If you don't want to boot into opencore every time, you can install using OC, and later re-patch the install using something like the micropatcher. However this has a couple caveats: 1. every time you want to update you'll have to clear the NVRAM, reinstall OC, update, remove OC, and re-patch. And 2. You'll lose the ability to use features such as FileVault/SIP... So it can add complexity to the process while making the install slightly less secure depending on your use case. My advice would be to stick with opencore if you're comfortable with it
I'm using OC to force the install through, but I have a late 2012 retina MBP - this is just before the Big Sur support cutoff, and with an updated Wi-Fi card Big Sur can run on it completely unpatched.
If I've understood correctly, OC from I think 0.6.4 onwards can block whatever Apple are doing which is bricking these machines, but only if you boot through OC every time.
So I'm currently stuck with any of:
a) Completely replace the Apple boatloader with OC (probably the best choice!)
b) Always boot via the Apple boatloader initially, and only start OC as a sideloader when I want to do an upgrade (which is what I am actually doing), but in that case I can then choose:
i) Always install from a *full* download and use `createinstallmedia`, because this never black-screens
ii) Install using an incremental update (which is desirable because you can get updates sooner, and in principle they are much faster to install), but in this case I always have to disassemble the machine and disconnect then reconnect the battery after the first reboot, to get my machine back from the black screen state
I'm surprised that Apple still don't seem to have fixed the issue - even up to and including 11.2 beta 2 - especially as it didn't happen in the early betas of Big Sur.
I don't know if it is something to do with supporting the fast incremental update, which I believe new to Big Sur updates system files in place on the cryptographically signed system drive.
The fact that it isn't fixed makes me think Apple isn't ever going to fix it; and the fact that they are insisting on upgrading the logic boards on these machines (when all you
apparently need to do is disconnect the battery to get the machine back ... but in fact this only fixes it until the next incremental update) makes sense if they aren't ever going to fix it. If my guess is right, then maybe the reason for replacing the logic boards is not that they are fried, but rather that they are being replaced with logic boards that support something new. Any other opinions? Does this make sense?
This theory still doesn't really add up, unfortunately, if you can buy a second-hand logic board from an old Mac as a replacement and that works as a permanent fix. (I'm not sure if that is the case or not.) Unless somehow something in my Mac's logic board really HAS been fried ... but only in a way that prevents it rebooting during an incremental update until you disconnect and reconnect the battery....!!! Which seems pretty unlikely!
github.com
