Resolved What happened here not enough space to create a bootable media?

[camelia]

Hello,

I download the latest macOS Sonoma Version 14.4.1 (23E224) from here:

https://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/04/13/052-77516-A_4P7VY083DT/83qy3989rsnylxagdmim3owwjdtc33zfe4/InstallAssistant.pkg

Then I run the files to create the universal full installer, under macOS Catalina but I get this error:

Last login: Sun Mar 31 22:03:34 on console
came@Cames-MacBook-Pro ~ % sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sonoma.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled
Password:
/Volumes/Untitled is not large enough for install media. An additional 220 MB is needed.
came@Cames-MacBook-Pro ~ %

I was using a 16GB memory stick, Do I need a memory stick with more capacity or the Universal Installer was not created successful?
which could be the problem?

Thanks
Camelia

@bogdanw

 

[gilby101]

Bigger memory stick. I have not built a USB stick, but I do have an ISO of 14.4 (generated by MIST) and that is 16.64 GB. The Sonoma ISOs are about a 1GB larger than Ventura.

 

[Ben J.]

It doesn't need to be a memory stick. You can create a new partition (must be HFS+) on any drive and install on that.

 

[camelia]

Bigger memory stick. I have not built a USB stick, but I do have an ISO of 14.4 (generated by MIST) and that is 16.64 GB. The Sonoma ISOs are about a 1GB larger than Ventura.

Are you telling me that the universal macOS Sonoma Version 14.4.1 (23E224) installer under applications is 16.64 GB larger than the installer which is 12.7 GB (13,617,677,748 bytes)

macOS Sonoma icon in applications:

It doesn't need to be a memory stick. You can create a new partition (must be HFS+) on any drive and install on that.

is not easier, portable, functional having the bootable media in a USB stick with more capacity that convert to another format? Without trying to guess in which media did you create it if you need it again?

Thanks
Camelia

 

[Ben J.]

is not easier, portable, functional having the bootable media in a USB stick with more capacity that convert to another format? Without trying to guess in which media did you create it if you need it again?

I'm sorry. I don't understand the question.
Mac OS Extended (HFS+) format is required:

Create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support

You can use a USB flash drive or other secondary volume as a startup disk from which to install the Mac operating system.

support.apple.com

 

[gilby101]

Are you telling me that the universal macOS Sonoma Version 14.4.1 (23E224) installer under applications is 16.64 GB larger than the installer which is 12.7 GB (13,617,677,748 bytes)

My /Applications/Install macOS Sonoma.app is 13.66 GB
That contains all the software that is required for a bootable system as well as that for macOS. This extra has to be extracted and used to build the bootable installer's operating system (a cut down macOS) to which is added the install executable. So the bootable installer is bound to be bigger than /Applications/Install macOS Sonoma.app.

I have just created a bootable installer on a 32GB USB stick. After completion it is using 15.1 GB out of the 31.7 GB HFS+ partition. I don't know how much extra is required for the create procedure, but I am not surprised that it hits the limit on your 16GB stick.

Edit: I have tried with a 16GB USB stick, and it refuses to start the create saying it needs an extra 424.1 MB.

Just try again with a 32GB USB stick.

 

[DeltaMac]

The nominal capacity of a "16GB" thumb drive can vary from less than 15GB to somewhere close to 16GB. I've not seen a 16GB stick with more than 16GB capacity, maybe there are some that are "full capacity"
I set up a partition of 15GB, and tried to create a Sonoma 14.4.1 installer - not enough space, so increased the size of the partition to what was needed. The partition had to be 15.8076 GB, or more.
That was successful. The space used, after the creation, was 14.99 GB, with 814,6MB space available.
So--your 16GB USB stick would need to have at least 15.8076 GB of space to be able to make the bootable Sonoma installer.
"16GB" USB sticks often do not provide that ~15.81GB, so will not allow the creation of a Sonoma bootable installer.
(I avoid this installer space issue. I use a USB m.2 card enclosure, with a 128GB m.2 stick, exclusively for whatever system is current. No space problem with that (yet! )

 

[Fishrrman]

Try a 32gb flash drive.

Try either of these to create the bootable flash drive:
- Install Disk Creator
or
- Diskmaker X

Both are FREE to use.
Try ISD first, but if that doesn't work, try Diskmaker as well.

 

[camelia]

I'm sorry. I don't understand the question.
Mac OS Extended (HFS+) format is required:

Create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support

You can use a USB flash drive or other secondary volume as a startup disk from which to install the Mac operating system.

support.apple.com

Thank you, I know how to format the volume before create the bootable media 😃

My /Applications/Install macOS Sonoma.app is 13.66 GB
That contains all the software that is required for a bootable system as well as that for macOS. This extra has to be extracted and used to build the bootable installer's operating system (a cut down macOS) to which is added the install executable. So the bootable installer is bound to be bigger than /Applications/Install macOS Sonoma.app.

I have just created a bootable installer on a 32GB USB stick. After completion it is using 15.1 GB out of the 31.7 GB HFS+ partition. I don't know how much extra is required for the create procedure, but I am not surprised that it hits the limit on your 16GB stick.

Edit: I have tried with a 16GB USB stick, and it refuses to start the create saying it needs an extra 424.1 MB.

Just try again with a 32GB USB stick.

Thank you for test again, I will use a 32GB USB stick 😎

The nominal capacity of a "16GB" thumb drive can vary from less than 15GB to somewhere close to 16GB. I've not seen a 16GB stick with more than 16GB capacity, maybe there are some that are "full capacity"
I set up a partition of 15GB, and tried to create a Sonoma 14.4.1 installer - not enough space, so increased the size of the partition to what was needed. The partition had to be 15.8076 GB, or more.
That was successful. The space used, after the creation, was 14.99 GB, with 814,6MB space available.
So--your 16GB USB stick would need to have at least 15.8076 GB of space to be able to make the bootable Sonoma installer.
"16GB" USB sticks often do not provide that ~15.81GB, so will not allow the creation of a Sonoma bootable installer.
(I avoid this installer space issue. I use a USB m.2 card enclosure, with a 128GB m.2 stick, exclusively for whatever system is current. No space problem with that (yet! )

Yes you are right, the USB thumb drive can say it has "16GB" of capacity for storage, but it less, I can see it, when I format them 😭
The USB m.2 stick is very fast but expensive here in Mexico, I will use a cheap SanDisk 32GB to create my bootable installer, thank you!

Try a 32gb flash drive.

Try either of these to create the bootable flash drive:
- Install Disk Creator
or
- Diskmaker X

Both are FREE to use.
Try ISD first, but if that doesn't work, try Diskmaker as well.

Yup, I just bought a 32GB USB stick I should not have any issue this time, if not I will report it here, in fact is not hard for me to create a installer media using the terminals commands so I really do not need to download these app like Install Disk Creator or Diskmaker X, but thank you anyway for your suggestion

Camelia

 

[camelia]

⛔ Update 🛑 I was reading about macOS Sonoma Version 14.4.1 (23E224) and still has a bugs specially with Docks, so I prefer to update my macOS Ventura, clean install and creating a new Bootable Installer, can someone please confirm the size of the universal installer for macOS Ventura Version 13.6.6 (22G630)?

Thanks
Camelia

 

[DeltaMac]

The Ventura full install for version 13.6.6 (build 22G630) is 12.24GB in size. It needs more space than that for the bootable installer, but should fit on a (nominal) 16GB USB.
And, the latest Ventura installer, 13.6.7 (build 22G705) is slightly larger, 12.25GB, so shouldn't be dramatically different for the space needed for the installer.

 

[camelia]

The Ventura full install for version 13.6.6 (build 22G630) is 12.24GB in size. It needs more space than that for the bootable installer, but should fit on a (nominal) 16GB USB.
And, the latest Ventura installer, 13.6.7 (build 22G705) is slightly larger, 12.25GB, so shouldn't be dramatically different for the space needed for the installer.

Thank you

Camelia