Seems to be a number of people want to go the OCLP installation now, but are asking questions about how. I'm a BarryKN micropatcher 0.5.1 holdout who just made the switch to OCLP first with BSur 11.3 on top of my existing micropatcher 0.5.1 installation of 11.3; then second an OTA update to 11.3.1. My device is in my signature: rMPB mid-2012, 10,1 with Wifi upgrade.
For the how to: I used the guide
https://dortania.github.io/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher/ from Page 1 for all of the steps.
- OpenCore Legacy Patcher by @khronokernel and @dhinakg is a completely different approach based on OpenCore. Detailed information is available from his announcement on this thread and their guide. This is currently the only option offering system updates via Apple software update like all supported Macs. While the preparation uses a simple GUI the Big Sur installation and updating happens in the same way as on supported systems.
The first part of the guide has you check your device to see if it is supported, instructs you to download the latest OCLP (0.2.1 for me) and prepare a USB install drive in the normal way using createinstallmedia. If you've been using micropatcher then you know this step well.
The next step of the process is very simple following "Building and installing OpenCore" section of the guide.
After that the next section of the guide is "Booting OpenCore and MacOS". Just do as it says.
After your install to your main drive (I did not reformat; just put it right on top of existing 11.3 -- all data is unharmed), the guide has you go to "Post-installation" section which for me consisted of making sure verbose mode was not enabled (it wasn't by default), and checking "Assume upgraded wifi -- always" was showing "currently false". This setting seems backwards until you read the patcher setting notes that say the OCLP detects the presence of an upgraded wifi card and does not need to change setting from false to true. In others words: leave it as default.
To boot without the USB drive plugged in is done easily using the "Set showpicker mode" step #6 of the settings. Just follow the instructions. One part, the last, is not clear, and if not done, you will not be able to startup without the USB drive. To find out what I missed, enter the "Troubleshooting" part of the guide; read the "Cannot boot MacOS without the USB".
Here is what it says to do:
"By default, the OpenCore Patcher won't install OpenCore onto the internal drive itself during installs. Instead, you'll need to either
manually transfer OpenCore to the internal drive's EFI or run this patcher's Option 2 again but select your internal drive.
Reminder that once this is done, you'll need to select OpenCore in the boot picker again for your hardware to remember this entry and auto boot from then on."
It is this last sentence that I forgot to do. Once done, the BSur 11.3 booted normally.
Now the last thing, and the whole reason I did this OCLP switch-over. To upgrade to BSur 11.3.1, I simply used the normal System Preferences->Software Update. The how-to-do-this is easy: do it just like you do with a supported device. And, just fyi, I had been enrolled in the beta program, so at first I was offered the 11.4 beta 2 updater. If you unenroll, then 11.3.1 was the updater. The whole update from 11.3 to 11.3.1 took about 25 minutes.
So I hope this helps a little. It was an easy process with a great guide. The hardest part was to take the plunge after so many successful installs using the installassistant.pkg and BarryKN's micropatcher. Was it worth it? Yes! Good luck!
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