(check if it's already there)

Otherwise open /Library/Updates/

remove any folder with numbers, and retry the download without applying the "OTA update fix".

But I'd advise to wait a better method to install, because after the update I encountered a weird new Update APFS Volume with firmware files there.
 
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jackluke said:
At the right of the downloading bar click to reveal the x (cancel) button, then close and re-open System Preferences and download should resume.

The downloaded installer is automatically copied in Catalina /Applications/
(check if it's already there)

Otherwise open /Library/Updates/

remove any folder with numbers, and retry the download without applying the "OTA update fix".
Click to expand...


What does the OTA update patch do and would it matter to not do it
 
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libneko said:
I'm still unable to execute "sudo mount -uw /", it gives me an error
Click to expand...

Try "sudo -s" and then "mount -uw / ; killall Finder"
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Darkdes said:
What does the OTA update patch do and would it matter to not do it
Click to expand...

OTA update patch fix the distribution file to return true to any unsupported machine, if you don't patch it you get a stock "Install macOS beta.app" as downloaded from a supported Mac.
 
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jackluke said:
Try "sudo -s" and then "mount -uw / ; killall Finder"
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OTA update patch fix the distribution file to return true to any unsupported machine, if you don't patch it, in the worst case you get a stock "Install macOS beta.app" as downloaded from a supported Mac.
Click to expand...

I am doing this on another machine that is not my main so I am safe in that department. I was wondering if you could help me with trying the open core method
 
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hintzsche said:
can you explain exactly what you did ?
Click to expand...
This is a small guide I wrote earlier for people on the "macOS on unsupported Macs" Discord server. I followed these steps and got a working and stable install on my MacBook Pro 9,1 (mid 2012 15 inch), but without Wi-Fi support for now.

1. Download pkg from http://swcdn.apple.com/content/down...kxzj3zjshu1srsh4n74a41n4/InstallAssistant.pkg -- this is beta 1
UPDATE: Beta 2 is out, and I'm told it does work. I haven't tested for any potential bugs, but you can download it here and use this InstallAssistant.pkg in place of the Beta 1 version.

http://swcdn.apple.com/content/down...xje070in5dorjoovnmw61x03/InstallAssistant.pkg

2. Download https://forums.macrumors.com/attachments/really-simple-installer-hack-zip.926156/
3. Copy hax.dylib to home folder
4. Boot into recovery
5. Run csrutil disable in Terminal
6. Reboot and run this in Terminal while on current OS - sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.security.libraryvalidation.plist DisableLibraryValidation -bool true
7. Run this in terminal launchctl setenv DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES $PWD/Hax.dylib
8. Open the InstallAssistant.pkg and open the Installer.app in Launchpad / applications folder
9. Wait for install to finish
Final step (only required if trying to boot on machine older than Mid 2012 (?)) - on Catalina or other OS that can access your APFS partition, delete telemetry from /System/Library/UserEventPlugins/com.apple.telemetry.plugin when complete.
 
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Darkdes said:
I am doing this on another machine that is not my main so I am safe in that department. I was wondering if you could help me with trying the open core method
Click to expand...

Opencore even if allow to spoof to a supported machine is still under testing, because you might encounter an unwanted EFI firmware update, I prefer to wait that opencore developers update their binaries to align with BigSur.
 
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jackluke said:
Opencore even if allow to spoof to a supported machine is still under testing, because you might encounter an unwanted EFI firmware update, I prefer to wait that opencore developers update their binaries to align with BigSur.
Click to expand...


I am willing to try it but don't know how exactly I am supposed to install it. the laptop I am using these hacks on is a mid 2012 that I got given to me after there was water spilt into the laptop. I have another that is my main so I am using this damaged one as a testing machine so I am fine if it screws something up
 
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jackluke said:
They are present in BigSur/System/Library/Extensions/AppleIntelHD4000Graphics*.kext

and don't forget its framebuffer: AppleIntelFramebufferCapri.kext

Just make a copy and you can add them easily with kmutil on next release if they remove.
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You should add it to the BigSur prelinkedkernel with kmutil , at the moment only APFS firmware supported HighSierra machine can boot with keyboard and trackpad because they can use the stock BigSur IOUSB kext.
Click to expand...

I’m not really good at playing with prelinkedkernel and kexts so could you explain it in more details ?
 
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Bruno Berchielli said:
Great finding!

I've upgraded my rMBP 15 mid-2012 wifi card years ago due to the lack of AC compatibility. It's a cheap and easy upgrade that is totally worth it.

Hope that's why the first generation of rMBP were put off the table. Because it sure has the necessary horse power to work with Big Sur.
Click to expand...

Adoro ver gente que fala a minha língua por aqui! :)
Translation: I love to see people talks my native language here! :D
 
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Looking forward to seeing if Big Sur can be made to run on my Late 2013 27" iMac (3.5Ghz i7, 32GB RAM, 4GB GTX 780M recently upgraded to 256 SSD last year as my fusion drive died) as it's still flying along for my needs.

I still can't believe Apple has dropped official support. I've even emailed Craig Federighi to query the decision....however I doubt I'll get a reply.
 
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jackluke said:
CatalinaOTAswufix.app (based on @Czo VMMFaker dylib) let to download a full "Big Sur" installer (also on a 2012 Mac or any previously supported Catalina Mac), anyway I advise only to download, but don't try to install it for now.

Weirdly is still indicated as macOS 10.16 not macOS 11 .
Click to expand...
Yes in Disk Utility the boot Volume still reads as 10.16 I think the MacOS 11 thing was more of a cosmetic mention, this of course will change will future builds.
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Vado said:
Looking forward to seeing if Big Sur can be made to run on my Late 2013 27" iMac (3.5Ghz i7, 32GB RAM, 4GB GTX 780M recently upgraded to 256 SSD last year as my fusion drive died) as it's still flying along for my needs.

I still can't believe Apple has dropped official support. I've even emailed Craig Federighi to query the decision....however I doubt I'll get a reply.
Click to expand...
I have it running fine on a 2011, with a patched version I'm sure it will.
 
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hintzsche said:
Thanks is it normal that the installer stays on 3 minutes left vor a long time ?
Click to expand...

Yes
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libneko said:
Nope, still the same output:

mount_apfs: volume could not be mounted: Permission denied
mount: / failed with 66

SIP is disabled.
Click to expand...

If you updated a previous Catalina maybe the main user has been converted to standard user not admin.

Or you used a previously converted from hfs to apfs Volume disk that is different from erasing a new volume in apfs.
 
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Minh_Ton said:
I’m not really good at playing with prelinkedkernel and kexts so could you explain it in more details ?
Click to expand...

I also still don't know how to build a BigSur prelinkedkernel from another macOS, neither from its single user mode.
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highvoltage12v said:
Replacing the io80211family.kext from 10.15 works, there is a new method to rebuild the Kext 'list'.
Click to expand...

Do you used a stock Catalina IO80211Family.kext ? You mean for allowing on BigSur the AirPortBrcm4360 driver ?

I already tried but getting some symbols not resolved for "com.apple.driver.AppleBCMWLANCore"
 
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hintzsche said:
Thank you very much you saved me a lot of research. But what installer .app i just have the installassitant.pkg
Click to expand...
The one in Launchpad that will appear after you install it from InstallAssistant. It's called "Install macOS Beta"
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hintzsche said:
Thanks is it normal that the installer stays on 3 minutes left vor a long time ?
Click to expand...
completely normal, happened to me for ages.
 
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