MP 1,1-5,1 Obsolete, Use OpenCore instead | What you need to do to make Catalina work with MacPro5,1

[MisterAndrew]

Strange it even showed up. Holding off on installing on supported machines for a few point updates. Will see what happens with MP7,1 and its release date before I officially mess with MP5,1 and Catalina.

FYI, these are the publicly available builds via script:
View attachment 867419

I don't think that script works for Catalina. I downloaded the previous GM seed with it and it wouldn't install. It kept having an error when it would try to restart saying it couldn't bless the drive. I had to download it from Software Update. (On my supported MBP.)

 

[bsbeamer]

Curious, did you clear the content folder (catalogs & downloads) before running the script?

 

[MisterAndrew]

Curious, did you clear the content folder (catalogs & downloads) before running the script?

No. I restarted the computer a couple times and tried again. Same error. After I downloaded it from Software Update it didn't have any errors.

 

[tsialex]

Installinstallmacos needs a supported Mac to build the Catalina installer, since when it does the build OSInstall.mpkg checks for the board-id.

 

[MisterAndrew]

Installinstallmacos needs a supported Mac to build the Catalina installer, since when it does the build OSInstall.mpkg checks for the board-id.

I downloaded it/built it on a supported Mac and tried to install it on the same supported Mac.

 

[tsialex]

I downloaded it/built it on a supported Mac and tried to install it on the same supported Mac.

Use the current version, there is a big warning about an Apple bug workaround and asking people to re-radar it.

 

[MisterAndrew]

Use the current version, there is a big warning about an Apple bug asking people to re-radar it.

I downloaded the same build from Software Update and there was no error. I'm just pointing this out so others don't waste time downloading Catalina using the script only to find it won't install.

 

[crjackson2134]

Humm... this showed up for a hot second on MP5,1 then disappeared.

It did the same thing here too. Then it immediately redirected me to a Safari update, and Pro Video updates.

 

[tsialex]

I downloaded the same build from Software Update and there was no error. I'm just pointing this out so others don't waste time downloading Catalina using the script only to find it won't install.

Again, current installinstallmacos.py build works, just used it with today’s MAS Catalina build 19A583.

It was updated recently to overcome the Apple build bug - but it won’t work on an unsupported Mac.

 

[MisterAndrew]

Again, current installinstallmacos.py build works, just used it with today’s MAS Catalina build 19A583.

It was updated recently to overcome the Apple build bug - but it won’t work on an unsupported Mac.

Oh okay, thanks. I haven't downloaded the new script version.

 

[Chung123]

View attachment 867417

Humm... this showed up for a hot second on MP5,1 then disappeared.

Ha! Tormenting 5,1 users--you can't have it!
But we get ProRes formats and Safari 13.0.2

 

[Charmandrigo]

Just use the script or patchers to update your 5,1 to catalina...

 

[crjackson2134]

Ha! Tormenting 5,1 users--you can't have it!
But we get ProRes formats and Safari 13.0.2

Not really... I'm test-driving it on a 970Pro NVMe right now on my MP51. It's easy enough to grab. I'll still be keeping Mojave on my main NVMe, I just thought I'd give it a quick look again now that it's released.

 

[colin warburton]

So in effect we can use dosdude.s1 patcher to install. Correct? I have the patcher downloaded onto my 5'1 mac pro.

 

[crjackson2134]

So in effect we can use dosdude.s1 patcher to install. Correct? I have the patcher downloaded onto my 5'1 mac pro.

They're are multiple ways to achieve an install. This forum thread is about installing WITHOUT using a patcher. You should redirect your question to this thread - macOS 10.15 Catalina on Unsupported Macs

 

[handheldgames]

They're are multiple ways to achieve an install. This forum thread is about installing WITHOUT using a patcher. You should redirect your question to this thread - macOS 10.15 Catalina on Unsupported Macs

Thanks for the link. Great to know where the thread usually created by Dosdude got hijacked. His efforts spurred a TON of innovation that kept the 5,1 platform alive well beyond its expiration date.

 

[yukdave]

1

 

[fiatlux]

Is the Catalina Loader still supposed to work with the released macOS? Tried to use it (booted from the loader USB stick, set the nvram rags) but the Catalina installer would not let me install on any of my MP5,1 disks (this release of macOS is not supported on this machine).

 

[h9826790]

Is the Catalina Loader still supposed to work with the released macOS? Tried to use it (booted from the loader USB stick, set the nvram rags) but the Catalina installer would not let me install on any of my MP5,1 disks (this release of macOS is not supported on this machine).

Did you download the latest macOS Catalina Patcher 1.1.6?

 

[fiatlux]

Did you download the latest macOS Catalina Patcher 1.1.6?

no, but wasn’t the whole point of Catalina Loader to be able to use the vanilla installer?

 

[frompast]

I got fault after successful loading
Rastafabi’s loader
Mac Pro 5,1 W3680 16G x3 DDR3 1066 ram

But what i learned was
1.Loading Catalina loader make Catalina
Installer show up in Control panel
software update.
2.Only two volume in boot menu
will successful loading Rastafabi’s loader.
3. Three volume as pic. shown won’t

 

[Samfrancisco]

so I've been getting this about six times now on every install and I've also tried it with Mojave and its exactly the same. Its right at the end and its so frustrating. Can anyone help?

 

[DIY_glenn]

Sorry if this has already been answered:
I'm looking into prolonging the life of my Mac Pro 5.1 (2009->2010). It fully supports Mojave with its GTX 680 and X5690 CPU.

I think I'll try running it on Mojave as long as possible, until compatibility with my MacBook Pro 2018 is broken (which is already starting on some apps with Catalina and iOS 13).

But how well can it run with Catalina? Is the only reason why these Mac's aren't supported the Intel CPU security issues?

If I install Catalina to a VM, and move it over, will I be able to use the combo updates without any issues? 10.15 -> 10.15.1 f.ex.

Thanks for the work that's being put into helping the community. I always try to make the most out of functional hardware, and though it's old, the simple and cheap updates I've done still makes this my fastest Mac by far (and I've paid in total $200). Although I absolutely love my new MacBook Pro 2018, I feel it is more cheaply made, and has more bugs (often screen flickers in Safari etc).

 

[w1z]

If I install Catalina to a VM, and move it over, will I be able to use the combo updates without any issues? 10.15 -> 10.15.1 f.ex.

Good question and I wish to know the answer as well. Would suck if we had to download the full installer for every update, create install media then install over the current release as doing so would add unnecessary multiple points of failure.

As soon as I receive the new 2TB ssd, I am planning on installing vmware workstation on windows 10 to make snapshots prior to upgrading my mojave disk/installation to Catalina, including 10.15.x updates, as I do not want to have more than 1 macos version installed on my system. I also want a quicker way of restoring, if and when things go wrong, without going through time machine as it is painstakingly slow, even with the TM backups residing on a ssd.

Still, it would be neat to have the same software update patch used to update mojave installations on unsupported hardware updated to run under Catalina.

 

[tsialex]

Good question and I wish to know the answer as well. Would suck if we had to download the full installer for every update, create install media then install over the current release as doing so would add unnecessary multiple points of failure.

As soon as I receive the new 2TB ssd, I am planning on installing vmware workstation on windows 10 to make snapshots prior to upgrading my mojave disk/installation to Catalina, including 10.15.x updates, as I do not want to have more than 1 macos version installed on my system. I also want a quicker way of restoring, if and when things go wrong, without going through time machine as it is painstakingly slow, even with the TM backups residing on a ssd.

Still, it would be neat to have the same software update patch used to update mojave installations on unsupported hardware updated to run under Catalina.

Catalina point updates won't work, since updates check the board-id just like the full install. There are at least 3 ways to overcome it, like:

• reinstalling the disk in a supported Mac and doing the software updates
• using VMWare Fusion direct hardware trick to do the updates
• CZO VMM patch.

With the VMM patch, you won't have a pure un-patched system, but it will make things easier. It needs to be updated to Catalina and refined a little, but works.

I've been using VMWare Fusion direct hardware from Mojave/High Sierra to do Catalina DP updates and it's a little cumbersome initially, but it's easy enough to do it if you want to run totally un-patched and you can use it with NVMe blades.