macOS 11 Big Sur on Unsupported Macs Thread

[MrWeenus]

Created a brand new usb stick with beta9. Patched it with micropatcher. Booted off usb, selected language and got stuck on a gray screen.

 

[amaze1499]

Give it a try, the more people try the more we know if b9 full installer works or not.

Tried full installer B9 16.0.17, patched with MiPa 0.2.2 via USB on MBP mid 2012 13": boots into a grey screen, black menu bar: language chooser - not able to proceed from there

 

[webg3]

	Please can somebody help me? I had a perfect working big sur on my iMac and, without thinking, I stupidly reset the PRAM with Ctrl-Alt-P-R! Now nothing works anymore and I have a blank screen at startup. I tried to re-apply set-bars.sh from the USB key but it doesn’t work... I really need your help From a USB Installer macOS Catalina or Mojave, open the Terminal and run the nvram commands: nvram boot-args="-_no_compat_check" Reboot

 

[buckrock]

OK, add me to the list of users stuck at Language Chooser Gray Screen (LCGS). Keyboard and mouse entry is not possible (can't do Ctrl-F2 choosing). I tried booting into Recovery (Cmd-R) and entering set-vars.sh from there without success. Also tried booting from a BSur beta 6 stick to run set-vars.sh, then switch to the BS beta 9 stick to run the installer from Terminal (I don't have the skill to do this).

I think it seems like that LCGS would work if we didn't have to run set-vars.sh, but unfortunately I couldn't see a way to do that without a restart. Oh well, just when you think it will be easy from here, then Apple does something unforeseen.

Keep working guys -- I have no doubt that some of you have the skill to get around this. Let's hope the official release is nicer to work with!

 

[buckrock]

	From a USB Installer macOS Catalina or Mojave, open the Terminal and run the nvram commands: nvram boot-args="-_no_compat_check" Reboot

I add csrutil disable. I just had to do both of these today.

 

[Jose C. Salazar]

OK, add me to the list of users stuck as Language Chooser Gray Screen (LCGS). Keyboard and mouse entry is not possible (can't do Ctrl-F2 choosing). I tried booting into Recovery (Cmd-R) and entering set-vars.sh from there without success. Also tried booting from a BSur beta 6 stick to run set-vars.sh, then switch to the BS beta 9 stick to run the installer from Terminal (I don't have the skill to do this).

I think it seems like that LCGS would work it we didn't have to run set-vars.sh, but unfortunately I couldn't see a way to do that without a restart. Oh well, just when you think it will be easy from here, then Apple does something unforeseen.

Keep working guys -- I have no doubt that some of you have the skill to get around this. Let's hope the official release is nicer to work with!

in Barry we trust...

 

[Ausdauersportler]

Yes, but you might run into problems, me and Ausdauersportler both ran into troubles, you can read above.

I had a fresh beta 6 installation, copied the beta 9 InstallerAssistant.pkg onto this untouched installation, started the unpacking and tried to use the installer - gave me a blunt "This update cannot be installed on this computer.". All disks where greyed out.

OpenCore and spoofing of a supported board-id comes tomorrow - I will check out for tonight!

EDIT:
This did not work! Could not boot into BigSur using the USBopencore - forbidden sign all the time, regardless which crs and boot-args settings I used.

 

[haralds]

OK, add me to the list of users stuck at Language Chooser Gray Screen (LCGS).

Ditto! Still on beta 6.

 

[Th3odor3]

BSur Beta 9 full installer
Here's the link for beta 9 InstallAssistant.pkg (20A5384c)--(12.17GB) [Edited]
http://swcdn.apple.com/content/down...dtspj7gwuqw8eeoegqw42xe5/InstallAssistant.pkg

how do I make bootable usb with this BSur Beta 9 full installer image?

 

[Th3odor3]

how do I make bootable usb with this BSur Beta 9 full installer image?

I want to install on iMac Late 2013 too.

 

[maxsp97]

how to update Bigsure on MacPro5,1 2012
i try but error, i try with bootable disk, successfully update but not detect on Open Core
thanks b4

I been away after Beta6 and now try to catchup reading...
First big thank you jackluke for creating the USBOpencore4S1.
I used jakeluke USBOpencore4s1 to update my cMP mid 2012 BS Beta6 to Beta9.

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread....2242172/page-179?post=28952250#post-28952250

1. Boot with Option/alt key hold down via OpenCoreAPFSLoader4s1 USB and choose your drive.
2. Run the software update, the package Beta9 is 3.82 GB. This will take awhile to preparing/installing.
3. Again boot with Option/alt key hold down via OpenCoreAPFSLoader4s1 USB and choose 'macOS Installer’.
4. If normal boot grey screen with prohibited sign, you need to boot in Recovery Terminal (command+R) => nvram boot-args="-no_compat_check”. If unable you may use Cat or Big Sur USB installer.
5. Again boot with Option/alt key hold down via OpenCoreAPFSLoader4s1 USB and choose 'macOS Installer’.
6. Now wait for software update finished.
7. Unable to boot without OpenCoreAPFSLoader4s1 USB. You must reboot with OpenCoreAPFSLoader4s1 USB, and follow jakeluke commands at link below.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macos-11-big-sur-on-unsupported-macs-thread.2242172/page-181

 

[buckrock]

how do I make bootable usb with this BSur Beta 9 full installer image?

Go to BarryKN's GitHub, download his latest micropatcher (ver 0.3.2 today). Read his README file. All the steps are expertly given. [Edit] Warning: do not try to use an older micropatcher with Beta 9 -- you will have problems!

Prepare your USB just as if you have a supported Mac (lots of sites give these instructions):

1. Download copy of the macOS Big Sur InstallAssistant.pkg. For BigSur Beta 9 the link was:
http://swcdn.apple.com/content/down...dtspj7gwuqw8eeoegqw42xe5/InstallAssistant.pkg

Run the pkg in Downloads to place Install macOS Big Sur Beta in Applications.

2. Create bootable USB of at least 16GB using DiskUtility. Format as MacOS Extended (Journaled) with GUID Partition Map. I named the stick MacOS.

3. From Terminal type: (note: in this step you are creating your bootable USB installer)

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Big\ Sur\ Beta.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MacOS

Follow the screen’s instructions. After several minutes Terminal will say the Install macOS Big Sur Beta USB was created.

Now follow BarryKN's instructions and let us know if you are successful -- as explained in several posts just above this, no one has been able to get past the gray screen lock.

[Edited 1Oct2020]

 

[Barry K. Nathan]

I ended up with a different link for the beta 9 installer:

http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/21/29/001-51046-A_BJRXOPA9SD/exbngnaq9l2h830qlq8eiiokbzccrxlacl/InstallAssistant.pkg

(I think this is the public beta download link and the other link is the developer beta download link, not that it should make any difference)

I just finished testing for v0.3.0 (I fixed tons of issues compared to the v0.2.2 that I was originally going to release), so I'm going to finish editing the README for that and get that released, then I'll take a look at the beta 9 full installer.

 

[buckrock]

I ended up with a different link for the beta 9 installer:

http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/21/29/001-51046-A_BJRXOPA9SD/exbngnaq9l2h830qlq8eiiokbzccrxlacl/InstallAssistant.pkg

(I think this is the public beta download link and the other link is the developer beta download link, not that it should make any difference)

I just finished testing for v0.3.0 (I fixed tons of issues compared to the v0.2.2 that I was originally going to release), so I'm going to finish editing the README for that and get that released, then I'll take a look at the beta 9 full installer.

Both links are for 001-51046. Did yours come from the sucatalog? I got mine as I stated above via the curl from GitHub. Let us know if you get beyond the gray screen lock.

[Edit]: I just got yet another link: [Note this is the same Developers beta, sorry!]
http://swcdn.apple.com/content/down...dtspj7gwuqw8eeoegqw42xe5/InstallAssistant.pkg

This was from the sucatalog:

https://swscan.apple.com/content/catalogs/others/index-10.16seed-10.16-10.15-10.14-10.13-10.12-10.11-10.10-10.9-mountainlion-lion-snowleopard-leopard.merged-1.sucatalog

Maybe Apple is aware of the gray screen problem.
[Edit again] Ooops! That is the same one I gave earlier. Sorry.

 

[buckrock]

Here's the Catalog for Public release:

https://swscan.apple.com/content/catalogs/others/index-10.16beta-10.16-10.15-10.14-10.13-10.12-10.11-10.10-10.9-mountainlion-lion-snowleopard-leopard.merged-1.sucatalog

And the link for the beta 9:

http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/21/29/001-51046-A_BJRXOPA9SD/exbngnaq9l2h830qlq8eiiokbzccrxlacl/InstallAssistant.pkg

So, yes Barry, yours is the Public beta release.

 

[Barry K. Nathan]

I have now released micropatcher v0.3.0. (Now that I have finished this release, I can take a look at the beta 9 full installer.) Release notes:

The biggest change in this release is that patch-kexts.sh and unpatch-kexts.sh now modify the filesystem with enough precision to satisfy the filesystem verification in Apple's delta updaters. For example, one can now:

• Do a fresh installation of beta 6
• Use patch-kexts.sh to fix WiFi, etc.
• Later use unpatch-kexts.sh, then use jackluke's USBopencore to spoof the model ID and update to beta 9
• And finally use patch-kexts.sh again to fix WiFi again

With previous patcher releases, you would either have to avoid patch-kexts.sh between beta 6 and beta 9, or you would have to reinstall beta 6 before updating to beta 9. With this patcher release, unpatch-kexts.sh is now sufficient, as long as patch-kexts.sh from micropatcher v0.2.1 or earlier has not been used since the last full install. (patch-kexts.sh from v0.2.1 and earlier causes filesystem changes which realistically require a full reinstall in order to reverse; v0.3.0 corrects this.)

patch-kexts.sh command line option processing has been overhauled. This fixes some minor bugs and lays a foundation for future improvements. This change removes some undocumented command line options, but a documented --no-wifi option has also been added, so there is effectively no loss of functionality.

patch-kexts.sh now has --create-snapshot and --no-create-snapshot command line options. Thanks to MachInit for the feature suggestion. This resolves pull request #40

patch-kexts.sh and unpatch-kexts.sh now determine the Volume Name of the volume that is being (un)patched and supply this name to the bless command. This works around the Big Sur bug that generally makes all Big Sur installations show up in the Startup Selector as "EFI Boot", thereby fixing issue #27.

patch-kexts.sh also had bugs in its SIP and authenticated-root checks which caused it to sometimes falsely conclude that SIP was enabled when it was, in fact, disabled. (This was particularly likely to happen for OpenCore users.) I have made corrections to this code.

The Hax.dylib used to patch the Installer now leaves the APFS ROM check enabled. (This resolves issue #49.) Variants of Hax.dylib which disable the APFS ROM check are still compiled and included with the patcher, but they are not yet used in this patcher release.

Finally, there are other bug fixes and code refactoring and improvements which will facilitate future patcher improvements.

GitHub - barrykn/big-sur-micropatcher: A primitive USB patcher for installing macOS Big Sur on unsupported Macs

A primitive USB patcher for installing macOS Big Sur on unsupported Macs - barrykn/big-sur-micropatcher

github.com

 

[Barry K. Nathan]

This was from the sucatalog:
https://swscan.apple.com/content/ca...n-lion-snowleopard-leopard.merged-1.sucatalog

I got mine from the index-10.16beta-10.16-... catalog, not the seed catalog. (The beta catalog is for public beta, the seed catalog is for developer beta.) Edit: I guess I should've read all the posts before replying. Sorry about that.

 

[Barry K. Nathan]

At this point it's looking like (a) my patcher is likely at fault somehow (b) I should be able to use some form of bisecting to find the source of the problem. I guess I'll post again when I know more (or maybe I'll edit this post if nobody replies to the thread first).

Edit: It's related to the installer trampoline. I'm not sure if there's a way for me to fix it or if I'll have to remove the trampoline. I'll know more later tonight. Either way, I'll have to update the patcher.

 

[PalError]

Will there be any easier way of getting this OS installed ? a patch or anything easy?

 

[Toledospod]

Will there be any easier way of getting this OS installed ? a patch or anything easy?

PalError, that is what Barry is working on right now. We have to be patient, these things take time. He is helping us figure out what is causing the issues everyone has been having with the Beta 9 installer.

 

[PalError]

PalError, that is what Barry is working on right now. We have to be patient, these things take time. He is helping us figure out what is causing the issues everyone has been having with the Beta 9 installer.

Hopefully he manages to do so , all the good luck. Damn apple are pushing OSs as they are pushing IOSs they just want to force people to upgrade against their well. I have a MacBook Pro 2012 with 1TB ssd and 16 gigs of Ram , been working great with Catalina and its a monster machine that can run another good 3 years.

 

[vendini]

You must run it from a Mojave or Catalina recovery. Then you can boot again.

Yes, it worked!!! Thank you so much, you saved my Mac ??

 

[vendini]

	From a USB Installer macOS Catalina or Mojave, open the Terminal and run the nvram commands: nvram boot-args="-_no_compat_check" Reboot

Thank you very much for your help!! It worked!!! ?

 

[treee111]

Hopefully he manages to do so , all the good luck. Damn apple are pushing OSs as they are pushing IOSs they just want to force people to upgrade against their well. I have a MacBook Pro 2012 with 1TB ssd and 16 gigs of Ram , been working great with Catalina and its a monster machine that can run another good 3 years.

Even if no one does manage to get it easy to install Big Sur on unsupported Macs you could stay on Catalina and enjoy another 3 years.

 

[Barry K. Nathan]

I have now released v0.3.1 to fix the beta 9 problem. I was able to fix the trampoline after all.

Release notes:

This release fixes the beta 9 Language Chooser/gray screen freeze. There are no other changes in this release.

In a little more detail: Since v0.2.0, the patcher has been using a "trampoline" -- it takes the real installer app, wraps it inside a fake installer app, and then places the fake installer app where the real installer used to be. When you try to start the installer app, the fake app starts, quickly does some preparations, and then hands control over to the real app. This way, there is no need to run Terminal commands before starting the Installer, and it involves less invasive patching than other ways of accomplishing this.

The "trampoline" was structured so that it had a copy of the installer's icon and a couple other files, but it did not have analogous files for the rest of the installer app's contents. This was fine for earlier betas, but apparently the trampoline was too different from the real installer for the beta 9 recovery environment to boot properly. I modified the trampoline so that it now contains what are known as "symbolic links". This way, if any part of the recovery environment tries to access one of the installer app's component files, the symbolic links will ensure that it actually accesses the required file from within the real installer app, rather than getting an unexpected file-not-found error.

GitHub - barrykn/big-sur-micropatcher: A primitive USB patcher for installing macOS Big Sur on unsupported Macs

A primitive USB patcher for installing macOS Big Sur on unsupported Macs - barrykn/big-sur-micropatcher

github.com