Back in March, I authored a post on using DeployStudio to image the latest macOS releases that utilized APFS formatting. With the release of Catalina, I had figured this method of preparing machines would end. This is because of Catalina’s unique method of partitioning the APFS container into multiple sections, including both a read-only system volume and a writeable data volume. However, thanks to an updated version of AutoDMG, DeployStudio lives again.
Had updated my imac 9,1(Early 2009) to high sierra Using dosdude1's Patcher and had no issues connect magic trackpad 1st Gen and AirPods 2nd Gen. But after updating to Catalina using the patcher having issues in bluetooth same as the macbook. The AirPods don't connect and the trackpad connects and loses connection 6-7 times before connecting. Amd radeon hd 6750m 500mb ati radeon hd 4670 256mb catalina 10.15.7 dosdude catalina patcher gpu acceleration graphic problem imac mid 2011 21.5' Sort by reaction score Forums.
As far as the steps to deploy an APFS image to a machine using DeployStudio, refer to the other article, nothing has changed. Also, remember that this will not work on machines with a T2 chip. The writing is on the wall; that being said, I still have a lot of non-T2 chip machines which makes this worthwhile.
The key here is using the latest beta version of AutoDMG (at the time of writing this, it is v1.10b587). According to the release notes, it supports creating DMGs of macOS Catalina. However, if you try and create a DMG like normal using AutoDMG, you’ll get an error suggesting that InstallInfo.plist is not present in the Catalina installer (which isn’t true). After reading through some of the reported issues with the latest beta, it was suggested that creating a DMG with the Catalina installer on it, then mounting said DMG and using the Catalina installer from that will resolve the issue. Here is what I had success with:
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- First of all, make sure you’re performing this on a computer with plenty of free space. You not only have to download the full macOS Catalina installer, you also have to copy it onto a DMG, and then create the final deployable DMG. This will take up roughly 30 GB of storage, so be prepared.
- Download the latest version of AutoDMG (linked to above).
- Download DosDude’s Catalina Patcher Tool to aid in downloading a full macOS Catalina installer. Upon opening the Patcher Tool, you’ll want to click Continue until you see this screen and can click Download a Copy. If you try downloading Catalina from the App Store, you may get a partial installer app that won’t work with AutoDMG. Make sure to use the Patcher Tool. Once you have downloaded a full macOS Catalina Installer app, you can quit the Patcher Tool.
- The macOS Catalina Installer app should now be present in your ~/Downloads folder. Create a new folder (anywhere, probably easiest just in your Downloads folder) and place the Catalina installer inside of the folder.
- Open the Disk Utility application and navigate to Menu Bar > File > New Image > Image from Folder… I suggest not compressing the disk image, as I have had compression cause issues with mounting/cloning/copying in the past. You can change the Image Format from Compressed to Read-Only. Select the folder that the macOS Catalina installer is in (not the installer itself) and click Save. This will begin a process which creates a disk image with the macOS Catalina Installer on it. For some strange reason, this is what will resolve the error that AutoDMG throws up when trying to create a deployable Catalina disk image.
- After the disk image is created, mount the disk image. Open AutoDMG and drag the macOS Catalina installer app from the disk image onto AutoDMG (like usual).At this point, it’s business as usual. AutoDMG will create an image that you can copy to your DeployStudio repository and deploy to your Macs. Remember that you must select “First Disk Available” when deploying an APFS image in DeployStudio in order for it to work correctly.
Hopefully this helps someone! If you have non-T2 chip Macs that ever need re-imaging, and you happen to already have access to a DeployStudio server, it’s a no brainer. Thanks for reading!
Peace,
Joel
In October last year, Apple releases a new version of macOS dubbed as ‘Catalina.’ This latest installment of macOS includes new features, including new apps for podcasts, music, and TV (replacing iTunes), the ability to use iPad as an external monitor, a revamped Photos app, and many more. Seeing this, it’s no wonder that some Mac users want to update their OS version to Catalina. However, not all of them have the luxury to do so.
Officially, macOS Catalina won’t work on older Mac devices that are deemed not powerful enough, according to Apple. Additionally, they provided the official list of the supported Macs:
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- MacBook models released in 2015 or after
- MacBook Air models released in mid-2012 or after
- MacBook Pro models released in mid-2012 or after
- Mac mini models released in late 2012 or after
- iMac models released in late 2012 or after
- iMac Pro released in 2017
- Mac Pro models from late 2013
This means that if you have a Macbook Air or iMac released in 2011, you won’t be able to upgrade your OS to Catalina. What version of macOS do you have?
If you’re unsure what version of macOS you have, you can check your macOS or OS X version by clicking the Apple icon at the top-left corner of Mac’s screen, then select About This Mac. In the Overview tab, look at the Mac model year below the OS version number. If the year is the same or above the previous compatibility list, then you should be able to install macOS Catalina formally. If not, read on.
Make your old Mac support macOS Catalina
Older Mac owners don’t have to worry. It’s not the end of the world. There’s a patch that lets you install Catalina to Macs that are not officially supported.
The patch is known as DosDude Catalina Patcher. DosDude Catalina Patcher is a third-party tool, meaning Apple does not develop the tool. It’s made by an individual developer instead. Keep in mind that just because you can make your old Mac run Catalina, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will always be a good thing to do.
Apple prevents older devices to run Catalina for a reason. As mentioned before, anything older than the officially supported hardware will most likely offer suboptimal performance using Catalina, not to mention that some features need newer hardware to function properly.
Despite that, it doesn’t mean that all old machines won’t run macOS Catalina well. Given that your hardware is capable enough, running Catalina shouldn’t introduce any lasting problems. The macOS Catalina Patcher is also updated regularly to address any issues that may surface. Otherwise, you can always downgrade your macOS to an older version if needed.
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Install macOS Catalina on an older Mac
Before we begin, it might be a good idea to have a backup of your system using Time Machine, just in case. Creating a backup is always recommended. It’s not only useful for installing a new OS version can enable you to undo any changes after an update, which would be very helpful should something go wrong.
Once you are ready to jump into upgrading, follow the step-by-step guide below to install macOS Catalina on an older Mac using DosDude Catalina Patcher.
- First off, download the most recent version of Catalina Patcher from the official website.
- After the app is downloaded and installed, open it.
- The app will present you with a welcoming message. Keep clicking Continue until it finishes.
- Afterward, you need to get the macOS Installer App from Apple. You can either Download a Copy or Browse for a Copy… if you already have one. If you choose to download, the file size is about 7 to 8 GB, so you may need to wait for a while.
- Plug in a USB flash drive to your Mac and select Create a bootable installer on the Installation Method section.
- On the next screen, your flash drive should be detected as a volume. Else, you may have to first format your USB drive into macOS Extended Journaled if you haven’t already.
- When the flash drive is detected, select it, and click Start.
- Once the bootable installer is copied into the USB drive, restart your Mac. Hold down the Option key while the rebooting process takes place to open up the Startup Manager.
- From the boot list, choose the USB flash drive installer.
- Then, you’ll be taken to the macOS Utilities window. One thing to note is that if you run a version of macOS that is earlier than High Sierra, you’ll need to reformat your installation hard drive to APFS before proceeding. Use the Disk Utility option from the available list on the macOS Utilities window to do so. Otherwise, skip to the next step.
- Click on Reinstall macOS to install Catalina. Simply follow the process until the new OS, and the relevant patches are installed successfully.
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Now, you can enjoy the latest version of macOS on an older Mac. Remember that Apple doesn’t recommend you do this, so some troubles might show up when operating your device. Even though dosdude1, the developer of Catalina Patcher, introduces new patches regularly, it shouldn’t be surprising if the experience may not be as good as using Catalina on Macs that officially supports it.