MP 1,1-5,1 Manually Configured OpenCore on the Mac Pro

[MacNB2]

See post #1 (macOS>Option 2)

Thx, I have read that in the past. Hmmmm...still not sure if I understand what I am seeing.
I had :

• SecureBootModel = Disabled
• VMM Disabled
• BoardProduct = Mac-7BA5B2D9E42DDD94 (i.e. Hybridization I guess)
• FirmwareFeatures = 03540CE0
• FirmwareFeaturesMask = 3FFF1FFF

That setting is neither Option 1 nor Option 2 and yet Big Sur updates were available but not Monterey Updates.

That is, in Option 1 states SecureBootModel = Disabled and VMM Enabled to get OTA Updates but I got the updates without VMM enabled and without SecureBootModel = Default

 

[cdf]

Thx, I have read that in the past. Hmmmm...still not sure if I understand what I am seeing.

Option 2 is the explanation for updates in Monterey without VMM. Different versions of macOS have different requirements. For Big Sur, hybridization with the large-base-system firmware feature is actually enough.

 

[hwojtek]

12.6.6 is a no-go on my Mac Pro. Running a textbook config.plist from post #1, hybridized mode.
One boot from MacOS Installer volume and the subsequent boot (from the same volume) throws me back into 12.6.5 desktop.
Tried a full reinstall with a 12.6.6 installer, it fails with "a required firmware update could not be installed".

 

[MrScratchHook]

Interesting..
Just been offered the Big Sur 11.7.7 update without enabling VMM flag in the config.plist:

View attachment 2204132

But with Monterey (on the same system), there were no offers of updates until I enabled the VMM flag.

For big sur, no vmm change needed(only s.i.p disabled)...thats how its been, only catalina and monterey need vmm change. nothing wierd here.

 

[MrScratchHook]

12.6.6 is a no-go on my Mac Pro. Running a textbook config.plist from post #1, hybridized mode.
One boot from MacOS Installer volume and the subsequent boot (from the same volume) throws me back into 12.6.5 desktop.
Tried a full reinstall with a 12.6.6 installer, it fails with "a required firmware update could not be installed".

vmm flag change needed. i got this same error a month or so ago.

 

[PeterHolbrook]

vmm flag change needed. i got this same error a month or so ago.

I think that is incorrect. No VMM flag in my case and I updated to 12.6.6 without any issues.

 

[MrScratchHook]

I think that is incorrect. No VMM flag in my case and I updated to 12.6.6 without any issues.

i think and assume that were talking about martin lo opencore, and if you didnt need it then i dont know why your the exception. ive made this mistake a few time to know that the "A" needs to be changed to "C" and the smbios goes from true to false. At that point you can upgrade. i know this to be 100% true if its the same o c. were talking about..

 

[hwojtek]

vmm flag change needed. i got this same error a month or so ago.

Been there, done that, same effect.
This system used to upgrade smoothly OTA from 12.1 up till last night, I guess my luck ran out.

 

[sfalatko]

Been there, done that, same effect.
This system used to upgrade smoothly OTA from 12.1 up till last night, I guess my luck ran out.

Perhaps post your config.plist. In the interim look at the two options for settings for upgrades in post #1 along with your hybridization settings.

 

[hwojtek]

Perhaps post your config.plist. In the interim look at the two options for settings for upgrades in post #1 along with your hybridization settings.

Here, this is my default (hybridized, no VM). I run vanilla OpenCore 0.9.2
I went through both modes of update with same effect.

 

[cdf]

Here, this is my default (hybridized, no VM). I run vanilla OpenCore 0.9.2
I went through both modes of update with same effect.

You need to "update" the firmware features in PlatformNVRAM (see Complete your setup>Spoofing and enabling missing features in post #1). I'm surprised you were able to manage until now without that part configured!

 

[Capricorn1965]

Hello.
It seems I didn't get 0.9.2 with bootkicker working, my actual OC is 0.8.5.

Believing I followed all in Post #1, without FeatureUnlock and the 0.9.2 branded config.plist, my 5.1 shows this behavior.

* In the OC startmenu I'm choosing bootkicker and hitting return
* In the next screen I'm choosing the preselected efi volume. The Mac restarts and is in the traditional OC startmenu. If I choose the bootkicker and the preselected efi volume again this results in this loop
* Either choosing my start volume from OC startmenu or bootkicker menu the Mac won't start.

My config.plist I proofreaded several times against Post #1 but mayby I'm blind. The file is attached.

Any help is welcome

 

[Frixo Cool]

No problem with 12.6.6 here, OCLP 0.6.5. It's a long update, but just be patient.

 

[NC12]

No problem with 12.6.6 here, OCLP 0.6.5. It's a long update, but just be patient.

This thread is not for OCLP

 

[PeterHolbrook]

i think and assume that were talking about martin lo opencore, and if you didnt need it then i dont know why your the exception. ive made this mistake a few time to know that the "A" needs to be changed to "C" and the smbios goes from true to false. At that point you can upgrade. i know this to be 100% true if its the same o c. were talking about..

No, I don't use Martin Lo's solution. I follow post #1 of this thread.

 

[hwojtek]

You need to "update" the firmware features in PlatformNVRAM (see Complete your setup>Spoofing and enabling missing features in post #1). I'm surprised you were able to manage until now without that part configured!

Yupp, overconfidence mistake: editing the config.plist directly on the EFI partition instead of a copy on the desktop which then overwrites the previous config. Would've sworn I updated the firmwarefeatures key. And I am surprised as well.
Now the update went like a breeze. Thanks.

 

[avro707]

12.6.6 is a no-go on my Mac Pro. Running a textbook config.plist from post #1, hybridized mode.
One boot from MacOS Installer volume and the subsequent boot (from the same volume) throws me back into 12.6.5 desktop.
Tried a full reinstall with a 12.6.6 installer, it fails with "a required firmware update could not be installed".

With the Martin Lo package I was able to install 12.6.6 via the OTA update method without dramas - only the irritating forbidden on restart which is suspected to be Samsung SSD related. To get around that on restart I shutdown the machine at the OC menu then power up again.

Never seen the “firmware update couldn’t be installed”

Edit: just saw your post above. Good it works.

 

[nothyng]

This thread is not for OCLP

That information to me is useful.

 

[TECK]

No problem with 12.6.6 here, OCLP 0.6.5. It's a long update, but just be patient.

No issues also, with the Plistlib generator, running on OC 0.9.2. The update was actually very fast for me.

 

[7ecapilot]

Interestingly, I managed to successfully enable GOP on my Mac Pro 5,1 and am now seeing a gray boot screen followed by the OC 092 boot picker. If I let the system continue on its own it boots Monterey just fine. But, when I hold the Option key and select my normal boot drive (Monterey), I get a message that "this version of Mac OS in not compatible with this computer." Or, something like that. Is this known? Is there a work-around?
Particulars:

 

[Ellera]

Greetings everyone. I'm looking to get some questions answers before I dive into OpenCore.

I'm running a Mac Pro 5,1

• OS High Sierra (HHD) used mainly as a backup/native OS for utility
• OS Mojave x2 (SSD and NVME)
• OS Win 10 (SSD)
• Boot menu works due to Mac-flashed GPU
• Bootcamp app works on Win 10 for me
• I keep every OS on its own physical drive, not partitioned.

My situation:
I want the option to use a more current Mac OS, so I came here to research OpenCore. Other hacks didn't seem as stable or as useful as OpenCore.

As long as OpenCore won't break my Win 10 install, I'm ready to go. This leads me to the questions I have.

I read that it matters if the Win 10 install was by USB or DVD (EFI vs BIOS) I do not know if my Win 10 install is an EFI install or a BIOS install. According to what I read, it's an EFI if USB installed, and BIOS if DVD installed. Now, when I installed Win 10, I learned you should NEVER install Windows using USB because it could brick your Mac, so I took my Win 10 USB install stick and created a DVD from it to install Windows. It worked. Everything is running happily at present. I just rebuilt this Mac Pro (hardware and software) from a previous one that was electrically fried, thus I'm in no mood to break my newly working system.

Questions:

1. Does it make any difference that I used a USB install stick to create the DVD install of Win10? (ie EFI vs BIOS) My guess is likely not, but I'd like to know from someone who can definitely answer it anyway.
2. How do I verify that Win 10 is an EFI install or not? Using Disk Utility only showed me the standard info, NTFS MBR.
3. So if it turns out that it's a BIOS install, how do I use OpenCore and not break my Win 10 install? It's a pretty fresh install, only a few months old, nicely broken in, fiddled with all the privacy stuff/registry/system files/etc to prevent MS crap I don't want, etc... to the point where I'm comfortable. I don't want to do it all again. So I am not keen on the idea of rebuilding it. Perhaps after I install OpenCore, I could reinstall fresh Win 10, but restore over it with my Win backup image?
4. If I install OpenCore, can I uninstall it if this doesn't work out for me?
5. At first, I thought OpenCore was simply tied to the HD where one wants to install the newer Mac OS, but now I'm beginning to wonder if this isn't changing the firmware because I don't see how it matters to my Win 10 install if OpenCore is living on an entirely separate HD that I can remove. If it's changing the firmware, it makes more sense to me. I'd like some clarity on this point.

I very much appreciate any answers to the above.
Thank you!

+ 🪟 = Best of both worlds

 

[tsialex]

Interestingly, I managed to successfully enable GOP on my Mac Pro 5,1 and am now seeing a gray boot screen followed by the OC 092 boot picker. If I let the system continue on its own it boots Monterey just fine. But, when I hold the Option key and select my normal boot drive (Monterey), I get a message that "this version of Mac OS in not compatible with this computer." Or, something like that. Is this known? Is there a work-around?
Particulars:
View attachment 2207397

Selecting your Monterey disk directly from the native BootPicker bypass the OpenCore ESP, you can't boot an unsupported macOS release without OpenCore.

 

[Ognjen Bozic]

Hey everyone, so I installed Opencore on my SSD where I have Mojave installed, I then installed Monterey on my HDD and with a little bit of help with Martin, I booted into Monterey. But I have one problem, when I want to turn off VMM flag I get kernel panic and cant boot into Monterey. If I turn it on, it works.

 

[joevt]

Interestingly, I managed to successfully enable GOP on my Mac Pro 5,1 and am now seeing a gray boot screen followed by the OC 092 boot picker. If I let the system continue on its own it boots Monterey just fine. But, when I hold the Option key and select my normal boot drive (Monterey), I get a message that "this version of Mac OS in not compatible with this computer." Or, something like that. Is this known? Is there a work-around?

The native boot picker (when you hold option key at boot) should only be used to boot macOS versions supported by your Mac - those that don't require Open Core.

If you want to boot a macOS version that is unsupported from the native boot picker, then choose the Open Core option in the native boot picker. Then select the macOS version in the Open Core boot picker.

 

[h9826790]

Interestingly, I managed to successfully enable GOP on my Mac Pro 5,1 and am now seeing a gray boot screen followed by the OC 092 boot picker. If I let the system continue on its own it boots Monterey just fine. But, when I hold the Option key and select my normal boot drive (Monterey), I get a message that "this version of Mac OS in not compatible with this computer." Or, something like that. Is this known? Is there a work-around?
Particulars:
View attachment 2207397

This is the expected behaviour.

EnableGop only let your cMP able to show boot screen with modern graphic card's UEFI GOP. It won't make the cMP gain any macOS support beyond Mojave.

If you hold Option key to boot, you should select OpenCore first, and then further select Monterey inside OpenCore boot picker.