macOS 11 Big Sur on Unsupported Macs Thread

[justperry]

Cool. Thanks for your reply
[automerge]1593314533[/automerge]

Thanks for letting me know. I didn't mean to quote my own post twice. I am still new to Mac Rumors and learning how to use it.

No worries, you can always edit your posts afterwards.

 

[hintzsche]

is there now a guide on getting wifi work on an mac mini late 2012?

 

[Luki1979]

I second step by step WIFI guide for 2012 machines. (I have MacBook Air 2012 wifi card in my Hackintosh ), this is BCM943224PCIEBT2 a very good and tiny card that Apple just blacklisted for no reason. Bluetooth also doesn't work, everything worked in Catalina of course.

 

[Stevenjmay]

Installed after a few attempts on an i7 Early 2013 rMBP (MacBook Pro 10,1). Worked eventually as a clean install after trying upgrading an install.

WiFi using the sudo error 66 method.

Thanks to everyone who helped get all our Macs on macOS 11 Big Sur!

Especially the following people
@dosdude1 - Founder of the project
@ASentientBot - Finding a working patch
Unknown - Finding a WiFi patch

Everyone in the Unsupported Mac Community - well done!!!

 

[jackluke]

Is that spoofing related to SMBIOS (Board ID / Serial) key in config.plist?

To spoof a mac UpdateSMBIOS set to true, through opencore I use <key>SystemProductName</key> , it automatically get the new board-id, I use an empty serial number that takes my machine serial number.

(some examples here: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macos-10-15-catalina-on-unsupported-macs.2183772/post-28551389)

 

[brandonsierra]

Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Night, wherever you live

 

[joanbcn91]

Since I created the Big Sur partition, Bootcamp has disappeared from the boot menu. how can i repair it?
Thanks!

 

[MathiasVH]

With the help of Andrey's guide, I'm now typing on my 2012 MBPr 15", Wifi working and all. Thank you so much. Will be interesting to see how updates play with this workaround

 

[hvds]

I don't think a binary patch will be needed. After all, the whole idea of @ASentientBot's Hax.dylib/Hax2Lib.dylib is to patch the installer as it runs, LD_PRELOAD-style. (Unfortunately I doubt I'll have a chance to look into doing this anytime soon, though. My needs right now involve Macs that are supported by High Sierra.)

MBP5,2 mid 2009 17". ROM patched for APFS. Running 10.15.5 (version 15.5.02).

Unable to get across the "firmware upgrade needed" message when selecting the target disk in BS installer, despite Hex.dylib. Hope I did things correctly so far - maybe the machine is too old, didn't find a success story for those in this thread.
(Except maybe post #989 for a MBP5,3 but there no details are given)

Meanwhile I'm also continuing the prelinkedkernel route with an USB BS installer and OpenCore, but no success yet. Anyway thanks ASentientBot, jackluke, all - this is a great thread with much early success reported.

(MBP5,2 17" mid 2009, 2.8GHz Penryn T9600, Nvidia 9600M GT, 8GB, APFS ROM patch applied. APFS SSD Samsung 860 EVO internal for production / 840 on USB for testing, with Catalina 10.15.5.02 / Big Sur 10.16.0b1 attempt, resp.)

 

[jhowarth]

Since I created the Big Sur partition, Bootcamp has disappeared from the boot menu. how can i repair it?
Thanks!

I would never risk installing the developer releases of macOS onto the same physical drive as your current operating systems.

 

[justperry]

I would never risk installing the developer releases of macOS onto the same physical drive as your current operating systems.

Depends, it shouldn't be a problem with one partition and a backup, not so much with a bootcamp partition though.

But then again, I never even used bootcamp to install windows, I partitioned the disk myself and installed Windows on it, just for fun, I don't use Windows.

Edited: Grammar

 

[jhowarth]

Depends, it's shouldn't be a problem with one partition and a backup, not so much with a bootcamp partition though.

But then again, I never even used bootcamp to install windows, I partitioned the disk myself and installed Windows on it, just for fun, I don't use Windows.

Especially considering how bootcamp support is receding as a point of interest for Apple. Expect those issues to be at the bottom of their queue. It's 2020 and you still can't select APFS boot volumes in the Startup Disk panel under Windows 10.

 

[jackluke]

MBP5,2 mid 2009 17". ROM patched for APFS. Running 10.15.5 (version 15.5.02).

Unable to get across the "firmware upgrade needed" message when selecting the target disk in BS installer, despite Hex.dylib. Hope I did things correctly so far - maybe the machine is too old, didn't find a success story for those in this thread.
(Except maybe post #989 for a MBP5,3 but there no details are given)

Meanwhile I'm also continuing the prelinkedkernel route with an USB BS installer and OpenCore, but no success yet. Anyway thanks ASentientBot, jackluke, all - this is a great thread with much early success reported.

(MBP5,2 17" mid 2009, 2.8GHz Penryn T9600, Nvidia 9600M GT, 8GB, APFS ROM patch applied. APFS SSD Samsung 860 EVO internal for production / 840 on USB for testing, with Catalina 10.15.5.02 / Big Sur 10.16.0b1 attempt, resp.)

You're right, if you could clone a BigSur installation on external or internal APFS disk, that method would work to boot BigSur on an "El Capitan supported Mac".

While about installing from an USB BigSur Installer the limit are the IOUSB legacy (currently I only added them to a BigSur installation not to the Installer), as also @jhowarth noticed

It looks like the InstallAssistant binary will need a binary patch to disable the firmware check as the error message "Your Mac needs a firmware update in order to install to this volume. Please select a Mac OS Extended (Journaled) volume instead." occurs in the associated Frameworks/OSInstallerSetup.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/OSInstallerSetupInternal.framework/Resources/en.lproj/OSISError_Server.strings file.

an "Unsupported HighSierra Mac", even correctly loading the Hax.dylib, get that message of firmware upgrade when selecting the Volume where install BigSur, now, if you can't get a cloned BigSur installation, there are two possible fix to install directly on "El Capitan Mac":

1) @ASentientBot might try to improve his Hax.dylib to ignore that message for non-APFS mac

2) Booting Catalina (or Mojave) through USBOpenCoreAPFSloader3 but spoofing to a supported BigSur Mac (or maybe spoofing to MacBook7,1 that is a supported HighSierra APFS Mac) and then use the "Install macOS Beta.app"

I could provide a config.plist for the second method, but I am really not yet sure how EFI firmware updates are handled from BigSur, while ASentientBot method is more safer.

@hvds try to edit your config.plist spoofing your MBP5,2 as MacBook7,1 and through opencore booting Catalina, insert the Hax.dylib and check if you can install BigSur.

 

[abelpinate]

People, two questions

Im mean, I'm reading this and I don't get apfs patch thing. I'm not trying yet but that patcher it's for those who has the old hfs+?
Because the first thing I did when apfs comes out was out all them on that, even the mechanicals. I didn't care about it. Obviously, I had had a backup.

And the other question:
Anyone have tried Adobe, CAD, Parallels... you know, going beyond the system itself?
I hope be able to run iTunes via Retroactive app

 

[jhowarth]

You're right, if you could clone a BigSur installation on external or internal APFS disk, that method would work to boot BigSur on an "El Capitan supported Mac".

While about installing from an USB BigSur Installer the limit are the IOUSB legacy (currently I only added them to a BigSur installation not to the Installer), as also @jhowarth noticed



an "Unsupported HighSierra Mac", even correctly loading the Hax.dylib, get that message of firmware upgrade when selecting the Volume where install BigSur, now, if you can't get a cloned BigSur installation, there are two possible fix to install directly on "El Capitan Mac":

1) @ASentientBot might try to improve his Hax.dylib to ignore that message for non-APFS mac

2) Booting Catalina (or Mojave) through USBOpenCoreAPFSloader3 but spoofing to a supported BigSur Mac (or maybe spoofing to MacBook7,1 that is a supported HighSierra APFS Mac) and then use the "Install macOS Beta.app"

I could provide a config.plist for the second method, but I am really not yet sure how EFI firmware updates are handled from BigSur, while ASentientBot method is more safer.

@hvds try to edit your config.plist spoofing your MBP5,2 as MacBook7,1 and through opencore booting Catalina, insert the Hax.dylib and check if you can install BigSur.

Curiously, the installer currently allows you to select an Extended HFS (Journaled) volume as the target.

 

[jackluke]

Curiously, the installer currently allows you to select an Extended HFS (Journaled) volume as the target.

Maybe it could automatically convert it to apfs during installation, but before trying this on MacPro3,1 I'd advise to make a backup of internal disks or data, then you could try , if succeed I explain how to use LegacyUSBInjector.kext , but first step is to have an APFS BigSur installation on an internal disk.

Currently for non-APFS mac you have to install BigSur on internal disk.

 

[jhowarth]

Maybe it could automatically convert it to apfs during installation, but before trying this on MacPro3,1 I'd advise to make a backup of internal disks or data, then you could try , if succeed I explain how to use LegacyUSBInjector.kext , but first step is to have an APFS BigSur installation on an internal disk.

Currently for non-APFS mac you have to install BigSur on internal disk.

It probably would be wise to also try installing onto an Extended HFS (journaled) formatted external usb drive from a supported machine to see if that completes.

 

[jackluke]

It probably would be wise to also try installing onto an Extended HFS (journaled) formatted external usb drive from a supported machine to see if that completes.

I guess it completes (and automatically convert to an apfs container) because supported machine already have an APFS firmware since HighSierra.

The fact is if only converts the HFS+ volume selected or the whole disk, that's why I'advise a backup first.

As many now macOS beta releases are also an issue for supported mac in some cases.

 

[hvds]

You're right, if you could clone a BigSur installation on external or internal APFS disk, that method would work to boot BigSur on an "El Capitan supported Mac".

While about installing from an USB BigSur Installer the limit are the IOUSB legacy (currently I only added them to a BigSur installation not to the Installer), as also @jhowarth noticed



an "Unsupported HighSierra Mac", even correctly loading the Hax.dylib, get that message of firmware upgrade when selecting the Volume where install BigSur, now, if you can't get a cloned BigSur installation, there are two possible fix to install directly on "El Capitan Mac":

1) @ASentientBot might try to improve his Hax.dylib to ignore that message for non-APFS mac

2) Booting Catalina (or Mojave) through USBOpenCoreAPFSloader3 but spoofing to a supported BigSur Mac (or maybe spoofing to MacBook7,1 that is a supported HighSierra APFS Mac) and then use the "Install macOS Beta.app"

I could provide a config.plist for the second method, but I am really not yet sure how EFI firmware updates are handled from BigSur, while ASentientBot method is more safer.

@hvds try to edit your config.plist spoofing your MBP5,2 as MacBook7,1 and through opencore booting Catalina, insert the Hax.dylib and check if you can install BigSur.

Thanks! I see there are good options to keep on trying. Will try Catalina as MB7,1 now.
A BS installation that I could clone isn't within reach.

 

[telepati]

SIP disabled and Authenticated Root also disabled but I am still getting error 66. Another weird thing my test drive shows greyed out. When I choose the drive it says disabled and looks Not mounted. But system working. How can I enable this drive? Also, I looked to diskutil list and I saw there is a snapshot it is possible to delete this snapshot drive or is it necessary?

 

[hvds]

You're right, if you could clone a BigSur installation on external or internal APFS disk, that method would work to boot BigSur on an "El Capitan supported Mac".

While about installing from an USB BigSur Installer the limit are the IOUSB legacy (currently I only added them to a BigSur installation not to the Installer), as also @jhowarth noticed



an "Unsupported HighSierra Mac", even correctly loading the Hax.dylib, get that message of firmware upgrade when selecting the Volume where install BigSur, now, if you can't get a cloned BigSur installation, there are two possible fix to install directly on "El Capitan Mac":

1) @ASentientBot might try to improve his Hax.dylib to ignore that message for non-APFS mac

2) Booting Catalina (or Mojave) through USBOpenCoreAPFSloader3 but spoofing to a supported BigSur Mac (or maybe spoofing to MacBook7,1 that is a supported HighSierra APFS Mac) and then use the "Install macOS Beta.app"

I could provide a config.plist for the second method, but I am really not yet sure how EFI firmware updates are handled from BigSur, while ASentientBot method is more safer.

@hvds try to edit your config.plist spoofing your MBP5,2 as MacBook7,1 and through opencore booting Catalina, insert the Hax.dylib and check if you can install BigSur.

Success in overcoming the "firmware update" hurdle by spoofing my MBP5,2 as MB7,1!
Installation of BS to my external SSD has begun...

 

[AlexanderDev.]

hello all, I am new here and have a MacBook Air 2012 5,2. how can I get this machine to Big Sur without the wifi problem? thanks a lot folks! can someone tell me how far you guys have gotten in the past days? I don't think I want to read the whole 43 pages

 

[mnsiw]

No MacBook5,1 success story 😁

 

[AlexanderDev.]

is the wifi error patched on the MacBook Air 2012?

 

[Minh_Ton]

You're right, if you could clone a BigSur installation on external or internal APFS disk, that method would work to boot BigSur on an "El Capitan supported Mac".

While about installing from an USB BigSur Installer the limit are the IOUSB legacy (currently I only added them to a BigSur installation not to the Installer), as also @jhowarth noticed



an "Unsupported HighSierra Mac", even correctly loading the Hax.dylib, get that message of firmware upgrade when selecting the Volume where install BigSur, now, if you can't get a cloned BigSur installation, there are two possible fix to install directly on "El Capitan Mac":

1) @ASentientBot might try to improve his Hax.dylib to ignore that message for non-APFS mac

2) Booting Catalina (or Mojave) through USBOpenCoreAPFSloader3 but spoofing to a supported BigSur Mac (or maybe spoofing to MacBook7,1 that is a supported HighSierra APFS Mac) and then use the "Install macOS Beta.app"

I could provide a config.plist for the second method, but I am really not yet sure how EFI firmware updates are handled from BigSur, while ASentientBot method is more safer.

@hvds try to edit your config.plist spoofing your MBP5,2 as MacBook7,1 and through opencore booting Catalina, insert the Hax.dylib and check if you can install BigSur.

@jackluke The Apple default Boot Manager freeze when I spoof my Machine to a supported Big Sur machine. Any reasons why does this happen?