macOS 11 Big Sur on Unsupported Macs Thread

[Barry K. Nathan]

Hi
Trying to update to last beta on my Mac mini 2011 using micropatcher 0.4.4
When applying patch-kexts.sh —2011 got these errors. Both from the booted installation or from the Usb stick. What should I do?

You're just the second person to report this error (throughout the entire time that the patcher has been under development). Unfortunately, this is an error that I have not been able to reproduce myself.

Did you do a clean install, or did you upgrade from an older version of macOS? What was the last version of macOS you clean installed? On all the macOS releases since your last clean install, what patchers did you use? (I'm guessing it's just Catalina and/or Mojave that would have been patched -- or did you ever install any kind of AMD Radeon drivers aside from what comes with the OS or a patcher?) I realize this is kind of an invasive/difficult set of questions, and if you don't remember the answers to all of these questions then that's OK, but if I could reproduce this bug myself, it would be so much easier to create a reliable fix.

Try what @jackluke suggested, and see if that fixes the problem. (It did not previously occur to me that there might be AMD graphics kexts on the data volume somehow.)

 

[amaze1499]

@Barry K. Nathan Beta 11.0.1 20B5012d with 0.5.0C , MBP 13" mid 2012 non retina - update went as smooth as a baby bottom.

Thank you. Your work is much appreciated.

P.S.: Wondering why Apple still calls that thing 10.16...

 

[Barry K. Nathan]

P.S.: Wondering why Apple still calls that thing 10.16...

If I remember correctly, macOS 11 determines whether to report the actual version or the fake 10.16 version depending on what SDK the software was compiled against. (In other words, Geekbench might need an update.)

 

[Jeanphil]

You're just the second person to report this error (throughout the entire time that the patcher has been under development). Unfortunately, this is an error that I have not been able to reproduce myself.

Did you do a clean install, or did you upgrade from an older version of macOS? What was the last version of macOS you clean installed? On all the macOS releases since your last clean install, what patchers did you use? (I'm guessing it's just Catalina and/or Mojave that would have been patched -- or did you ever install any kind of AMD Radeon drivers aside from what comes with the OS or a patcher?) I realize this is kind of an invasive/difficult set of questions, and if you don't remember the answers to all of these questions then that's OK, but if I could reproduce this bug myself, it would be so much easier to create a reliable fix.

Try what @jackluke suggested, and see if that fixes the problem. (It did not previously occur to me that there might be AMD graphics kexts on the data volume somehow.)

Hi Barry
I’ve updated from previous beta which was clean installed on an external ssd connected by usb2. I never installed other kext, and used micropatcher 4.0 to install the previous beta. I just tried jackluke suggestion and now have the following error

 

[Barry K. Nathan]

Hi Barry
I’ve updated from previous beta which was clean installed on an external ssd connected by usb2. I never installed other kext, and used micropatcher 4.0 to install the previous beta. I just tried jackluke suggestion and now have the following error

Wow. That error is actual forward progress.

Adding --2010 between "patch-kexts.sh" and "/Volumes/whatever" might be able to work around the problem. (If it fails, it will probably produce a different error message, which might itself be helpful.)

Edit: Or another approach would be to repeat @jackluke's instructions, except this time replace "rm -r AMD* ATI*" with "rm -r *Tesla*"

 

[Bmju]

I've written an updated bootable EDK2 efi (inspired by @Barry K. Nathan's setvars program):

It is for setting boot-args and applying csrutil enable/disable at boot, quickly, without having to boot into Recovery, it can be easily installed onto any FAT USB stick.

It should be useful if you are trying to co-exist with OpenCore: i.e. sometimes boot with OpenCore and sometimes boot without it. Maybe also if you need to set and unset csrutil enable/disable a lot, for any reason. Download and instructions here. Currently only compiled for x64.

May be worth mentioning that, even if you do find something like this useful, my earlier, simpler alternative to just very quickly set boot-args="-no_compat_check" with no UI may be enough already, and is here.

 

[jackluke]

Wow. That error is actual forward progress.

Adding --2010 between "patch-kexts.sh" and "/Volumes/whatever" might be able to work around the problem. (If it fails, it will probably produce a different error message, which might itself be helpful.)

Edit: Or another approach would be to repeat @jackluke's instructions, except this time replace "rm -r AMD* ATI*" with "rm -r *Tesla*"

So who encountered those kmutil issues updated a patched Mojave or Catalina (not advisable also apple suggested to use a separate container), for my testing when a "BigSur OTA AssetData update" or "full InstallAssistant" is on stage2 installer, only the APFS System Volume is erased and overwritten, while the Data Volume is kept , that's why I guessed that kmutil could fail with AuxiliaryKernelExtensions especially when kext are similar to Extensions already present on BKE or SKE .

Anyway don't know if you noticed too this other issue, but when Nvidia Tesla framebuffer is loaded iSight webcam crashed (maybe it's due to a video plugin) instead with basic graphics kext the internal webcam works.

 

[Mark Meretz]

OffTopic

can you install this card in an iMac 2011 i still have one of them ?

Original Apple Airport Extreme Card 802.11ac BCM94360CD

Greetz SirusX

 

[Barry K. Nathan]

So who encountered those kmutil issues updated a patched Mojave or Catalina (not advisable also apple suggested to use a separate container), for my testing when a "BigSur OTA AssetData update" or "full InstallAssistant" is on stage2 installer, only the APFS System Volume is erased and overwritten, while the Data Volume is kept , that's why I guessed that kmutil could fail with AuxiliaryKernelExtensions especially when kext are similar to Extensions already present on BKE or SKE .

Anyway don't know if you noticed too this other issue, but when Nvidia Tesla framebuffer is loaded iSight webcam crashed (maybe it's due to a video plugin) instead with basic graphics kext the internal webcam works.

I'll test the webcam on my MacBook6,1 the next time I try Big Sur on it (so sometime in the coming week, probably).

Whenever I tried upgrading from a dosdude1-patched Catalina to Big Sur, the Big Sur installer successfully erased the legacy GPU kexts. (However, there were other weird problems I couldn't figure out, except that doing a Big Sur Time Machine backup then clean Big Sur install then Time Machine restore was sufficient to fix them. I should try to take a look at this again soon.)

 

[Ausdauersportler]

iMac 12,2 as usual

Got a smooth installation using the beta 11 full installer and micro patcher 0.4.4

 

[Jeanphil]

Wow. That error is actual forward progress.

Adding --2010 between "patch-kexts.sh" and "/Volumes/whatever" might be able to work around the problem. (If it fails, it will probably produce a different error message, which might itself be helpful.)

Edit: Or another approach would be to repeat @jackluke's instructions, except this time replace "rm -r AMD* ATI*" with "rm -r *Tesla*"

Hi Barry

removing the *Tesla* files worked.
Thanks for your help

 

[IbrahimFmc]

Hello Mr @Barry K. Nathan , please note that i got this error when i tried to apply the patch , big sur 11.0.1 with micro patcher 4.4

 

[eminemmm]

@Barry K. Nathan hello there my friend, finally I installed beta 9 Big Sur on my 8.1 MacBook Pro late 2011 ”13 with fresh install after erasing my ssd drive (made full time machine backup)
i want your help asking you , will I transfer my system files again from the backup ? will it affect any extensions ??

 

[Ausdauersportler]

iMac 11,3 - this is a new one

Using the OpenCore as suggested here I could install Beta 11 on this iMac 27 2010 with an Nvidia Metal card. I forced the patcher using patch-kext.sh --2010 and got a smoothly working system.

Possibly the patch-kext.sh --2011 mode should work, too. I cannot see the need of the GeForceTesla extensions

Thanks a lot @khronokernel and @Barry K. Nathan and @jackluke !

 

[air.man]

I joined the club. 11.0.1 installed on MBP8,2. I applied the CoreBrightness patch, so NightShift is working too.
Thanks a lot to @Barry K. Nathan and @jackluke.

 

[jackluke]

I'll test the webcam on my MacBook6,1 the next time I try Big Sur on it (so sometime in the coming week, probably).

From another test with recent IOUSB Mac, seems that FaceTime iSight webcam crashed also with non Metal AppleIntelHDGraphics Arrandale kext loaded, so I guess when non Metal framebuffer video kext are loaded on BigSur iSight crashed, weirdly with basic graphics kext (without video framebuffer) iSight FaceTime works.

 

[air.man]

From another test with recent IOUSB Mac, seems that FaceTime iSight webcam crashed also with non Metal AppleIntelHDGraphics Arrandale kext loaded, so I guess when non Metal framebuffer video kext are loaded on BigSur iSight crashed, weirdly with basic graphics kext (without video framebuffer) iSight FaceTime works.

I tried the FaceTime webcam with my IntelHD3000. No crashes, but while FaceTime, Photoboot and Skype work fine, Zoom doesn't and freezes. I'll try some other tests.

 

[Ausdauersportler]

OffTopic

can you install this card in an iMac 2011 i still have one of them ?

Original Apple Airport Extreme Card 802.11ac BCM94360CD

Greetz SirusX

Have you tried to search for this really cool thread?

 

[BeatCrazy]

I seem to making progress on my 11,1. However, upon launching the BS installer, when I choose a newly-created Volume as my installation destination, I get the following error. I'm running APFS volumes, already.

Your Mac needs a firmware update in order to install to this volume Please select a Mac OS Extended (Journaled) volume instead.

 

[joevt]

I seem to making progress on my 11,1. However, upon launching the BS installer, when I choose a newly-created Volume as my installation destination, I get the following error. I'm running APFS volumes, already.

Your Mac needs a firmware update in order to install to this volume Please select a Mac OS Extended (Journaled) volume instead.

If it's newly created, then you can erase it as a HFS+ partition and try selecting that for the install? Big Sur will convert it to APFS during install? At least I think I remember that's how it worked with Catalina.

 

[jackluke]

I tried the FaceTime webcam with my IntelHD3000. No crashes, but while FaceTime, Photoboot and Skype work fine, Zoom doesn't and freezes. I'll try some other tests.

I tested again and after BKE rebuild now worked with IntelHDGraphics framebuffer (it's a dual GPUs Mac), but seems iSight issue occurs when switch to Nvidia non Metal GPU that uses ResmanTesla driver .

 

[laertemeira]

I tried the FaceTime webcam with my IntelHD3000. No crashes, but while FaceTime, Photoboot and Skype work fine, Zoom doesn't and freezes. I'll try some other tests.

Nice work @air.man! I have a pretty same machine as you (MPB8,3 - late 2011), despite screen size and a Samsung 830 SSD in HDD place, running Catalina 10.15.7 too. How your mackbook are performing comparing with last Catalina version? How you proceed to install Big Sur? Thanks a lot! Including @Barry K. Nathan and @jackluke.

 

[Bmju]

I've upgraded my late 2012 13" retina display MBP to successfully running completely unpatched Big Sur 11.0.1 Beta (20B5012d) - OTA 3.69GB - using OpenCoreAPFSloader4s1, again. Thanks, @jackluke.

However... weird side effects during upgrade...

My MBP completely hung during the first upgrade reboot. Reset NVRAM and reset SMC did not fix it at all: powering up (as shown by external peripherals getting power), but completely black screen. I had to disassemble my MBP and disconnect the battery for a bit. After which... it all boots fine again, and the upgrade continued, but my 'prohibitory symbol' screen has changed:

[EDIT: I'm not worried by it being there; I know how to get rid of it, I just don't understand how come its graphics have changed.]

Previously I had a thicker 'no entry' sign, and no link. From a quick Google, all the Mac 'no entry' signs screen-grabbed on the web are like the one I used to have, except - I've just noticed - the one Apple is showing at that very link, which is the same (i.e. somewhat thinner lines than before) as the one I have now!

Has anyone seen this before? Have I reverted myself to some very old Mac 'no entry' symbol? Or have I somehow been upgraded to a brand new one?

 

[air.man]

Nice work @air.man! I have a pretty same machine as you (MPB8,3 - late 2011), despite screen size and a Samsung 830 SSD in HDD place, running Catalina 10.15.7 too. How your mackbook are performing comparing with last Catalina version? How you proceed to install Big Sur? Thanks a lot! Including @Barry K. Nathan and @jackluke.

Well, the display is a bit laggy due to the lack of metal support. The dark grey tabs are noisy in Finder and Safari, but you can switch to dark mode for more comfort. In any case you can't control the brightness, but NightShift works. The only apps I tested (as per now) that doesn't work (black display) are Maps and Zoom. Wifi works very well, both on 2.4 and 5G, as well Bluetooth (I connected and external loudspeaker that sounds great and a bluetooth mouse).
Generally the performance is very good, you have to take care to the overheating due to the CPU heavy usage.

 

[jackluke]

I've upgraded my late 2012 13" retina display MBP to successfully running completely unpatched Big Sur 11.0.1 Beta (20B5012d) - OTA 3.69GB - using OpenCoreAPFSloader4s1, again. Thanks, @jackluke.

However... weird side effects during upgrade...

My MBP completely hung during the first upgrade reboot. Reset NVRAM and reset SMC did not fix it at all: powering up (as shown by external peripherals getting power), but completely black screen. I had to disassemble my MBP and disconnect the battery for a bit. After which... it all boots fine again, and the upgrade continued, but my 'prohibitory symbol' screen has changed:

View attachment 976478

[EDIT: I'm not worried by it being there; I know how to get rid of it, I just don't understand how come its graphics have changed.]

Previously I had a thicker 'no entry' sign, and no link. From a quick Google, all the Mac 'no entry' signs screen-grabbed on the web are like the one I used to have, except - I've just noticed - the one Apple is showing at that very link, which is the same (i.e. somewhat thinner lines than before) as the one I have now!

Has anyone seen this before? Have I reverted myself to some very old Mac 'no entry' symbol? Or have I somehow been upgraded to a brand new one?

If that message is shown, I guess your EFI SMC firmware has been upgraded, but I'd say Ivy Bridge is enough similar to Haswell architecture (that is spoofed on my USBopencore setup), @jowaju posted a link guide on another thread how to downgrade EFI firmware but at this point I'd keep that updated firmware.

Next time to avoid this unwanted firmware update you should continue the stage2 installer "macOS Installer" without OpenCore spoofing, just using -no_compat_check in nvram, in this case EFI SMC firmware should not attempt to install .

Anyway I am advising since many thread as OTA update to use ASentientBot UpdateBunde/AssetData/ method or waiting for full InstallAssistant.pkg on next updates.

Because even if with Opencore the firmware updates are blocked or disabled apple might change the firmware update method especially on BigSur they use BridgeOS also for non T2 Chip .